Big City Small World Support Pack Series 1 Episode 11: Fill & Download for Free

Here are the most viewed questions on quora and there answersQuestion 15:Why are there crushed stones alongside rail tracks?(This Question got more than 1 million views in Quora)While seeing this question, every one of us feels that yes, why? Am also the one who thinks about it. Sometimes very small things have huge valuable reasons, its one among them. Let’s see what are the discussions went on it and how we got valuable answers.Best Answers:Answered by: Dave Larsen, IBEW RSE Electrician, songwriter, nerd, on Sep 18, 2013 and this answer got 48.9k ViewsI found his answer is short and crisp.“I'm not an engineer (either kind) but I believe that the gravel is called road-bed.I would guess that gravel roadbed is used for a few reasons.As the train wheels roll along, the tracks flex slightly. The gravel helps distribute the constantly shifting point loads where monolithic support would tend to break up over time.The gravel ensures that the substrate under the tracks is adequately drained, which is critical for the tracks, especially when there is exposure to a freeze-thaw cycleGravel maintains support of and the distance between the cross tiesGravel is in a sense like a flexible stone. It is for practical purposes waterproof and can withstand heavy compression. It doesn't rot.Any engineers out there who can tell me if I'm on the right track?Yes, he is correct and the answer for it is clearly given here,Answered by:​ Shah Jayesh, B.tech from Dharmsinh Desai University, Nadiad, Updated on Nov 1, 2017 and this answer got 26.8k Views​Track ballast- the stones that you see lying close to the railway tracks are collectively called track ballast. Track ballast is packed between the sleepers, in the areas below, and on the sides of railway tracksSleepers- A railway sleeper is rectangular support that is usually kept perpendicular to the tracks. Means in the middle which is of concrete mainly (wood was mainly used in Britishers rule) to hold the rails and properly spaced.REASON FOR USING OF STONES:An important function is to absorb the vibrations and protect rigid structures by doing so.They provide support to the tracks. As sharp and edges stones are used (because when train moves so that they didn't move on each other) so that they maintain the space between the tracks.In preventing the growth of vegetation otherwise maintenance will cost much.It drains out any water that may be around the tracks that water doesn’t stayNear the tracks and compromise the support provided by of the ground below.Interesting thing:EPDM - Ethylene Propylene diene monomer is a rubber which is used in rail tracks to decrease the amount of vibration produced by trains because of its high resistance to heat, water and other mechanical strainsQUESTION 14:Photography: What are some of the most inspirational photos ever taken?(This Question got more than 1 million views in Quora)Photography is a passion for some and it’s a hobby for some. Let see the interesting answers with photos for this question in Quora.Best Answer:Answered by: Irshad Zeya, Change is the Only Constant, Answered on Jul 24, 2016, and this answer got 172.8k ViewsThis picture changed me “How I see my world!”.The picture has been taken in war-torn Palestine.A father is bathing his Daughter and Niece in a bathtub in their destroyed house.Dad has a splendid smile on his face and the kids could be seen to laughing.It looks that the “Destructive forces” was able to destroy everything except the high “Spirit” of this man.This Dad must be a super Dad who has lost too much but still making things fun.They are making things happier with whatever they are left with.And here I stood who would complain for a bad mess food, slow WiFi, Power cuts, and the list continues to the smallest to the smallest things.Hardly being thankful and satisfied for what I got.After thinking too much about this pic and observing it for long, I really feel inspired to be a better & thankful person from now on.Answered by: Hicham Mounadi, Student Answered Sep 22, 2015, and this answered got more than 2.3k ViewsDr. Religa monitors his patient's vitals after a 23-hour long heart transplant surgery. His assistant is sleeping in the corner. [1987]The patient not only survived the surgery but outlived his doctor.Flag Raising On Iwo Jima, Joe Rosenthal, 1945It is but a speck of an island 760 miles south of Tokyo, a volcanic pile that blocked the Allies’ march toward Japan. The Americans needed Iwo Jima as an air base, but the Japanese had dug in. U.S. troops landed on February 19, 1945, beginning a month of fighting that claimed the lives of 6,800 Americans and 21,000 Japanese. On the fifth day of battle, the Marines captured Mount ­Suribachi.An American flag was quickly raised, but a commander called for a bigger one, in part to inspire his men and demoralize his opponents. Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal lugged his bulky Speed Graphic camera to the top, and as five Marines and a Navy corpsman prepared to hoist the Stars and Stripes, Rosenthal stepped back to get a better frame—and almost missed the shot. “The sky was overcast,” he later wrote of what has become one of the most recognizable images of war.“The wind just whipped the flag out over the heads of the group, and at their feet the disrupted terrain and the broken stalks of the shrubbery exemplified the turbulence of war.” Two days later Rosenthal’s photo was splashed on front pages across the U.S., where it was quickly embraced as a symbol of unity in the long-fought war. The picture, which earned Rosenthal a Pulitzer Prize, so resonated that it was made into a postage stamp and cast as a 100-ton bronze memorial.Views For this answer: 323.7k ViewsThese are some answers I really felt interested in.QUESTION 13:If pi ended what number would it end on?(This Question got more than 2 million views in Quora)A Simple mathematical question but has more value for it.Best Answer:Answered by: Michael Mann, studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Answered on Mar 25, 2017, and this answer got over 2.3k ViewsBy “end” I assume you mean the decimal representation of that number has a finite number of digits. If this is the case, no number truly ”ends,” and it would probably be best for you to think of it in this manner to avoid confusion.The decimal representation of rational numbers is said to either terminate after a finite number of digits or proceed indefinitely with a certain set of digits repeating. However, those numbers which seemingly terminate after a finite number of digits could be written with a repeating digit of zero ad infinitum, which would make them identical to their non-terminating counterparts. Thus, rational numbers, in their decimal form, go on forever but repeat a certain set of digits. It may be the single digit 0, allowing it to be written in a simpler form.pi is irrational. Its decimal form does not ever end (like ALL real numbers) AND no pattern of digits repeats ad infinitum. So, it makes no sense to ask what number pi would end on if it ended. It would not be pi if it ended.Yes, Pi is irrational. Hence it can’t be ended.QUESTION 12:What is the greatest single image in movie history?(This Question got more than 2 million views in Quora)Best Answer:Answered by: Dan Munro, Author of Casino Healthcare and Forbes Contributor, Answered on Apr 22, 2017, and this answer got 48.7k ViewsIt’s a tough question because movies are moving images. Picking a single frame as a single “greatest” image isn’t entirely accurate because certainly some of the best — if not the greatest images — are tied directly to a collection of moving images (or scenes).Most of the images selected so far are good choices, of course, but my vote (not referenced so far) has to be this one from one of my all time favorite films — Lawrence of Arabia.This now famous image/scene is notable for many reasons — not the least of which is that cinematographer Freddie Young used a 482mm lens from Panavision for the scene. Panavision still has this lens, and it is officially known among cinematographers as the “David Lean lens.” It was created specifically for this one shot and has not been used since.By the genre of “Epic,” the American Film Institute selected Lawrence of Arabia as their #1 pick in their Top 10 list of all time. The other nine are:2) Ben Hur3) Schindler’s List4) Gone With the Wind5) Spartacus6) Titanic7) All Quiet on the Western Front8) Saving Private Ryan9) Reds10) The Ten CommandmentsThe whole scene is about 3mins long — and is arguably the single best entrance and introduction to a character (Sherif Ali — played by Omar Sharif) ever filmed.More answers are interesting but he gave a conclusion that movies are moving images, that line gave an exact answer for the above question.QUESTION 11:What are 20 random facts about yourself?(This Question got more than 2 million views in Quora)This question is simple but it gives us to know the people mentality, behavior clearly. Let’s see the best answer with high views.Best Answer:Answered by: Jayant Shilanjan Mundhra, I learn. I share. Updated May 4, 2017, and this answer got 110.6k Views#1. I hand-write drafts for almost all of my answers before I type them and post on Quora. And, thus I often end up not posting a lot of my answers out of my indolence.#2. The first girl I proposed was named Akanksha. She denied. The first proposal I received was from a girl named Akanksha. I denied. Then, I got in a relationship with another girl named Akanksha! I wonder what's with this name and me!#3. I have lived in various places of India- Siliguri, Hanumangarh, Bahadurgarh, New Delhi, Kota, Faridabad, Gwalior- 7 cities, 5 states of India.#4. My mother and I were born on the same date of 11th December. That is pretty rare. I have never met another person who shares his/her birthday with his/her parents.#5. I love to look good. I almost always dress up well if I'm heading out even for mere 5 minutes. I simply love to view myself in the mirror.#6. Average child laughs 315 times a day. Average adult laughs 15 times a day. I laugh almost 90-100 times a day.#7. I learnt to swim on my own. I was in 7th standard back then and used to go to swim with my friends. While my friends learnt the sport in mere 15 days with the help of a coach, I mastered its various forms on my own in 30 days.#8. I'm an avid coin and stamp collector. I have a collection of almost 295 coins from over 59 nations. These coins go back to the ages of 16th century. Also, I have 289 stamps from over 77 nations. Not even my closest friends know about it.#9. If you don't have proof of something. It's pretty tough for me to believe you. I have pretty strong respect for my rationale. And, I keep it's judgments in very high esteem.#10. I have seen the FRIENDS TV sitcom for 7 times. All ten seasons, seven times. I know that might be unpalatable to some. But, I simply can’t resist the Joey love.#11. At my peak I have performed 450 push-ups in a single day.#12. I'm very peculiar about the way things around me are used. One must use everything with utter care, else they can expect some rants from me. Call it OCD or anything else. But, I like everything properly and safely. I don't like it when people take anything for granted.#13. Other than my exam time, I read about 4-5 hours a day. Reading is the fuel that keeps me going. I have a huge appetite for learning more and more. And, my books are the greatest source for that.#14. I can't read even three pages straight from a physical book without yawning. I find physical/paperback books very displeasing. Kindle is my all-time best friend in this regard.#15. I know a lot about International politics, Israel, Mossad, Sayeret Matkal, Middle-East conflicts and Modern Indian history.#16. Be it Holi or Diwali, festivals don't excite me much. Visiting orphanages is much more my thing.#17. I have been caught cheating thrice. All the three times it was examinations of Sanskrit subject. All the times it was the same teacher. Misery!#18. Be it today or 20 years later. But, I'll definitely end up in Mumbai. I have been in love with the city ever since I visited it last year. There is no place like Mumbai to me in India.#19. I can't wait for episodes of sitcoms to be released. So, I binge watch them once the series is all over. I keep a lot of snacks laid around me, and I watch TV sitcoms straight for over 6-7 hours in a go.#20. I'm terrific at remembering dates. First hug. First proposal. The day I got 1 Million views on Quora. The day I began blogging. The day I began reading. Everything. I have it all imprinted in my head.Phew! My brain is super tired after this. Time for some rest.It’s worth reading his answer, he had spent more time to write it heartily.QUESTION 10:What made you sad today?(This Question got more than 3 million views in Quora)Best Answer:Answered by: Saumya Sharma, studies at National Institute of Fashion Technology (2021), Updated on Jun 5, 2017, and this answer got 439.2k V viewsA rich daughter insulting her not so rich father in public made me sad today!Today my mom and I went to a jewelry store to buy some diamond jewelry for her. Next to us was seated a girl with her parents. Uncle looked old and a normal middle-class person but had a beautiful smile on his face.He asked the shopkeeper to show some gold bangles for their daughter's wedding. When salesman showed him some bangles worth 60k he proudly said -Bhaiya thodi heavy si dikhaiye! Beti ki shaadi hai! Sb kuch isi ke liye hi toh joda (save) hai puri life!(English Translation-Please Show some heavier bangles! It's my dear daughter's wedding. All these years I have saved my hard earned money just for her!)Then he and his wife selected a pair of bangles worth 1.2 lakh for their daughter while she was busy in texting!The girl saw it and said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, “oh please dad! How can you expect me to wear these cheap middle-class bangles! No need to buy if you can't afford something classy! I am successful now and can afford expensive jewelry! U leave it! I will buy with my money!” And asked the shopkeeper to show diamond bangles in range 4–5 lakh!I can never forget that sad expression on uncle's face. I guess she was one of the poorest people I have ever metIt’s a really sad answer.QUESTION 9:Are there any poor people on Quora, as Internet access is very cheap nowadays?It’s a real-time question that everyone has a doubt. This Question got more than 3 million views in QuoraBest Answer:Answered by: Mohammad Khan, works at Momekh, Answered on May 17, 2017, and this answer got 22.2k ViewsYes, because “poor” is a relative term. Unless you define it. And it has been defined by the good folks sitting in big buildings with free parking for their cars.If you earn less than $60 bucks a month, you’re below the poverty line. If you earn more than $60 per month, you are ABOVE the poverty line.People who earn less than $60 a month, they are not on Quora.So no, “poor” as per definition, are not on Quora.Less than 3.5 Billion are connected to the Internet in one form or the other. That leaves almost as much who are NOT connected to the Internet. So generally speaking, it is will be unwise to assume that poor people are using the Internet, using Quora etc.Being poor is and will remain a relative concept… a person who is showing us a wardrobe and a TV and a phone is NOT poorer than a few people I know who earn less than $80 bucks a month (here in Pakistan), and then have four kids to feed. And when you would ask that person if things are tough, he may first praise God for giving him so much, and then relate an incident or two of people poorer than him, people who are on “automatic fasting” because they dont have access to food.So even if there are poorer people on Quora, they are still on Quora and were blessed enough to speak and understand English and have access to the Internet. Most people don’t. And possibly won’t for years to come.QUESTION 8:What is the most private photo you have ever taken?(This Question got more than 5 million views in Quora)Best Answer:Answered by: Hope Pitney, Server at Hearth 'n Kettle (2017-present), Updated Aug 22, 2016, and this answer got 473.4k ViewsThis is a very funny and embarrassing story. My husband and I were separated for 11 months, meaning he left me due to family obligations and not because we split up. To keep our romance alive while we were apart, we'd have phone sex and send each other photos. Well, one day I took some racy topless pics because my man is a boob guy. I forgot to delete said pictures.Fast forward about a week or so and he sends me a pic of a pic from 14 years ago that he found in his belongings of when we were first together. I decided to go around work and show all my coworkers and my bosses because we were oh so cute. I handed the phone to my boss so she could get a better look and she accidentally swiped to the naked booby picture. She threw the phone back to me but not before her husband saw too. Oops. Now whenever I want to show them a pic, he says oh God it better not be your breasts or a dick pic. HahahaFunny heeeeeeeeee!QUESTION 7:What is the most under-rated pleasure?(This Question got more than 6 million views in Quora)Best Answer:Answered by: Vishak Raman, Still living, still learning. More importantly - still growing. Updated on Jun 13, 2017, and this answer got 787.9k ViewsImagine this.You are J.J wakes up at 6:30 am, brushes his teeth, takes a shower, eats breakfast, drives to work, finishes up at 5 pm, drives home, watches a little telly, eats dinner, reads a book, and goes to sleep.See anything wrong with J’s day? No?How about the fact J didn’t wake up to a blaring alarm clock, turn it off and go back to sleep thereby winding up late for work - only to have a flat tire on the way. J didn’t get reprimanded by his boss who told him to stay over-time. J didn’t have to finally leave his workplace around 7 pm, take a taxi over to the Wal-Mart Tire Repair Service to collect his car, only to realize he left his wallet at home, and J didn’t finally roll into his driveway at 10 pm, just in time to watch in horror as his house burned down because he left the gas on.What’s the most under-rated pleasure?QUESTION 6:What can I learn/know right now in 10 minutes that will be useful for the rest of my life?(This Question got more than 10 million views in Quora)Best Answer:Answered by: Dipak Rangote, former Civil Engineer at Larsen & Toubro ECC (2016-2018), Answered on Jan 6, 2018 and this post got 123.6k ViewsBelieve me, I have the best advice for you!Imagine, you are stuck somewhere and from last 3 hours you have a strong urge to go to toilet and get things done.Finally, you get freedom and you start running towards toilet. You take your pants down furiously with the speed of light and acquire toilet seat with great satisfaction.Ever in your life you must have gone through this.At the time of taking pants down you feel the strongest urge to get things done however you have controlled yourself for last 3 hours. In those 10 seconds if in any case you don't take your pants down then definitely you will get into disaster.That's same with your problems. They tend to appear much bigger when they are about to end. So, whenever your problems seem to get more complicated don't panic. Time has come to finish the problem but only thing you have to do is have patience and keep doing things in calm manner otherwise you know the disaster.Amazing yaarrr!!!!QUESTION 5:What are some great advertisements?(This Question got more than 15 million views in Quora)Best Answer:Answered by Vibhor Dhote, Philomath, Updated on Jun 13, 2015, and this answer got 13.9k views.Here are some of my favorites poster ads. Work of pure geniuses all of it. Will keep on adding as I find more.Orion Telescopes (Do note the 'Made in China' on the US flag)Poster ad for Canadian Paralympics:Organ Donor Ad:Anti-smoking ad:Brucciani: Free WiFiBiolink Shampoo Intense Moisture:Dove - Unstick your style:Kansas - city Library:Fiat-Drive Friendly:Ariel - Because color is everything:Eye testing:Hellenic Association of Blood DonSorry, I can’t give all the Ad pictures here. To see more check his page on Quora.QUESTION 4:What is a secret which you would not tell anybody in real life, but would on Quora using anonymity?(This Question got more than 15 million views in Quora)I hope this question gives more answers because who are all having fear to open out something outside they can use anonymity and expose their feelings here. Such interesting!!Best ANSWER:Answered by Anonymous, Updated Mar 4, 2018, and this post viewed by 361.8k Views peopleThen story of me becoming a slut….I'm a 28 year old woman in Tamil nadu, India.4 years back I was orphaned by the death of my widow mother. I had no options to live, I studied only till 12th standard. This is the time when I was cornered by my dad's old friends, who offered me a living in exchange for my body.I had no choice in that part of my life when I had to accept it. They gave me 10k per night to fuck a guy. Even now I regret doing that but I had no other options and I didn't do it intentionally. They used to offer 10k for every night twice every week. It was going on for two months when I met another guy who was so horny that he ended up fucking me for the whole night. He was so interested in me that he took me away with him saying that I'm worth more than 10k per night. He introduced me to the dark markets of the city. I made a lot of money for about a year. Sometimes business men came in group of four and offered me upto a lakh for that night. This was when I started using Quora to gain knowledge on sexuality. It made me think about my life. I started to understand how stupid I was in fucking every random guy I met to live a luxurious life.I wanted to stop it once for ever. I had a huge savings account. I started to search peace in life. I met an old acquaintance (uncle) of my family who had a grocery shop. I thought this was the right time to start living a normal life. I started working in the shop on a dialy basis. My uncle did not know about my past. This part of my life turned to be the most beautiful one. I started to write on Quora and got a bit popular. I met the love of my life, my uncle's son. I said about my past at the instant he proposed me. He said he loved me for my new life I live and he said that he'll forget the past. He wanted me to hide this information and not even tell about this to my uncle. I promised (sorry that I have broke his promise on Quora). He had me tested for STDs and it tested negative.Now I've been married to him for the past 1.5 years and we have a little girl. He has a stable job in a private firm and I continue to supervise in our grocery store. Last month I decided to discard the savings in my bank account. I talked about this with my husband and we decided it to donate it to an orphanage. I felt immensely happy during the moment we gave the cheque of 11.5 lakhs (18k USD) to the collector of a girl's orphanage. I felt like I had prevented lots of girls from becoming like me.Now I'm living a happy life with my family with this little secret which i hope will remain a secret forever.Edit 1: I thank all of the people who commented saying that faith in humanity is restored. I do believe that it's happening. And for all those people out there telling that I'm a stupid little teenager trying to become a budding writer, I can say only one thing, if you are trying to make me reveal myself then you fail my friends. I have seen a lot harsher things than your comments and I'll definitely ignore them. However I thank you people for the good comments and yes my husband is really a good person and I'm very lucky to have him.Edit 2: I'll try to answer many of the doubts raised. It's your wish whether you are gonna believe it or not.1. How is my English fluent?I said I studied till 12th standard and I do have some knowledge on English and I'm using Quora for the past two years.2. Then how did I get trapped inspite of some basic knowledge?I said “I was cornered by my dad's friends and there is a big story about it how I was forced to make such decision”3. How did you make money as high as 11.5 lakhs?If you were to ask this question then you are wrong, you have no idea how much people pay per intercourse. Try asking some people with knowledge on this sector.There are many answers interesting please into the questions and answers in Quora.QUESTION 3:What are some mind-blowing facts that sound like 'BS', but are actually true?(This Question got more than 20 million views in Quora)Best Answer:Answered by Mads Olsen, a Former intern at the Danish Parliament. Updated on Apr 29, 2017, and this answer got 128k ViewsYour mind can’t make up new faces. Every face you see in your dreams are not strangers. They are people you have encountered at least once in your lifetime. The creepy side of this is, that every time you have sex with someone in your dreams, it is most likely someone you know.You share 50% of your DNA with a banana. This one is really something that shocked me. 50% of my genes are in a banana? We also share 80 % of our DNA with cows, and 60% with chickens.United Airlines lost 180 million dollars due to a song. When in 2009 United Airlines broke a man’s 4500 dollar guitar, they refused to pay him. In revenge, he wrote a protest song that resulted in a 10% stock price fall, costing stockholders 180 million dollars. Apparently, they have a history of violence.London can be classified as a forest. Somehow, there are so many trees in London, that by UN definition that it could be classified as a forest. There are currently around 8.4 million trees, nearly 1 tree per person.Your brain shrinks during pregnancy. Now, there is no need to be worried about this. It is actually perfectly normal in healthy pregnancies. This happens late in pregnancy, and although no one knows exactly why, your brain will return to its normal size some time after pregnancy.Note: I will keep adding to this list as I discover some more fascinating facts. Thanks for reading!QUESTION 2:What is the most horrific picture you have ever seen?(This Question got more than 5 million views in Quora)Best Answer:Answered by Pranav Vasanthi, Research Scientist at Aston University, Updated on Mar 21, 2018 and this answer got 244.3k Views“Imagine, if you were crushed inside 0a glass bottle, such that you are completely immobilised. You can’t turn you head, you can’t move your body parts, you can’t look up or down, you are suffocating and you are extremely stressed and nervous. The only thing you can do is breathe. Now imagine that the only thing you breathe is cigarette smoke for 6–7 hours a day, 7 days a week, for several months. How would you feel?”This is probably what a rodent would ask you if it had the chance to.Because this has been their life for several decades now.You see that white stuff inside the glass canisters? That’s not cotton candy. Those are live rats. As in, alive for the next few months before they would develop cancer all over their body and be ripped apart to analyse the effect of cigarette smoke exposure. Rats generally avoid breathing cigarette smoke. So, they are deliberately enclosed in glass canisters and forced to inhale noxious gases for several hours a day!All for what? To analyse petty things like the effect of adding strawberry flavour to tobacco cigarettes or any other disgusting flavour to your E-cigarette.And for God’s sake, even the science is inaccurate. Rats are obligate nose breathers. They can only breathe cigarette smoke or E-cigarette vapour through their nose as opposed humans who inhale cigarette smoke through their mouth. Rats have less extensive bronchus branching compared to humans and the airway epithelial cells are ‘non-ciliated’ as opposed to the ciliated human bronchial epithelial cells. The mucus-producing glands of mice are much smaller and less in number compared to humans. In fact, some scientists argue that mouse do not have bronchiolar glands! It is a highly contentious issue. But almost all the scientists agree that this lack of sub-mucosal glands makes mouse a poor animal model for human diseases like chronic bronchitis. (Rats do have these bronchiolar mucus-producing glands but they are mostly concentrated on the upper region of airways as opposed to uniformly and evenly distributed mucosal glands in humans)Rats are not the only species which undergo this torture. If you haven’t had the misfortune of seeing the iconic ‘smoking beagles’ picture then here it is:(Sorry dog lovers, I had to! Profuse apologies)These beagles were used to test the efficacy of an apparently ‘safe cigarette’, which I believe is as much a reality as space-ships and aliens. It was the chutzpah of an audacious journalist called Mary Beith, that exposed this horrendous scientific practice to the world. It is probably this image which has made animal usage for science highly regulated now. Ever wondered how one person or one image can change the world? That’s Mary Beith and her photograph for you.Okay, how do we progress with science then without using animals?Well, the good news is that there has been tremendous recent advances in animal-free science specifically in airways disease modelling like lung-on-a-chip or air-liquid-interface in-vitro culturing (please ignore the jargons if you have to). Almost all the scientists throughout the world are trying to minimise the usage of animals unless it is absolutely necessary. It is an universal initiative called 3R’s- replacement, reduction and refinement of animal usage in laboratories. Such a global initiative would augur the progress of more human relevant science. Such an effort would also catalyse human medicines faster and more relevant drugs/vaccines be produced in a shorter span of time.Hence, save animals. Replace animals with better science. Use animals only when it is absolutely necessary. If not, don’t!And btw, if you think I am an animal sympathiser wasting my time here, you are wrong. I am a research scientist pursing my PhD in a subject quite relatable to what I have written here.Oh and for those of you wondering what the hell a lung-on-a-chip is, look at this badass:That thing there, the size of a USB stick, can literally mimic your lung action! It was developed by Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. For further details, Google.QUESTION 1:What are the most amazing photos you have ever taken?(This Question got more than 10 million views in Quora)Best ANSWER:Answered by Prasannjeet Singh, I know how to use a Camera!, Answered on Oct 27, 2015, and this answer got 3.7k ViewsMy story is about the image above. Pretty simple, right? Looks like yet another day.But wait, did you notice something peculiar above?You might be wondering why are the street lights lit up (4 of them in this pic) on a sunny day! And that's the thing which makes it special. I took this image at around midnight in complete darkness with a very basic mobile camera without flash.This is the time when I was in the 2nd semester of my engineering in Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, Karnataka (India). I along with my friend skipped dinner because we were too busy playing Counter Strike and Celebrating Sachin's Double Century! Naturally, we were extremely hungry after midnight and planned to order food from a nearby 24/7 restaurant (Spice & Ice). Due to restrictions, we had to walk till the main gate of our campus to pick up the order.It was completely dark and raining heavily, thus we borrowed an umbrella and a phone with flashlight (Nokia N85). While waiting for the delivery boy, I noticed the frequency of lightning to be more than normal, and so I took out the N85 to take that dream shot (at least for me, especially with that camera!).Phone-Cameras those time were not as fast as they are now. It took me 35+ minutes and 200+ photos to finally synchronize my click with the lightning which I guess lasts just for a few milliseconds!Picture of the same place milliseconds later:Uncropped Full Image:I guess the lightning spanned for so little time that the sorry camera wasn't able to capture the whole thing in time!No. of tries (as saved in my folder) before I finally got the perfect picture (there are more but this explains it!):Date Taken: After midnight, April 24th, 2010.Camera: Nokia N85No, I am not a photographer!

The 50 best video games of all time, according to criticsBen GilbertJul. 3, 2018, 9:53 AMThere are dozens of ways you could put together a list of the best video games ever made. You could look to classics, like "Super Mario Bros." here.NintendoYou could look at impact on the medium, or highest sales. You could write down your personal favorites on pieces of paper, then throw them into the air. Where the pieces land? That's your list!But what we've got here is something slightly more scientific. Reviews aggregation site Metacritic compiles all reviews of games, then it averages those scores into an overall average. What you'll find below is the top 50 highest-rated games of all time, based on the averages obtained by Metacritic. We made one small change: Since there are a handful of duplicates on the list (multiple versions of the same game, released on multiple platforms), we've just taken the highest-ranked version of the game to make room for a handful of games that wouldn't have otherwise made the list.Without further ado, these are the 50 best video games of all time:50. "Devil May Cry"CapcomCritic score: 94/100User score: 8.6/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "In a large American metropolis, a man named Dante, a private investigator of the supernatural, is seeking revenge for the death of his mother and brother. The world is waiting, for Dante is no ordinary man, and with his father's sword in hand, he must enter the demon realm and avenge mankind."Platforms: PC, iOS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One49. "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4"ActivisionCritic score: 94/100User score: 8.4/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Build your skills, earn respect, and show that you've got what it takes to Go Pro. 190 progressively harder goals. No time clock, no constraints. Pro-specific challenges. Evolving levels. Interact with other skaters. Multi-player modes. Customize your game...Your career is what you make of it."Platforms: GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Tapwave Zodiac, OS X, PC48. "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2"ActivisionCritic score: 94/100User score: 6.4/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "'Modern Warfare 2' continues the gripping and heart-racing action as players face off against a new threat dedicated to bringing the world to the brink of collapse. An entirely new gameplay mode which supports 2-player co-operative play online that is unique from the single player story campaign. Special Ops pits players into a gauntlet of time-trial and objective-based missions. Rank-up as players unlock new Special Ops missions, each more difficult. Missions include highlights from the single player campaign, fan favorites from 'Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare' and all new, exclusive missions. Setting a new bar for online multiplayer, 'Modern Warfare 2' multiplayer delivers new capabilities, customization, game states and modes, including: Create-a-Class Evolved. Secondary Weapons - Machine Pistols, Shotguns, Handguns, Launchers. Riot Shields. Equipment - Throwing Knives, Blast Shield, Tactical Insertion. Perk Upgrades. Bling (Dual Attachments). Customizable Killstreaks - AC130, Sentry Gun, Predator Missile, Counter-UAV, Care Package. Accolades (Post match reports)."Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, OS X47. "Final Fantasy IX"Square EnixCritic score: 94/100User score: 8.9/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "The last 'Final Fantasy' for the PlayStation, 'Final Fantasy IX' returns to the pure fantasy roots that spawned the series. This latest installment features highly detailed characters, vehicles, and environments, and breathtaking cinema-graphics. The addition of brand new features such as the story-enhancing Active Time Event system and the return of mini-games that grant additional gameplay make 'Final Fantasy IX' not only a memorable gaming experience, but also a significant step forward in the series."Platforms: PlayStation, iOS, Android, PC, PlayStation 446. "BioShock Infinite"2K GamesCritic score: 94/100User score: 8.5/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Once conceived as a floating symbol of American ideals at a time when the United States was emerging as a world power, Columbia has been dispatched to distant shores with great fanfare by a captivated public. What begins as a brand new endeavor of hope turns drastically wrong as the city soon disappears into the clouds to whereabouts unknown. The player assumes the role of former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, sent to the lost city to rescue Elizabeth, a young woman imprisoned there since childhood. He develops a relationship with Elizabeth, augmenting his abilities with hers so the pair may escape from a city that is literally falling from the sky. DeWitt must learn to fight foes in high-speed Sky-Line battles, engage in combat both indoors and amongst the clouds, and engage the power of dozens of new weapons and abilities.Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One45. "World of Goo"2D BoyCritic score: 94/100User score: 8.8/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "'World of Goo' is a physics based puzzle / construction game. The millions of Goo Balls that live in the beautiful 'World of Goo' don't know that they are in a game, or that they are extremely delicious."Platforms: Wii, PC, OS X, Linux, iOS, Android, BlackBerry OS, Nintendo Switch44. "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain"KonamiCritic score: 95/100User score: 7.4/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Following the prologue Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain concludes the Metal Gear Solid V experience by following the story of the protagonist of the series, Big Boss (a.k.a. Snake). The Metal Gear Solid V experience is Creator and Director Hideo Kojima's first time incorporating open world gameplay to the groundbreaking Metal Gear franchise."Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One43. "Portal 2"Valve SoftwareCritic score: 95/100User score: 8.4/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "'Portal 2' is the sequel to the title named "Game of the Year" 2007 by over 30 publications around the world. 'Portal 2' promises to break new ground in next generation gaming by expanding the award-winning recipe of innovative gameplay, immersive story, and creative inclusion of music while also introducing multiplayer co-op game modes."Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 3, Xbox 36042. "Madden NFL 2003"EA SportsCritic score: 95/100User score: 7.5/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Take Your Game Online: Access an online community where you can meet, chat, and play head-to-head against other gamers. Audio Dream Team: Dynamic play-by-play and analysis by Madden and Michaels. All-New Mini-camp: Hop on John Madden's Cruiser Tour Bus and travel to all NFL cities to complete skilled tasks. Create-A-Playbook: Customize receiver routes, player formations, and your team's entire playbook. Deepest Franchise Mode Ever: Play 30 years of Franchise mode and draft players each season with tips from your scouts."Platforms: Game Boy Advance, PC, GameCube, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox41. "The Last of Us"The Last Of UsCritic score: 95/100User score: 9.2/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Twenty years after a pandemic radically transformed known civilization, infected humans run amok and survivors kill one another for sustenance and weapons - literally whatever they can get their hands on. Joel, a salty survivor, is hired to smuggle a fourteen-year-old girl, Ellie, out of a rough military quarantine, but what begins as a simple job quickly turns into a brutal journey across the country."Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 440. "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask"NintendoCritic score: 95/100User score: 9.2/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Thrown into a parallel world by the mischievous actions of a possessed Skull Kid, Link finds a land in grave danger. The dark power of a relic called Majora's Mask has wreaked havoc on the citizens of Termina, but their most urgent problem is a suicidal moon crashing toward the world. Link has only 72 hours to find a way to stop its descent."Platforms: Nintendo 64, Nintendo 3DS39. "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past"World of Longplays/YouTubeCritic score: 95/100User score: 9.0/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "In a 'Link to the Past,' Link travels between the light world and the dark world, conquering fierce monsters and uncovering Hyrule's deepest secrets along the way."Platforms: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Console (various platforms)38. "Halo 2"MicrosoftCritic score: 95/100User score: 8.2/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "The Covenant alien race threatens to destroy all humankind, and the only thing standing in its way is Master Chief, a genetically enhanced supersoldier. Master Chief returns in 'Halo 2,' which features new vehicles, weapons, environments, and more. This time, you can interact with your environment, wield two weapons at the same time, board opponents' vehicles, and even switch sides to play the role of a Covenant Elite. 'Halo 2' also supports broadband multiplayer action via Xbox Live."Platforms: Xbox, Xbox One37. "Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec"SonyCritic score: 95/100User score: 8.5/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "With the addition of two new courses (a downtown Tokyo circuit and the Monte Carlo Grand Prix course), an impressive range of cars (from Vipers to Cooper Minis), and a soundtrack featuring everything from Lenny Kravitz to Jimi Hendrix, this highly anticipated title is finally ready to be driven."Platform: PlayStation 236. "Red Dead Redemption"Rockstar GamesCritic score: 95/100User score: 8.9/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Developed by Rockstar San Diego, as a follow up to the 2004 hit game 'Red Dead Revolver,' 'Red Dead Redemption' is a Western epic, set at the turn of the 20th century when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age. The story of former outlaw, John Marston, 'Red Dead Redemption' takes players on a great adventure across the American frontier. Utilizing Rockstar's proprietary Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE), 'Red Dead Redemption' features an open-world environment for players to explore, including frontier towns, rolling prairies teeming with wildlife, and perilous mountain passes - each packed with an endless flow of varied distractions. Along the way, players experience the heat of gunfights and battles, meet a host of unique characters, struggle against the harshness of one of the world's last remaining wildernesses, and ultimately pick their own precarious path through an epic story about the death of the Wild West and the gunslingers that inhabited it."Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 335. "The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition"NintendoCritic score: 95/100User score: 9.0/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Receive four complete classic Zelda games all on one disc when you buy the Zelda GameCube Bundle: 'The Legend of Zelda,' 'Zelda II - The Adventure of Link,' 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,' 'The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.'"Platforms: Nintendo Entertainment System, Virtual Console (various platforms)34. "LittleBigPlanet"Media Molecule / SonyCritic score: 95/100User score: 6.8/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "In 'LittleBigPlanet,' players meet on a blue and green planet scattered with individual plots - and use their character's amazing abilities to play, create and share what they build with other gamers throughout the world via the PlayStation Network. The 'LittleBigPlanet' experience starts with players learning about their character's powers to interact physically with the environment. There are places to explore, creative resources to collect and puzzles to solve - all requiring a combination of brains and collaborative teamwork. As soon as players begin their creative skills will grow and they will soon be ready to start creating and modifying their surroundings - the first step to sharing them with the whole community. Characters have the power to move anything in this glued and stitched-together 3D landscape; they have the power to design, shape and build both objects and entire locations for others to view and play. There's no complicated level editor; all of these skills can be learned by simply playing the game. Creativity is part of the gameplay experience and playing is part of the creative experience. Players can make their world as open or as secretive to explore as they like. When it's ready, they can invite anyone within the LittleBigPlanet community to come and explore their patch - or can go and explore everybody else's."Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 433. "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City"Rockstar GamesCritic score: 95/100User score: 8.7/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Welcome to Vice City. Welcome to the 1980s. Having just made it back onto the streets of Liberty City after a long stretch in maximum security, Tommy Vercetti is sent to Vice City by his old boss, Sonny Forelli. They were understandably nervous about his re-appearance in Liberty City, so a trip down south seemed like a good idea. But all does not go smoothly upon his arrival in the glamorous, hedonistic metropolis of Vice City. He's set up and is left with no money and no merchandise. Sonny wants his money back, but the biker gangs, Cuban gangsters, and corrupt politicians stand in his way. Most of Vice City seems to want Tommy dead. His only answer is to fight back and take over the city himself. Vice City offers vehicular pleasures to suit every taste. For the speed enthusiast, there's high-performance cars and motorbikes. For the sportsman, a powerboat or a golf buggy lets you enjoy the great outdoors. For those that need that sense of freedom and escape, why not charter a helicopter and see the beauty of Vice City from the air."Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Fire OS32. "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas"Rockstar GamesCritic score: 95/100User score: 9.0/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Five years ago Carl Johnson escaped from the pressures of life in Los Santos, San Andreas... a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs and corruption. Where film stars and millionaires do their best to avoid the dealers and gangbangers. Now, it's the early 90s. Carl's got to go home. His mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster. On his return to the neighborhood, a couple of corrupt cops frame him for homicide. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and to take control of the streets."Platforms: PlayStation 2, PC, Xbox, Xbox 360, Mac, PlayStation 3, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Fire OS31. "Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn"Black Isle Studios / Interplay EntertainmentCritic score: 95/100User score: 9.2/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "An epic continuation of the story that began in 'Baldur's Gate,' this RPG is set along the southern portion of the Sword Coast, a detailed and rich area of the Forgotten Realms called Amn. It features 300 spells and 130-plus monster types compared to only 130 spells and 60 monster types in 'Baldur's Gate.'"Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux30. "Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty"KonamiCritic score: 96/100User score: 8.8/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Since the incident on Shadow Moses Island, Metal Gear's top-secret technology has been leaked into the black market through the machinations of Revolver Ocelot. As a result, countless variations of Metal Gears have sprung up in every corner of the globe, making the weapon an increasingly common component of the armed forces of nuclear powers. In the midst of all of this, Solid Snake, now a member of the anti-Metal Gear group 'Philanthropy,' has learned that a new prototype Metal Gear has been developed by the U.S. Marines and is being transported in secret to an unknown destination. To learn more about this new machine, Snake must infiltrate the transport, disguised as a tanker, as it makes its way down the Hudson River. Just as Snake is about to begin his mission, however, the ship is seized by a mysterious and well-armed group bent on stealing the new Metal Gear for their own, nefarious purposesPlatforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Vita29. "Gran Turismo"SonyCritic score: 96/100User score: 8.6/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Welcome to the most advanced racing game ever created! Encounter exhilarating high-speed racing in 11 stunning environments. Feel handling agility and throttle response so convincing, the car seems to be an extension of yourself. Experience the extraordinary world of 'Gran Turismo'!"Platform: PlayStation28. "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker"NintendoCritic score: 96/100User score: 9.0/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "In this ninth entry in the 'Legend of Zelda' series, Link debuts on GameCube with a fun new cel-shaded look, but the game stays true to the respected heritage of the series. The classic mix of sword-swinging action, perplexing puzzles and stirring story lines remains intact, but the stunning cel-shaded graphics give the people and places of Link's watery world a wildly artistic new look. And for the very first time, Link sails freely on the high seas. Join Link on his most epic and scenic adventure yet. Face unimaginable monsters, explore puzzling dungeons, and meet a cast of unforgettable characters as he searches for his kidnapped sister, Aryll."Platforms: GameCube, Wii U27. "Half-Life"Valve SoftwareCritic score: 96/100User score: 9.0/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "'Half-Life' combines great storytelling in the tradition of Stephen King with intense action and advanced technology to create a frighteningly realistic world where players need to think smart to survive. 'Half-Life' has won more than 50 Game of the Year awards from publications around the world, and was named 'Best PC Game Ever' in PC Gamer's November 1999 issue."Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 226. "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim"YouTube/UnrealSkyrimCritic score: 96/100User score: 8.5/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "The next chapter in the 'Elder Scrolls' saga arrives from the Bethesda Game Studios. Skyrim reimagines the open-world fantasy epic, bringing to life a complete virtual world open for you to explore any way you choose. Play any type of character you can imagine, and do whatever you want; the legendary freedom of choice, storytelling, and adventure of 'The Elder Scrolls' is realized like never before. Skyrim's new game engine brings to life a complete virtual world with rolling clouds, rugged mountains, bustling cities, lush fields, and ancient dungeons. Choose from hundreds of weapons, spells, and abilities. The new character system allows you to play any way you want and define yourself through your actions. Battle ancient dragons like you've never seen. As Dragonborn, learn their secrets and harness their power for yourself."Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch25. "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess"NintendoCritic score: 96/100User score: 9.1/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "In the next chapter in the 'Legend of Zelda' series, Link can transform into a wolf to scour the darkened land of Hyrule. With the help of Midna, a mysterious being, you must guide Link through hordes of foul creatures and challenging bosses using new moves and a new horseback combat system. Many puzzles stand between Link and the fulfillment of his quest, so you must sharpen your wits as you hunt for weapons and items."Platforms: GameCube, Wii24. "Mass Effect 2"EACritic score: 96/100User score: 8.9/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "The 'Mass Effect' trilogy is a science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life forms and mysterious uncharted planets. In this dark second chapter, Saren's evil army of Geth soldiers has just been defeated, and humans, who are still struggling to make their mark on the galactic stage, are now faced with an even greater peril."Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC23. "Tekken 3"Namco BandaiCritic score: 96/100User score: 9.1/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "An ancient evil force has reawakened, attacking in secret and feeding on the souls of mighty warriors. To lure it out of hiding will take the greatest fighting contest the world has ever seen...Tekken 3. Some are fighting for revenge, some for honor. Ultimately, all are fighting for their lives and the fate of all mankind."Platforms: PlayStation, Arcade22. "Batman: Arkham City"Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / Rocksteady StudiosCritic score: 96/100User score: 8.7/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Developed by Rocksteady Studios, 'Batman: Arkham City' builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of 'Batman: Arkham Asylum,' sending players soaring into Arkham City, the new maximum security 'home' for all of Gotham City's thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight."Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Mac, Wii U, PlayStation 4, Xbox One21. "The Orange Box"Valve SoftwareCritic score: 96/100User score: 9.2/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Games included in The Orange Box compilation: The original Half-Life 2 - The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people - people he cares about - are counting on him. 'Half-Life 2: Episode One' - The player reprises his role of Dr. Freeman, who must immediately face the repercussions of his actions in City 17 and the Citadel. Freeman reconnects with Alyx Vance and her robot, Dog, as they continue their support of the resistance's battle against the Combine forces. 'Half-Life 2: Episode Two' -- the second installment in Valve's episodic trilogy advances the award-winning story, leading the player to new locations outside of City 17. 'Portal' - a pioneering type of single player action game that rewrites the rules for how players approach and manipulate their environment - much like how Half-Life 2's Gravity Gun reinvented the way gamers interact with objects in the game. 'Team Fortress 2' - an all-new version of the legendary title that spawned team based multiplayer action games. The game's daring new art style features the most advanced graphics of any Source-based game released to date."Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Linux, Mac20. "Resident Evil 4"CapcomCritic score: 96/100User score: 9.4/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "In 'Resident Evil 4' players are reacquainted with Leon S. Kennedy, Raccoon City Police Department's idealistic rookie cop from 'Resident Evil 2.' It has been six years since the destruction of Raccoon City and in that time, the U.S. government has been able to destroy the nefarious Umbrella Corporation. Fast forward to 2004 and players rejoin Leon, who is now a U.S. agent with a top-secret mission. He has been tasked to look into the abduction of the President's daughter and his investigation has led him to a mysterious location in Europe. As Leon encounters unimaginable horrors, he must find out who or what is behind everything."Platforms: GameCube, PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Wii, Zeebo, iOS, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Android, PlayStation 4, Xbox One19. "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves"naughty_dog/FlickrCritic score: 96/100User score: 8.8/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Fortune hunter Nathan Drake returns in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, a third-person action-adventure/shooter created by award-winning developer Naughty Dog. Down on his luck, Drake is lured back into the treacherous world of thieves and mercenary treasure-seekers he had sought to leave behind. When a mysterious artifact propels Drake on an expedition to find the legendary Himalayan valley of Shambhala, he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse against a fugitive war criminal who's after more than just the fabled riches of the lost city. Caught in a web of deception and plunged into an increasingly deadly pursuit that tests the limits of his endurance, Drake will be forced to risk everything - but has his luck finally run out?"Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 418. "GoldenEye 007"NintendoCritic score: 96/100User score: 9.1/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "You are Bond. James Bond. You are assigned covert operations connected with the GoldenEye weapons satellite. M will brief you on your mission and objectives from London. Q Branch will support your efforts with a plentiful supply of weapons and gadgets. Moneypenny offers you light-hearted best wishes and you're off! Your mission begins in the heavily guarded chemical warfare facility at the Byelomorye Dam in the USSR. Look and shoot in any direction as you navigate 12 interactive 3-D environments. Use stealth and force as you see fit in matters of international security. Consider the military personnel expendable. You are licensed to kill!"Platform: Nintendo 6417. "BioShock"YouTube/2K/AkNCritic score: 96/100User score: 8.9/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Going beyond 'run and gun corridors,' 'monster-closet AIs' and static worlds, BioShock creates a living, unique and unpredictable FPS experience. After your plane crashes into icy uncharted waters, you discover a rusted bathysphere and descend into Rapture, a city hidden beneath the sea. Constructed as an idealistic society for a hand picked group of scientists, artists and industrialists, the idealism is no more. Now the city is littered with corpses, wildly powerful guardians roam the corridors as little girls loot the dead, and genetically mutated citizens ambush you at every turn. Take control of your world by hacking mechanical devices, commandeering security turrets and crafting unique items critical to your very survival. Upgrade your weapons with ionic gels, explosives and toxins to customize them to the enemy and environment. Genetically modify your body through dozens of Plasmid Stations scattered throughout the city, empowering you with fantastic and often grotesque abilities. Explore a living world powered by Ecological A.I., where the inhabitants have interesting and consequential relationships with one another that impact your gameplay experience. Experience truly next generation graphics that vividly illustrate the forlorn art deco city, highlighted by the most detailed and realistic water effects ever developed in a video game. Make meaningful choices and mature decisions, ultimately culminating in the grand question: do you exploit the innocent survivors of Rapture...or save them?"Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Mac, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, iOS16. "Half-Life 2"Flickr/tux404Critic score: 96/100User score: 9.2/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "By taking the suspense, challenge and visceral charge of the original, and adding startling new realism and responsiveness, 'Half-Life 2' opens the door to a world where the player's presence affects everything around him, from the physical environment to the behaviors -- even the emotions -- of both friends and enemies. The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people -- people he cares about -- are counting on him."Platforms: PC, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Mac, Linux, Android15. "NFL 2K1"SegaCritic score: 97/100User score: 6.3/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "In the end, NFL 2K1 is a deeper, more refined version of the original game."Platform: Dreamcast14. "Halo: Combat Evolved"MicrosoftCritic score: 97/100User score: 8.6/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Enter the mysterious world of Halo, an alien planet shaped like a ring. As mankind's super soldier Master Chief, you must uncover the secrets of Halo and fend off the attacking Covenant. During your missions, you'll battle on foot, in vehicles, inside, and outside with alien and human weaponry. Your objectives include attacking enemy outposts, raiding underground labs for advanced technology, rescuing fallen comrades, and sniping enemy forces. 'Halo' also lets you battle three other players via intense split screen combat or fight cooperatively with a friend through the single-player missions."Platforms: Xbox, PC, Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One13. "Super Mario Odyssey"NintendoCritic score: 97/100User score: 9.0/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Mario embarks on a new journey through unknown worlds, running and jumping through huge 3D worlds in the first sandbox-style Mario game since 'Super Mario 64' and 'Super Mario Sunshine.' Set sail between expansive worlds aboard an airship, and perform all-new actions, such as throwing Mario's cap."Platform: Switch12. "Grand Theft Auto III"Rockstar GamesCritic score: 97/100User score: 8.5/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Players are put at the heart of their very own gangster movie, and let loose in a fully-realized 3 dimensional city with a cast of hundreds, 50 plus vehicles, ranging from sports cars to ice cream trucks and from boats to buses, 3 hours of music, including opera, reggae, house, drum and bass, pop and disco, and a huge array of street ready weapons."Platforms: PlayStation 2, PC, Xbox, Mac, Android, iOS, Fire OS11. "Metroid Prime"Critic score: 97/100User score: 9.3/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Samus returns in a new mission to unravel the mystery behind the ruined walls scattered across Tallon IV. In Metroid Prime, you'll play the role of this bounty hunter and view the world through her visor, which displays information ranging from current energy levels to ammunition. Equipped with a Power Beam and Gravity Suit, you must shoot locked switches, solve puzzles, and eliminate enemies. It's up to you to explore the world and recover more power-ups and weapons, which gradually open more gameplay areas."Platforms: GameCube, Wii10. "Perfect Dark"RareCritic score: 97/100User score: 9.0/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Step into the Dark... As Carrington Institute's most promising new Agent, Joanna Dark must uncover the truth behind the dataDyne Corporation's recent technological breakthroughs - breakthroughs which could have serious consequences for mankind."Platforms: Nintendo 64, Xbox 360, Xbox One9. "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3"ActivisionCritic score: 97/100User score: 7.4/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Challenge up to four friends in online competitions over a LAN or the Internet. Take them on in both Trick Attack and Graffiti modes."Platforms: PlayStation 2, PlayStation, Game Boy Color, GameCube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, PC, Nintendo 64, Mac8. "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild"NintendoCritic score: 97/100User score: 8.4/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Forget everything you know about The Legend of Zelda games. Step into a world of discovery, exploration and adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a boundary-breaking new game in the acclaimed series. Travel across fields, through forests and to mountain peaks as you discover what has become of the ruined kingdom of Hyrule in this open-air adventure. Explore the wilds of Hyrule any way you like."Platforms: Wii U, Switch7. "Grand Theft Auto V"Rockstar / GTA VCritic score: 96/100User score: 7.8/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Los Santos: a sprawling sun-soaked metropolis full of self-help gurus, starlets and fading celebrities, once the envy of the Western world, now struggling to stay alive in a time of economic uncertainty and cheap reality TV. Amidst the turmoil, three very unique criminals plot their own chances of survival and success: Franklin, a street hustler looking for tangible opportunities and serious money; Michael, a professional ex-con whose retirement is less rosy than he figured it would be; and Trevor, a violent dude driven by the opportunity for a cheap high and his next big score. With options at a premium, the crew risks it all in a myriad of daring and dangerous heists that could set them up for life."Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC6. "Super Mario Galaxy 2"NintendoCritic score: 97/100User score: 9.1/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Super Mario Galaxy 2, the sequel to the galaxy-hopping original game, includes the gravity-defying, physics-based exploration from the first game, but is loaded with entirely new galaxies and features to challenge players. On some stages, Mario can pair up with his dinosaur buddy Yoshi and use his tongue to grab items and spit them back at enemies. Players can also have fun with new items such as a drill that lets our hero tunnel through solid rock."Platform: Wii5. "Super Mario Galaxy"NintendoCritic score: 97/100User score: 9.0/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "The ultimate Nintendo hero is taking the ultimate step ... out into space. Join Mario as he ushers in a new era of video games, defying gravity across all the planets in the galaxy. When some creature escapes into space with Princess Peach, Mario gives chase, exploring bizarre planets all across the galaxy. Mario, Peach and enemies new and old are here. Players run, jump and battle enemies as they explore all the planets in the galaxy. Since this game makes full use of all the features of the Wii Remote, players have to do all kinds of things to succeed: pressing buttons, swinging the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk, and even pointing at and dragging things with the pointer. Since he's in space, Mario can perform mind-bending jumps unlike anything he's done before. He'll also have a wealth of new moves that are all based around tilting, pointing and shaking the Wii Remote. Shake, tilt and point! Mario takes advantage of all the unique aspects of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller, unleashing new moves as players shake the controller and even point at and drag items with the pointer."Platform: Wii4. "SoulCalibur"Namco BandaiCritic score: 98/100User score: 8.6/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "This is a tale of souls and swords, transcending the world and all its history, told for all eternity... The greatest weapons-based fighter returns, this time on Sega Dreamcast. Soul Calibur unleashes incredible graphics, fantastic fighters, and combos so amazing they'll make your head spin!"Platforms: Dreamcast, iOS, Arcade, Xbox 360, Xbox One3. "Grand Theft Auto IV"Rockstar GamesCritic score: 98/100User score: 7.5/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "What does the American Dream mean today? For Niko Belic, fresh off the boat from Europe. It's the hope he can escape his past. For his cousin, Roman, it is the vision that together they can find fortune in Liberty City, gateway to the land of opportunity. As they slip into debt and are dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves and sociopaths, they discover that the reality is very different from the dream in a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them an a living nightmare for those who don't."Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC2. "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2"ActivisionCritic score: 98/100User score: 7.4/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Hawk's back - with new technology, new pros and new tricks! 'THPS2,' the legend rides on! Skate as legendary Tony Hawk or any one of 12 other pro skaters. Create your own custom skaters. Multiple play modes including 1-Player, Career and Free Skate modes, as well as 2-player modes such as Trick Attack, Graffiti Tag and Horse. Build your own custom skate parks with the real-time 3D park editor"Platforms: PlayStation, PC, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, Mac, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 64, iOS, Xbox1. "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time"NintendoCritic score: 99/100User score: 9.2/10Plot summary (from Metacritic): "As a young boy, Link is tricked by Ganondorf, the King of the Gerudo Thieves. The evil human uses Link to gain access to the Sacred Realm, where he places his tainted hands on Triforce and transforms the beautiful Hyrulean landscape into a barren wasteland. Link is determined to fix the problems he helped to create, so with the help of Rauru he travels through time gathering the powers of the Seven Sages."Platforms: Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, Virtual Console (various platforms)

The 30 Best HBO Shows of All Time:30. True Blood (2008-2014)In this Southern-gothic romance series, recently invented imitation blood allows vampires to come out of the coffin, and it only gets weirder from there. Built around a steamy love triangle between telepathic rural Louisiana waitress Sookie Stackhouse and not one but two alluring vampires, the show, adapted from Charlaine Harris' novels by Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball, was a ratings smash and HBO's first prestige-era genre success, lighting the path for Game of Thrones a few years later. The series frequently veered into schlock and silliness, and went off the rails after Ball bailed following Season 5, but True Blood's strong ensemble cast consistently sold all the jibber-jabber about shapeshifters, werewolves, and faeries, and introduced America to bohunks Alexander Skarsgård and Joe Manganiello, to boot.29. Vice Principals (2016-2017)For their follow-up to Eastbound and Down, the creative braintrust of Danny McBride, Jody Hill, and David Gordon Green went back to school. (Again!) From his low-budget star-making vehicle The Foot Fist Way, McBride has displayed a gift for interacting with kids, particularly when he's in a position of authority he probably doesn't deserve, and Vice Principals milks his gruff rapport with our nation's youth for big laughs. But the best part of the show is McBride's toxic relationship with Walton Goggins' Lee Russell, a bowtie-wearing maniac with a cruel streak that would make Kenny Powers take a step back and reassess some shit. By letting Goggins be the crazy one and forcing McBride to actually grow up a little, Vice Principals manages to be more than an Eastbound retread. Over two seasons, it became its own wild, uncaged animal.28. Flight of the Conchords (2007-2009)Flight of the Conchords heralded the coming of a brand of comedy that's exploded more recently. Now, New Zealand humor has found its way into major blockbusters like Thor: Ragnarok, but when Conchords premiered in 2007 we hadn't seen much like Bret and Jemaine. While the premise was highly reminiscent of Tenacious D (see #25), the Conchords tweaked the idea of depicting struggling troubadours with precisely one overzealous fan (Lee vs. Mel) and their attempt to navigate an uncaring music scene by focusing on the fish-out-of-water struggles of two Kiwis in America saddled with a manager (played by scene-stealer Rhys Darby) who also works at the New Zealand consulate, who's every bit as inept as the agent played by Stephen Merchant in Extras. And as with Tenacious D, the reason to watch and rewatch Conchords all these years later is the catchy, hilarious songs, brilliantly deployed via low-budget numbers that tie in with each episode's plot. They're still going on tours, and we're happy to hear them play the hits.27. Westworld (2016-Present)This sci-fi series, set in a theme park that attracts people who get off on Wild West cosplay and doing appalling things to extremely lifelike robots, explores artificial intelligence, human empathy, and the ethical ramifications of merging technology with consciousness. Produced by J.J. Abrams and created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, it is also a mind-bending puzzle show that has launched a billion Reddit posts that attempt to sleuth all the timeline fuckery. It's inherently not for everyone, but to paraphrase the show for the haters, this game isn't meant for you. For the rest: welcome to Westworld, where you will revel in this violent brain-teaser of a program, which is based on the 1973 movie written and directed by Michael Crichton. Witness its impressive cast, led by Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Thandie Newton, Ed Harris, Tessa Thompson, and Sir Anthony Hopkins, all gathered to perform for your considerable amusement. Delight in its theme song and soundtrack of cover songs. Season 3 should be here before we know it.26. Tenacious D (1997-2000)In just six episodes, a pre-megafame Jack Black and his songwriting partner Kyle Gass give us the crystal-clear worldview of Kyle and Jack, aka KG and Jables, a Burrito Supreme-loving, Sega Genesis-playing folk-rock duo with self-aggrandized song-writing skills and bombastic on-stage theatrics. While the vignettes that power the episode plots and take us on their quests to write the perfect song, find Sasquatch, and ditch their only fan hold up two decades on -- and that's not too surprising, given that Bob Odenkirk and David Cross produced the series. But it's the songs, along with star-making gonzo performance by Jack Black, that will hold up for eternity, much like their beloved "A Stairway to Heaven."25. The Deuce (2017-Present)HBO has long given David Simon the space to explore urban decay and revitalization. The former reporter and Homicide: Life on the Street writer has walked down every sketchy alley and ordered drinks at every dive bar in Baltimore (The Wire), New Orleans (Treme), and Yonkers (Show Me a Hero). The Deuce is Simon's take on New York City -- specifically, 1970s Times Square, arguably the seediest time and place in the city's seedy history. The show also uncharacteristically features what could be considered two gimmicks, but which in Simon's hands never appear gimmicky: James Franco plays twins who are embroiled in the Mafia-connected nightlife and gambling scene, and gratuitous sex scenes as the result of a sex industry backdrop. While both offer a measure of comic relief -- whether in the form of Franco's Fonzie-esque portrayal of Frankie Martino, or uses for potato soup you never thought possible -- The Deuce succeeds by taking interest in the humanity of pimps, sex workers, bartenders, and mafiosos in equal measure. It also boasts the not-so-secret weapon of Maggie Gyllenhaal's Candy, a sex worker without a pimp who's making the transition into porn films, and who is the show's most fully realized character in an era bubbling with second-wave feminism, yet still dominated by men. With a third season officially confirmed as the show's last, The Deuce leaves you with a feeling every New York City resident experiences regularly: Damn, I missed all the good stuff.24. Looking (2014-2016)Looking is one of those shows that had too much pressure on it from the outset. Billed as the gay men's answer to Girls or Sex and the City -- given that it was simply about a group of friends in a major metropolitan area -- some viewers felt it needed to answer for an entire community. Look beyond those early headlines, though, and you'll find one of the most compelling and downright romantic love triangles anywhere on television. The show really hit its stride when it began to tease out the conflicted heart of Jonathan Groff's Patrick -- torn between his sexy boss, played by Russell Tovey, and Raúl Castillo's handsome barber Richie. Looking always had a dreamy quality, thanks to executive producer Andrew Haigh's direction, but the characters never felt like caricatures, even when they were frustrating.23. Bored to Death (2009-2011)In 2018, the jig is up for shows about sad, quirky white boy artists in New York, and so Bored to Death certainly looks its age. Women are either needy nuisances or conquerable objects, the homophobic jokes don’t exactly hold up, and the mopey beta-mensch schtick of Jason Schwartzman's Jonathan Ames (actual author, show creator) can get pedantic. Jonathan, a struggling novelist and sometimes journalist, decides to list an ad for his unlicensed private investigator services on Craigslist after getting drunk and reading a Raymond Carver novel, and turns it into an non-lucrative side gig full of hijinks, to the dismay of his best friend, cartoonist Ray Hueston (Zach Galifianakis, six months out from The Hangover-level fame). They otherwise spend their time fighting off early 30s malaise with booze and weed, and some of the series' funniest and shockingly progressive conversations come from dissecting the relationship between addiction and mental health. It’s a frustrating satire for modern times, to be sure, but like a theme party from 2009, we can say that it was fun back then, and remember it fondly for its high points: Ted Danson as a neurotic magazine editor, early career cameos for likes of Jenny Slate, Kristen Wiig, and Zoe Kazan, bad detective stories, and tons of white wine.22. Girls (2012-2017)Oh, Girls. Girls -- if discussions in Thrillist's office are an indication -- is probably the most controversial HBO show on this list. And sure enough, Lena Dunham's creation was a lightning rod for hot takes throughout its six-season run. Some of the complaints were justified: Girls presented a far too white look at hipster Brooklyn, and never truly improved when it came to diversity. Some were not: Dunham's mere existence seemed to enrage people, especially considering she had absolutely no qualms doing nude scenes. The show was often hit or miss, but when it was good it was wonderfully awkward, as Dunham and co-showrunner Jenni Konner created indelibly cringeworthy moments (Marnie singing Kanye, anyone?), and genuinely laugh-out-loud scenarios like basically anything involving Andrew Rannells as Elijah. Girls will never be for everyone, but it was often brutally honest when it came to the prickly and inconsistent nature of young friends.21. High Maintenance (2016-Present)What started in 2012 as a web series about a weed delivery guy became a slightly glossier TV series about a weed delivery guy. (Quite literally: The central character’s "name" is The Guy, played by co-creator Ben Sinclair.) In its transition to HBO in 2016, High Maintenance retained its low-budget, hyperrealist allure, relying on the large talent pool of New York City residents to star in its vignettes of people who order weed from The Guy. Some stories focus on peculiar interactions with clients in their apartments, others on longer arcs of people in various levels of existential conflict that lead them to cross paths with The Guy. Some have more to say than others, but, since each portrait never really surpasses 12 minutes, none quite overstay their welcome. High Maintenance doesn’t have the propulsive high stakes or cliffhangers of other shows on this list, but creators Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld plucked an odd thing that only really happens in NYC and made it a broadly relatable abstraction of the zeitgeist.20. Barry (2018-Present)Like more than a few shows on this list, Barry is early in its run and could jump to a higher spot if it manages to deliver more seasons of the same caliber as its excellent first year (and the second season indicates that it will continue in the same vein). SNLstandout Bill Hader plays the titular Barry, an ex-Marine-turned-hitman who arrives in Los Angeles to kill a mark for the Chechen mob and ends up sticking around in his new city to study acting. The premise of the show is a little tired -- Grosse Pointe Blankand countless crime novels have robbed the hitman of real cultural potency -- but the tonal tightrope Hader (who directs multiple episodes) and his co-creator Alec Berg (Silicon Valley) walk is thrilling. Most of all, it's surprising! Of all the half-hour shows on TV currently blending drama and comedy, Barry is the only one that explores Breaking Bad-like moral conundrums while delivering actual laughs. (As good as Emmy-winner Henry Winkler is as acting teacher Gene Cousineau, Anthony Carrigan's kind-hearted gangster NoHo Hank might be the funniest supporting character on TV.) If the show can keep hitting its targets with the same level of efficiency, it could be a classic.19. Extras (2005-2007)The arc of Ricky Gervais' career makes it easy to forget that after he hit the jackpot with The Office, he followed up with a genuinely funny show about the perils of seeking, and eventually finding, fame. Extras is similar to The Office in that Gervais plays a small-timer with outsized ambitions, but the conceit -- he and his friends take roles as extras while they're trying to make it big -- allows for some legendary cameos. The most memorable are Ian McKellan explaining that the key to acting is pretending to be somebody else, Patrick Stewart's screenplay in which he has the ability to make people's clothes fall off, and David Bowie's impromptu song mocking Gervais. It may be enough to make you forgive him for Derek.18. Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014)When Boardwalk Empire premiered, it was seen as an attempt at a Sopranos-type hit, but with a vintage flair. Created by Terence Winter -- who wrote for Tony and the gang -- Boardwalk looked at the lives of gangsters in Prohibition Era Atlantic City. The Martin Scorsese-directed pilot set the tone for the show, which centered on Steve Buscemi's Nucky Thompson. That initial season might have been too gratuitous, too bloody, too slow, and too male for some, but Boardwalk rewarded those who stuck with it. Sure, it stayed violent and sex-filled, but it also dove deeper into characters like Michael K. Williams' Chalky White, Jack Huston's Richard Harrow, and Gretchen Mol's Gillian Darmody. It was a prurient history lesson with a healthy amount of pathos, and a top-notch cast of character actors. Everyone from Michael Stuhlbarg to Michael Shannon was sublime.17. Big Little Lies (2017-Present)Big Little Lies is the perfect peak TV product. The adaptation of Liane Moriarty's novel was sheparded by Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon, who decided not only to produce, but also star in this tale of the nasty secrets hiding among the moms of Monterey society. They brought along their other big screen pals: Director Jean-Marc Vallée and actors Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz, and Shailene Woodley. Better than just high-wattage star power? Big Little Lies actually turned out to be some of the tastiest TV in years. It's both pulpy -- Witherspoon's performance is made for memes -- and devastating. With Vallée's killer soundtrack in the background, the show cuts through its gossipy exterior to weave a sensitive portrait of domestic abuse, and Kidman in particular does career best work. The one caveat: There's a season two coming. Despite covering the territory in the novel, the fan response led to a surprise renewal. But how bad could it be? It's going to be directed by American Honey auteur Andrea Arnold, and features Witherspoon throwing ice cream at Meryl Streep.16. Succession (2018-Present)Roystar Wayco is a Fox-analogous titan of the entertainment industry in Succession, and the moneyed family behind the media conglomerate is a fucking mess. Unlike the main players in Showtime's Billions, a roster stacked with Machiavellian geniuses, the Roys are mostly so, so bad at being in charge. After the aging patriarch Logan (Brian Cox) suffers from an incapacitating stroke, the siblings -- Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), Roman (Kieran Culkin), and Connor (Alan Ruck) -- conspire against each other, waging buffoonish internal allyship campaigns for control over the company. Among the constant infighting and callous mega-wealthy antics in the show is an innate comedic timing that makes, say, covering up grave corporate negligence one big goof. Other things that happened in Succession's first and only season thus far: Shiv went to work for a leftist opposition presidential candidate, a relapsed Kendall did a Chappaquiddick, Roman basically OK'd the launch of a malfunctioning rocket ship into space, Shiv's fiancé Tom (a very funny Matthew Macfadyen) did a sex act at his bachelor party that may or may not exist in real life. When our luminary of integrity is Greg (Nicholas Braun), the perpetually stoned cousin who pukes through a mascot's eyehole, it's safe to assume the moral compass is definitely off-kilter here. (Love you tho, Greg.) Did the world really need another TV show about shitty rich white people? Probably not, but Succession creator Adam McKay (The Big Short) and showrunner Jesse Armstrong (Peep Show) made the case that there's room for one more.15. True Detective (2014-Present)The conventional wisdom says that Season 1 of Nic Pizzolatto's cop anthology is Very Good, and Season 2 is Very Bad. But! (Hot take alert!) Season 2 is also good, though it certainly lacks the charming rapport between Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, not to mention the moody, supernatural bayou aesthetic cultivated by director Cary Fukunaga in the show's first season. The sneaky truth of True Detective is that, for all the cop show tropes it riffs on, it's much more about developing mood, tone, and a sense of human inscrutability and isolation. Do you remember the specific crimes Rust Cohle and Mary Hart investigated in Season 1? Or do you remember McConaughey uttering dorm-room zen koans like, "Time is a flat circle," and flatly telling a child-killer, "You should kill yourself." You almost certainly recall the crazy raid scene, but do you remember why they raided that house? Season 2's labyrinthine murder mystery, which is actually about a complex infrastructure corruption plot (can't understand why people were turned off!), is not the point. You're here for the suburban malaise of Los Angeles sprawl, the least entertaining bar singer ever, Colin Farrell calling Friends a show that's like 20 years old, Rachel McAdams vaping, and Vince Vaughn struggling through monologues that ask way too much of him. Season 3 represented a return to the themes that made the first installment such a hit: memory, unfinished business, trauma, and regrets. With Mahershala Ali and Stephen Dorff forming the kind of grudgingly likable duo that McConaughey and Harrelson pulled off so effortlessly in Season 1, True Detective Season 3 proved to the Season 2 haters that the show hadn't lost its touch.14. Insecure (2016-Present)One of the questions that will go down as one of the most divisive of the late 2010s: Lawrence or Daniel? Though Insecure is so much more than its on-and-off-again relationships, Issa Rae's hunky love interests, played respectively by Jay Ellis and Y'lan Noel, yank out existential questions of our own malleability: What kind of person do we want our partners to help us be? Insecure's thoughtfulness about How to Act in Your Late 20s is part of what makes the show so brilliant, a theme that's carried on from its days as a web series called "The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl" and has only became more cogent over its three seasons. Its frank discussions about race are also integral; Issa and her best friend Molly (Yvonne Orji) are the lone black women in predominantly white offices and have to deal with some real bullshit in their very different careers. Beyond office politics, there are run-ins with the historically racist LAPD and conversations about interracial dating -- a mere few examples in a series about the black experience in America. Insecure is also damn funny: Issa's raps and pep talks to herself (primarily) in the mirror serve as reliable and relatable laughs, the awkward sex scenes are all too real, and Issa and Molly's friendship -- really, the show's backbone -- delivers endless gold.13. Silicon Valley (2014-Present)Mike Judge's biting satire about tech-world douchebaggery is a bit long in the tooth now -- and it's a testament to how well-defined the characters are that that sounds like a set-up for a Gilfoyle joke. Focusing on five dudes working at a start-up for a data-compression app its thin-skinned genius developer, Richard Hendricks, decided to call, to much derision, Pied Piper, Silicon Valley successfully created a universe of would-be power-players and confirmed back-stabbers, and excels when things never go right for the gang and their complete failure is masked by someone else fucking up even more.12. Enlightened (2011-2013)Buried under higher-profile and much-lauded work like Big Little Lies, for which Laura Dern won an Emmy, is perhaps Dern's best HBO performance: Enlightened, about a corporate executive who gets demoted to basement-dwelling work after self-destructing in spectacular fashion, and which earned microscopic ratings during its two-season run before getting the axe. The series, created and written by Mike White (School of Rock), gives Dern total freedom to teeter on the edge of a breakdown while manically insisting she's learned how to control her demons, and the result is a humorously melancholy sendup of both wellness subculture and corporate doublespeak. Dern's Amy Jellicoe so desperately needs to feel in control of her life -- which has blown up thanks to booze, an affair with her boss, and a miscarriage, among other things -- that she constantly threatens to make her situation worse, despite the new-age-y techniques she learned in rehab. Jellicoe's troubled relationship with her mother (played by Diane Ladd, Dern's real-life mom) is especially layered with the emotional depth that runs through the entire series. As we look back for the cultural artifacts that best represent the Obama years, there may be no better candidate than Enlightened: Full of hope, constantly brought down by a brutal, unfeeling reality.11. Six Feet Under (2001-2005)Most of the praise Six Feet Under receives focuses on its finale, and rightfully so: It's the rare end to a series that stays true to the characters, offers a sense of resolution, and avoids saccharine sentimentality. But that kind of finale was only possible thanks to the sensitivity with which creator Alan Ball treated the people involved with Fisher & Sons Funeral Home, a place where death and grief were the norm, not the exception. They're daring topics for American television in particular, entertainment in a nation that doesn't exactly relish confronting death and grief. An outstanding cast that includes Michael C. Hall, Peter Krause, Frances Conroy, and Richard Jenkins as the dead family patriarch buoys the nuance with which raw human emotions dictate the action. These are people whose lives center on death, but that doesn't give them any philosophical advantage over the rest of us when it comes to dealing with the minor tragedies that afflict the living.10. Eastbound & Down (2009-2013)The deranged saga of the washed-up, narcissistic relief pitcher Kenny Powers from Danny McBride, Jody Hill, and David Gordon Green (among others) resulted in one of the funniest and most profane TV shows of the past decade, hands down. Kenny (McBride) is a singular anti-hero, his self-destructive tendencies capable of ruining any upward momentum he's caught, whether he's coping with fame or bottoming out with drugs and alcohol, spending money he comes into on things like jet skis and pet wolves, or treating those closest to him with total contempt. His utter dickishness leads to some dark places, but it's just how far Kenny Powers can fall after we think he's done the worst possible thing he could do that compelled us to watch him teach grade school gym, move to Mexico, fake his own death, open a baked potato restaurant with sidekick Stevie Janowski (Steve Little), host a sports show, etc. The supporting cast -- April (Katy Mixon), brother Dustin (John Hawkes), and his wife Cassie (Jennifer Irwin) -- tries to save Kenny from himself, with little success; he's a maelstrom of self-loathing and obnoxiousness in a curly mullet and athletic sunglasses. Eastbound & Down was hardly a comfortable watch, but there isn't a single episode that won't elicit some physical reaction, whether it's a laugh or a groan.9. Game of Thrones (2011-2019)Were this ranking based on how inspired you are to write fake lyrics about your cat to the sing during the theme song, then Game of Thrones would be number one with a bullet. By far the most popular and successful program in HBO's long history, the epic series based on the novels of George R. R. Martin, track the rise and fall and stumble and rise again of the Stark family, as they do battle with ancestral rivals, murderous skin-flayers, back-stabbers and front-stabbers, and mystical creatures known as White Walkers. If only it could continue forever! Alas, Game of Thrones is over, and while its eighth and final season drew the ire of many longtime fans, the series finale still delivered the kind of devastation, twists, and humor for which the show became famous in the first place. Will this ranking hold up? Ask us again in 10 years.8. The Leftovers (2014-2017)More than any other HBO show, The Leftovers leaves you feeling gutted. Based on a Tom Perrotta novel, the series follows the aftermath of the "Sudden Departure," a cataclysmic event where 2% of the population vanishes into thin air with no explanation. A small-town sheriff (Justin Theroux), a reverend (Christopher Eccleston), and a grieving mother (Carrie Coon) are left to sort out the emotional and psychological wreckage. Most recommendations of the show arrive with a caveat about how the first season doesn't deliver on its potential, but we think the whole series works, even when showrunner Damon Lindelof (Lost) was adjusting the levels and figuring out the story he wanted to tell early on. (Season 2, which shifts the action to Texas, is the series' high-water mark.) It can be draining, but this isn't a highbrow version of This is Us: The Leftovers doesn't withhold information to deliver tear-jerking catharsis. It's chasing more cosmic truths.7. Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-Present)Two years after Seinfeld went off the air, its bumbling, socially ignorant, very wealthy co-creator turned up on HBO as the star of a show about nothing. Who cares that it doesn't reinvent the wheel? Curb is so laugh-till-you-cry funny that it can continue building storylines out of thin air, taking Chekhov's gun writing to absurd extremes as Larry David commits one social assassination after another for nine seasons. It mines all of Larry's idiosyncrasies, which bounce off an equally hilarious cast anchored by Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, JB Smoove, Ted Danson, and countless guest appearances to hammer home a central thesis: Larry David can ruin your day in myriad ways. In so many awkward situations, Larry David says and does what good manners prevent the rest of us from saying and doing, and he remains undeterred no matter how often he finds himself at the mercy of a scenario that went south in a hurry -- a feeling captured in a classic meme.6. Sex and the City (1998-2004)Of all the series that premiered during HBO's heyday in the 1990s, Sex and the Citymay not be the most serious, but it arguably had the greatest impact on the cultural lexicon. Twenty years later, people are still categorizing themselves as Carries, Mirandas, Samanthas, and Charlottes. Breaking up with someone via Post-It is still heresy. "I couldn't help but wonder" is still one of the most evocative preambles in the English language. And Miranda even ran for governor of New York. Not all of Sex and the City has aged well. (See, for instance, any time our foursome deals with people who are not white and cis.) But what has sometimes been written off as guilty pleasure fluff is being appreciated for how ahead of its time it really was. Amid all the bon mots and crappy boyfriends, Sex and the City saw the value in telling stories about women who weren't ashamed of getting laid and living life on their terms.5. The Larry Sanders Show (1992-1998)More than 25 years after the debut of this iconic series set at a talk show, certain elements do seem a bit dated. All the clothing, for one thing. But also some of the celebrities: anyone watching now would be hard-pressed to know the then-zeitgesty details about the guests who turn up to tape their appearances. But that's half the fun of rewatching: why did this person appear on the show again? The writing is next level -- to be expected from a writers room that, over the years, boasted Judd Apatow, Bob Odenkirk (who, in Saul Goodman mode, also plays Larry's agent) and more. The characters -- from Hank "Hey Now" Kingsley to Janeane Garofalo's frequently exasperated talent booker -- are as well-defined as any in sitcom history. No flipping.4. Deadwood (2004-2006)Compared to the two other major early HBO dramas created by guys named "David," Deadwood can be a harder sell to the casual prestige television viewer looking to brush up on the 21st century canon. Like David Chase's mafia drama The Sopranos and David Simon's cop saga The Wire, Deadwood is a twist on a familiar Hollywood genre -- it's a Western filled with boots, spurs, and cowboy hats -- but creator David Milch's profanity-packed, quasi-Shakespearean dialogue takes some getting used to, and the show's lack of a "clean" ending may scare away closed-minded binge-watchers hoping for a definitive conclusion. (The series was canceled after Season 3 and, despite a steady hum of rumors, the spin-off movies have not yet materialized.) Still, Deadwoodisn't some dusty homework assignment on the premium cable syllabus: There's vulgar wit, white-knuckle tension, and truly impeccably maintained facial hair in each carefully plotted episode. Sporting a black mustache and a villainous sneer, Ian McShane's bar owner Al Swearengen remains one HBO's most fully realized, vividly drawn characters. He's a violent man attempting to maintain order in a land with competing moral codes and dueling financial interests, and the brutality he unleashes isn't a stylistic flourish or a troll-y poke in the eye; it's part of a larger thematic examination of who thrives and who perishes as a society gets built.3. Veep (2012-2019)"That's like trying to use a croissant as a fucking dildo." "Epileptic Picasso painting." "Jonad." Long before Trump took office, Armando Iannucci created a series that managed to capture Washington, DC at its dirtiest and most profane. Not only has Veep been one of TV's most consistently funny comedies for the entirety of its seven-season run, it's the one that somehow gets closest to the core of our current nightmare. Selina Meyer's exact politics have never really mattered; it's her unending quest for power that drives the show and its worldview. Over the years -- and even as she's advanced beyond the titular position -- Selina has lied, debased herself, and lost her mind not for the good of the country but for her personal gain. Meanwhile, she's dragged her lackeys along with her: The ambitious Dan, the earlobe of a press secretary Mike, the tightly wound Amy, and jolly green jizz face Jonah. While the final season abandoned some of the nuance that made earlier installments so cuttingly smart, the series finale turned out to be a nearly perfect way to end the show and deliver the verdict on Selina Meyer's legacy. It's the truest series about America there ever was.2. The Sopranos (1999-2007)From the quacking ducks to the the wandering Russian gangster in the woods, The Sopranos is often discussed as a show of highly ambiguous symbols. And, yes, the dream sequences and therapy sessions between the show's protagonist Tony (James Gandolfini) and his psychiatrist Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) make it a rich psychological text, but David Chase's mafia drama, which ran for 86 episodes from 1999 to the end of the Bush administration, is also filled with surface-level pleasures: the sound of Little Carmine coining a new malapropism, the sight of Paulie Gualtieri debuting a new tracksuit, or the joy of young A.J. Soprano waking up after a night of drinking and realizing his eyebrows have been shaved off. These are people you may not know, but you recognize their humanity and their humor. While the series orbits around the gravitational force generated by Gandolfini's brilliant lead performance, the side characters, encompassing the deeply tragic Adriana La Cerva and the truly vile Ralph Cifaretto, make this violent corner of New Jersey an oddly comforting place to revisit. Even when you know the darkness ahead, you want to climb behind the wheel with Tony and make that long drive home again.1. The Wire (2002-2008)You've heard this one before: The Wire is the best show HBO's ever made. During its five-season run, David Simon and George Pelecanos' Baltimore-based drama earned heaps of critical praise, but suffered from poor ratings and a lack of mainstream awards (it won zero Primetime Emmys), all of which combined to make Wire fandom a cultural signifier. It went so far as to become parody; oh, you like The Wire? You must be so cool and smart! Stepping back from the show's reputation, however, you can find what made it such an innovative, intricate, and exciting show in the first place. After the first season introduced viewers to the Avon Barksdale crew, a twist on the anthology format took us inside the corrupt dealings of dockworkers, revealing the depths Simon's writing would plumb and the controversial ideas the show would tackle (Season 3's drug legalization plotline is one of many examples). Everything in The Wire is connected, and everyone is a little bit tainted, with politics, police, drugs, race, and crime intersecting through the troubled personal lives of iconic characters like Avon, Stringer Bell, McNulty, Greggs, Bunny, Bunk, and, of course, Omar. The show's fourth season, set largely in Baltimore's education system, masterfully demonstrates the futility of human intervention in the face of systemic failures, which makes the comically hacky fifth season all the more baffling. Every show has its ups and downs, but The Wire always managed to challenge the viewer in a medium that rewards superficial entertainment. In the end, we have to say it (sorry): The king stay the king.credits :; THRILLIST