Copeland Ethan Harry

'She was a beacon of light in a dark chapter in history': Ann Lee, the 1700s Christian leader who shocked America

How did a charismatic but impoverished British woman become the leader of the progressive religious sect known as "the Shakers" – taking it to America and inspiring thousands to follow her?

The 18th-Century Christian sect known as the Shakers is best known today for its influential contributions to furniture, design, and architecture. What is less well known is how incredibly radical the Shakers were. Way ahead of their time, they espoused gender parity, communalism, pacifism and sustainability. They also pioneered social services in America, provided shelter to abused women, and freed enslaved African Americans. And then there was their insistence on celibacy and the abolition of marriage.

Even today, the Shakers' ideals seem daring – and many of them can be traced back to the religious movement's unlikely leader, British-born Ann Lee. She was an illiterate woman who grew up in poverty, and yet she convinced thousands to follow her teachings. How did she do it?

While she left behind no writings, testimonies from her followers describe her as an enormously charismatic and persuasive figure. "All the accounts of [Lee] speak about this fierce dedication to [her cause]," says film-maker Mona Fastvold.

Now Fastvold has co-written and directed a historical musical, The Testament of Ann Lee, which stars Amanda Seyfried as Lee. Described by Fastvold as a "speculative retelling" of Lee's story, the film charts the life of the charismatic figure, from her impoverished childhood in Manchester, England, to becoming leader of the Shakers and taking the movement to America, to her death at the age of 48.

Djokovic scrapes into semis after Musetti injury

Novak Djokovic's bid to make more tennis history is still alive as he scraped into the Australian Open semi-finals after Lorenzo Musetti retired injured when leading by two sets.

Djokovic, aiming for a standalone record 25th Grand Slam singles title, was wayward, error-strewn and irritable against the inspired Italian in front of a stunned crowd.

Musetti was 6-4 6-3 up and looked set for the semi-finals when he pulled up early in the third set.

The fifth seed took a medical timeout for treatment on his thigh but, unable to serve or move properly, he walked to the net and shook hands at 3-1 down in the third.

A heartbroken Musetti had to be helped down the corridor by a member of his team as he left the court.

"He was a far better player - I was on my way home tonight," the 38-year-old Serb great said.

"I don't know what to say except that I feel really sorry for him.

"I really wish him a speedy recovery. He should have been a winner today, there's no doubt."

Djokovic received treatment for blisters on his feet at the end of the second set and could also have been tested physically had the match continued.

It is another stroke of luck for Djokovic after fourth-round opponent Jakub Mensik withdrew before their match with injury.

Djokovic has not won a set since his third-round victory over Botic van de Zandschulp on 24 January.

For Djokovic to move ahead of Margaret Court's record of 24 major singles titles, he will need to limit his time on court, keep the points short and hope some good fortune goes his way.

He has managed those so far - but he would not have anticipated reaching the semi-finals with such a heavy reliance on fortuity.

Why Hollywood fell out of love with Wicked

In today's Oscar nominations, the biggest shock was that massive musical sequel Wicked: For Good, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, earned zero nods – despite its predecessor earning 10. It proved the perils of overstretching your material.

The Oscar nominations had their usual share of snubs and surprises, with no best supporting actor nod for Paul Mescal, the co-star of Hamnet, and two different nods for Norway's Sentimental Value in the best supporting actress category. The biggest surprise of all, though, is what might be called a multi-snub, or even an omni-snub: there were no nominations at all for Wicked: For Good.

This was a shock for two reasons. The first is that Wicked: For Good is part two of an adaptation of a Broadway show, and part one, which was released a year earlier, racked up a whopping 10 Oscar nominations. The Academy was spellbound, it seemed, by this colourful prequel to The Wizard of Oz. It adored Oz's two iconic witches, Elphaba and Glinda, and especially the two actresses who played them, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. How could things go so disastrously wrong that the franchise's Oscar-nomination total should plummet from 10 to zero?

The other reason why the omni-snub was unexpected was that, at the start of awards season, Wicked: For Good appeared to be a major contender. At the Golden Globes in January, Erivo was nominated for best actress in a comedy or musical; Grande was nominated for best supporting actress; the film as a whole was on the shortlist for cinematic and box office achievement; and it had not one but two nominations for best original song.

'They saw them on their dishes when eating': The mushroom making people hallucinate dozens of tiny humans

Only recently described by science, the mysterious mushrooms are found in different parts of the world, but they give people the same exact visions.

Every year, doctors at a hospital in the Yunnan Province of China brace themselves for an influx of people with an unusual complaint. The patients come with a strikingly odd symptom: visions of pint-sized, elf-like figures – marching under doors, crawling up walls and clinging to furniture.

The hospital treats hundreds of these cases every year. All share a common culprit: Lanmaoa asiatica, a type of mushroom that forms symbiotic relationships with pine trees in nearby forests and is a locally popular food, known for its savory, umami-packed flavor. In Yunnan, L. asiatica is sold in markets, it appears on restaurant menus and is served at home during peak mushroom season between June and August.

One must be careful to cook it thoroughly, though, otherwise the hallucinations will set in.

"At a mushroom hot pot restaurant there, the server set a timer for 15 minutes and warned us, 'Don't eat it until the timer goes off or you might see little people,'" says Colin Domnauer, a doctoral candidate in biology at the University of Utah and the Natural History Museum of Utah, who is studying L. asiatica. "It seems like very common knowledge in the culture there."

But outside of Yunnan and a couple of other places, the strange mushroom is largely an enigma.

"There were many accounts about the existence of this psychedelic [mushroom], and many people who looked for it, but they never found the species," says Giuliana Furci, a mycologist and the founder and executive director of the Fungi Foundation, a non-profit group dedicated to discovering, documenting and conserving fungi.

Domnauer is on a quest to solve the decades-old mysteries about this fungi species and identify the unknown compound responsible for its unusually similar hallucinations – as well as what it can potentially teach us about the human brain.

Domnauer first heard of L. asiatica as an undergraduate from his mycology professor.

"It sounded so bizarre that there could be a mushroom out there causing fairytale-like visions reported across cultures and time," Domnauer says. "I was perplexed and driven by curiosity to find out more."