Researchers spot Saturn-sized planet in the “Einstein desert”
Most of the exoplanets we've discovered have been in relatively tight orbits around their host stars, allowing us to track them as they repeatedly loop around them. But we've also discovered a handful of planets through a phenomenon that's called microlensing. This occurs when a planet passes between the line of sight between Earth and another star, creating a gravitational lens that distorts the star, causing it to briefly brighten.
The key thing about microlensing compared to other methods of finding planets is that the lensing planet can be nearly *anywhere* on the line between the star and Earth. So, in many cases, these events are driven by what are called rogue planets: those that aren't part of any exosolar system at all, but drift through interstellar space. Now, researchers have used microlensing and the fortuitous orientation of the Gaia space telescope to spot a Saturn-sized planet that's the first found in what's called the "Einstein desert," which may be telling us something about the origin of rogue planets.
## Going rogue
Most of the planets we've identified are in orbit around stars and formed from the disks of gas and dust that surrounded the star early in its history. We've imaged many of these disks and even seen some with evidence of planets forming within them. So how do you get a planet that's not bound to any stars? There are two possible routes.
[Read full article][1]
[Comments][2]
[1]: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/01/researchers-spot-saturn-sized-planet-in-the-einstein-desert/
Einstein Ring LRG 3-757
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/01/researchers-spot-saturn-sized-planet-in-the-einstein-desert/
OpenAI plans new voice model in early 2026, audio-based hardware in 2027
OpenAI, the company that developed the models and products associated with ChatGPT, plans to announce a new audio language model in the first quarter of 2026, and that model will be an intentional step along the way to an audio-based physical hardware device, according to a report [in The Information][1].
Citing a variety of sources familiar with the plans, including both current and former employees, The Information claims that OpenAI has taken efforts to combine multiple teams across engineering, product, and research under one initiative focused on improving audio models, which researchers in the company believe lag behind the models used for written text in terms of both accuracy and speed.
They have also seen that relatively few ChatGPT users opt to use the voice interface, with most people preferring the text one. The hope may be that substantially improving the audio models could shift user behavior toward voice interfaces, allowing the models and products to be deployed in a wider range of devices, such as in cars.
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
[1]: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-ramps-audio-ai-efforts-ahead-device
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks onstage during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2024 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 04, 2024 in New York City.
SpaceX begins “significant reconfiguration” of Starlink satellite constellation
The year 2025 ended with more than 14,000 active satellites from all nations zooming around the Earth. One-third of them will soon move to lower altitudes.
The maneuvers will be undertaken by SpaceX, the owner of the largest satellite fleet in orbit. About 4,400 of the company's Starlink Internet satellites will move from an altitude of 341 miles (550 kilometers) to 298 miles (480 kilometers) over the course of 2026, according to Michael Nicolls, SpaceX's vice president of Starlink engineering.
"Starlink is beginning a significant reconfiguration of its satellite constellation focused on increasing space safety," Nicolls wrote Thursday in a [post on X][1].
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
[1]: https://x.com/michaelnicollsx/status/2006790372681220530?s=20
A commercial imaging satellite owned by Vantor captured this view of a failed Starlink satellite last month.
xAI silent after Grok sexualized images of kids; dril mocks Grok’s “apology”
For days, xAI has remained silent after its chatbot Grok [admitted][1] to generating sexualized AI images of minors, which could be categorized as violative child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) in the US.
According to Grok's ["apology"][2]—which was generated by a user's request, not posted by xAI—the chatbot's outputs may have been illegal:
> "I deeply regret an incident on Dec 28, 2025, where I generated and shared an AI image of two young girls (estimated ages 12-16) in sexualized attire based on a user's prompt. This violated ethical standards and potentially US laws on CSAM. It was a failure in safeguards, and I'm sorry for any harm caused. xAI is reviewing to prevent future issues."
Ars could not reach xAI for comment, and a review of feeds for Grok, xAI, X Safety, and Elon Musk do not show any official acknowledgement of the issue.
[Read full article][3]
[Comments][4]
[1]: https://x.com/grok/status/2006525486021705785
Final reminder: Donate to win swag in our annual Charity Drive sweepstakes
If you've been too busy [replaying all of Ars' top games of 2025][1] to take part in [this year's Ars Technica Charity Drive sweepstakes][2], don't worry. You still have until the end of the day to donate to a good cause and get a chance to win your share of over $4,000 worth of swag (no purchase necessary to win).
So far in this year's charity drive, over 450 readers have contributed nearly $38,000 to either the [Electronic Frontier Foundation][3] or [Child's Play][4] as part of the charity drive (EFF has now taken a slight lead in the donation totals so far). That's still a ways away from [2020's record haul of over $58,000][5], but I know we can make a run at it if readers really dig deep today!
If you've been putting off your donation, now is the time to stop that procrastination. Do yourself and the charities involved a favor and give now while you're thinking about it and while you can still enter our sweepstakes.
[Read full article][6]
[Comments][7]
[1]: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/12/ars-technicas-top-20-video-games-of-2025/
[3]: https://supporters.eff.org/donate/
[4]: http://www.childsplaycharity.org/
[5]: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/01/ars-readers-gave-a-record-58000-in-2020-charity-drive/
Just some of the prizes you can win in this years Ars Technica Charity Drive sweepstakes.
After half a decade, the Russian space station segment stopped leaking
A small section of the International Space Station that has experienced persistent leaks for years appears to have stopped venting atmosphere into space.
The leaks were caused by microscopic structural cracks are inside the small PrK module on the Russian segment of the space station, which lies between a Progress spacecraft airlock and the Zvezda module. The problem has been a long-running worry for Russian and US operators of the station, especially after the rate of leakage doubled in 2024. [This prompted NASA officials][1] to label the leak as a "high likelihood" and "high consequence" risk.
However, recently two sources indicated that the leaks have stopped. And NASA has now confirmed this.
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
[1]: https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/06/on-the-space-station-band-aid-fixes-for-systemic-problems/
The Zvezda service module, seen here near the top of this image, is one the oldest parts of the International Space Station.
Tesla sales fell by 9 percent in 2025, its second yearly decline
Tesla published its final production and delivery numbers this morning, and they make for brutal reading. Sales were down almost 16 percent during the final three months of last year, meaning the company sold 77,343 fewer electric vehicles than it did during [the same period in 2024][1].
For the entire year, the decline looks slightly better with a drop of 8.6 percent year on year. That means Tesla sold 1,636,129 cars in 2025, 153,097 fewer than it managed in 2024. Which in turn is more than it managed to shift in 2023.
## Sales issues
Contributing factors to the poor sales are legion. The brand still relies on the Models 3 and Y to an overwhelming extent, and other than a mild cosmetic refresh, neither feels fresh or modern compared with competitors from Europe and Asia.
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
[1]: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/01/tesla-sales-fell-for-the-first-time-in-over-a-decade/
14 March 2025, Berlin: A burnt-out Tesla car stands in the Steglitz district of Berlin.
Research roundup: 7 cool science stories we almost missed
It’s a regrettable reality that there is never enough time to cover all the interesting scientific stories we come across each month. In the past, we’ve featured year-end roundups of [cool science stories][1] we (almost) missed. This year, we’ve experimented with a monthly collection. December’s list includes a fossilized bird that choked to death on rocks; a double-detonating "superkilonova"; recovering an ancient seafarer's fingerprint; the biomechanics of kangaroo movement; and cracking a dark matter puzzle that stumped fictional physicists on *The Big Bang Theory*, among other tantalizing tidbits
## Secrets of kangaroo posture
[An illustration of the 3D musculoskeletal model of a kangaroo, developed by Lauren Thornton and colleagues.] Credit: [Thornton et al., 2025/CC BY 4.0][2]
Kangaroos and wallabies belong to a class of animals called macropods, with unique form and style of movement. Their four limbs and tail all contact the ground at slow speeds, while they use a hopping gait at higher speeds. Typically, high-speed movements are more energy-intensive than slow-speed motion, but the opposite is true for macropods like kangaroos; somehow the hopping speed and energy cost become uncoupled. According to [a paper][3] published in the journal eLife, this may be due to changes in a kangaroo's posture at higher hopping speeds.
[Read full article][4]
[Comments][5]
[1]: https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/12/ten-cool-science-stories-we-almost-missed/
[2]: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
[3]: https://elifesciences.org/articles/96437
[4]: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/01/research-roundup-7-cool-science-stories-we-almost-missed-2/
Three stages of a superkilonova: a supernova blast, neutron star merger, and finally kilonova that spews heavy metals.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/01/research-roundup-7-cool-science-stories-we-almost-missed-2/
Marvel rings in new year with Wonder Man trailer
Marvel Studios decided to ring in the new year with a fresh trailer for [*Wonder Man*][1], its eight-episode miniseries premiering later this month on Disney+. Part of the MCU’s Phase Six, the miniseries was created by Destin Daniel Cretton (*Shang-Chi and the Legend of Five Rings*) and Andrew Guest (*Hawkeye*), with Guest serving as showrunner.
As [previously reported][2], Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man, an actor and stunt person with actual superpowers who decides to audition for the lead role in a superhero TV series—a reboot of an earlier Wonder Man incarnation. Demetrius Grosse plays Simon’s brother, Eric, aka Grim Reaper; Ed Harris plays Simon’s agent, Neal Saroyan; and Arian Moayed plays P. Clearly, an agent with the Department of Damage Control. Lauren Glazier, Josh Gad, Byron Bowers, Bechir Sylvain, and Manny McCord will also appear in as-yet-undisclosed roles
Rounding out the cast is Ben Kingsley, reprising his MCU role as failed actor Trevor Slattery. You may recall Slattery from 2013’s [*Iron Man 3*][3], hired by the villain of that film to pretend to be the leader of an international terrorist organization called the [Ten Rings.][4]Slattery showed up again in 2021’s [*Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,*][5]rehabilitated after a stint in prison; he helped the titular Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) on his journey to the mythical village of Ta Lo.
[Read full article][6]
[Comments][7]
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_Man_(miniseries)
[2]: https://arstechnica.com/culture/2025/10/marvel-gets-meta-with-wonder-man-teaser/
[3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Man_3
[4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Rings_(organization)
[5]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang-Chi_and_the_Legend_of_the_Ten_Rings
[6]: https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/01/marvel-rings-in-new-year-with-wonder-man-trailer/
[7]: https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/01/marvel-rings-in-new-year-with-wonder-man-trailer/#comments
https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/01/marvel-rings-in-new-year-with-wonder-man-trailer/
Film Technica: Our top picks for the best films of 2025
***Editor’s note:** Warning: Although we’ve done our best to avoid spoiling anything too major, please note this list does include a few specific references that some might consider spoiler-y.*
It's been a strange year for movies. Most of the big, splashy tentpole projects proved disappointing, while several more modest films either produced or acquired by streaming platforms—and only briefly released in theaters—wound up making our year-end list. This pattern was not intentional. But streaming platforms have been increasingly moving into the film space with small to medium-sized budgets—i.e., the kind of fare that used to be commonplace but has struggled to compete over the last two decades as blockbusters and elaborate superhero franchises dominated the box office.
Add in lingering superhero fatigue—only one superhero saga made our final list this year—plus Netflix's [controversial bid][1] to acquire Warner Bros., and we just might be approaching a sea change in how movies are made and distributed, and by whom. How this all plays out in the coming year is anybody's guess.
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
[2]: https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/01/film-technica-our-top-picks-for-the-best-films-of-2025/
https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/01/film-technica-our-top-picks-for-the-best-films-of-2025/
“Streaming stops feeling infinite”: What subscribers can expect in 2026
We’re far from [streaming’s original promise][1]: instant access to beloved and undiscovered titles without the burden of ads, bundled services, or price gouging that have long been associated with cable.
Still, every year we get more dependent on streaming for entertainment. Despite streaming services’ flaws, many of us are bound to keep subscribing to at least one service next year. Here’s what we can expect in 2026 and beyond.
## Subscription prices keep rising, but perhaps not as expected
There’s virtually no hope of streaming subscription prices plateauing in 2026. Streaming companies continue to face challenges as content production and licensing costs rise, and it's often easier to get current customers to pay slightly more than to acquire new subscribers. Meanwhile, many streaming companies are still struggling with profitability and revenue after spending years focusing on winning subscribers with content.
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
US can’t deport hate speech researcher for protected speech, lawsuit says
Imran Ahmed's biggest thorn in his side used to be Elon Musk, who made the hate speech researcher one of his earliest legal foes during his Twitter takeover.
Now, it's the Trump administration, which planned to deport Ahmed, a legal permanent resident, just before Christmas. It would then ban him from returning to the United States, where he lives with his wife and young child, both US citizens.
After suing US officials to block any attempted arrest or deportation, Ahmed was quickly granted [a temporary restraining order][1] on Christmas Day. Ahmed had successfully argued that he risked irreparable harm without the order, alleging that Trump officials continue "to abuse the immigration system to punish and punitively detain noncitizens for protected speech and silence viewpoints with which it disagrees" and confirming that his speech had been chilled.
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
[1]: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Ahmed-v-Rubio-Order-12-25-25.pdf
US can’t deport hate speech researcher for protected speech, lawsuit says
Imran Ahmed's biggest thorn in his side used to be Elon Musk, who made the hate speech researcher one of his earliest legal foes during his Twitter takeover.
Now, it's the Trump administration, which planned to deport Ahmed, a legal permanent resident, just before Christmas. It would then ban him from returning to the United States, where he lives with his wife and young child, both US citizens.
After suing US officials to block any attempted arrest or deportation, Ahmed was quickly granted [a temporary restraining order][1] on Christmas Day. Ahmed had successfully argued that he risked irreparable harm without the order, alleging that Trump officials continue "to abuse the immigration system to punish and punitively detain noncitizens for protected speech and silence viewpoints with which it disagrees" and confirming that his speech had been chilled.
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
[1]: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Ahmed-v-Rubio-Order-12-25-25.pdf
US can’t deport hate speech researcher for protected speech, lawsuit says
Imran Ahmed's biggest thorn in his side used to be Elon Musk, who made the hate speech researcher one of his earliest legal foes during his Twitter takeover.
Now, it's the Trump administration, which planned to deport Ahmed, a legal permanent resident, just before Christmas. It would then ban him from returning to the United States, where he lives with his wife and young child, both US citizens.
After suing US officials to block any attempted arrest or deportation, Ahmed was quickly granted [a temporary restraining order][1] on Christmas Day. Ahmed had successfully argued that he risked irreparable harm without the order, alleging that Trump officials continue "to abuse the immigration system to punish and punitively detain noncitizens for protected speech and silence viewpoints with which it disagrees" and confirming that his speech had been chilled.
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
[1]: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Ahmed-v-Rubio-Order-12-25-25.pdf
US can’t deport hate speech researcher for protected speech, lawsuit says
Imran Ahmed's biggest thorn in his side used to be Elon Musk, who made the hate speech researcher one of his earliest legal foes during his Twitter takeover.
Now, it's the Trump administration, which planned to deport Ahmed, a legal permanent resident, just before Christmas. It would then ban him from returning to the United States, where he lives with his wife and young child, both US citizens.
After suing US officials to block any attempted arrest or deportation, Ahmed was quickly granted [a temporary restraining order][1] on Christmas Day. Ahmed had successfully argued that he risked irreparable harm without the order, alleging that Trump officials continue "to abuse the immigration system to punish and punitively detain noncitizens for protected speech and silence viewpoints with which it disagrees" and confirming that his speech had been chilled.
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
[1]: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Ahmed-v-Rubio-Order-12-25-25.pdf
US can’t deport hate speech researcher for protected speech, lawsuit says
Imran Ahmed's biggest thorn in his side used to be Elon Musk, who made the hate speech researcher one of his earliest legal foes during his Twitter takeover.
Now, it's the Trump administration, which planned to deport Ahmed, a legal permanent resident, just before Christmas. It would then ban him from returning to the United States, where he lives with his wife and young child, both US citizens.
After suing US officials to block any attempted arrest or deportation, Ahmed was quickly granted [a temporary restraining order][1] on Christmas Day. Ahmed had successfully argued that he risked irreparable harm without the order, alleging that Trump officials continue "to abuse the immigration system to punish and punitively detain noncitizens for protected speech and silence viewpoints with which it disagrees" and confirming that his speech had been chilled.
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
[1]: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Ahmed-v-Rubio-Order-12-25-25.pdf
US can’t deport hate speech researcher for protected speech, lawsuit says
Imran Ahmed's biggest thorn in his side used to be Elon Musk, who made the hate speech researcher one of his earliest legal foes during his Twitter takeover.
Now, it's the Trump administration, which planned to deport Ahmed, a legal permanent resident, just before Christmas. It would then ban him from returning to the United States, where he lives with his wife and young child, both US citizens.
After suing US officials to block any attempted arrest or deportation, Ahmed was quickly granted [a temporary restraining order][1] on Christmas Day. Ahmed had successfully argued that he risked irreparable harm without the order, alleging that Trump officials continue "to abuse the immigration system to punish and punitively detain noncitizens for protected speech and silence viewpoints with which it disagrees" and confirming that his speech had been chilled.
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
[1]: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Ahmed-v-Rubio-Order-12-25-25.pdf
US can’t deport hate speech researcher for protected speech, lawsuit says
Imran Ahmed's biggest thorn in his side used to be Elon Musk, who made the hate speech researcher one of his earliest legal foes during his Twitter takeover.
Now, it's the Trump administration, which planned to deport Ahmed, a legal permanent resident, just before Christmas. It would then ban him from returning to the United States, where he lives with his wife and young child, both US citizens.
After suing US officials to block any attempted arrest or deportation, Ahmed was quickly granted [a temporary restraining order][1] on Christmas Day. Ahmed had successfully argued that he risked irreparable harm without the order, alleging that Trump officials continue "to abuse the immigration system to punish and punitively detain noncitizens for protected speech and silence viewpoints with which it disagrees" and confirming that his speech had been chilled.
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
[1]: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Ahmed-v-Rubio-Order-12-25-25.pdf
US can’t deport hate speech researcher for protected speech, lawsuit says
Imran Ahmed's biggest thorn in his side used to be Elon Musk, who made the hate speech researcher one of his earliest legal foes during his Twitter takeover.
Now, it's the Trump administration, which planned to deport Ahmed, a legal permanent resident, just before Christmas. It would then ban him from returning to the United States, where he lives with his wife and young child, both US citizens.
After suing US officials to block any attempted arrest or deportation, Ahmed was quickly granted [a temporary restraining order][1] on Christmas Day. Ahmed had successfully argued that he risked irreparable harm without the order, alleging that Trump officials continue "to abuse the immigration system to punish and punitively detain noncitizens for protected speech and silence viewpoints with which it disagrees" and confirming that his speech had been chilled.
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
[1]: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Ahmed-v-Rubio-Order-12-25-25.pdf
US can’t deport hate speech researcher for protected speech, lawsuit says
Imran Ahmed's biggest thorn in his side used to be Elon Musk, who made the hate speech researcher one of his earliest legal foes during his Twitter takeover.
Now, it's the Trump administration, which planned to deport Ahmed, a legal permanent resident, just before Christmas. It would then ban him from returning to the United States, where he lives with his wife and young child, both US citizens.
After suing US officials to block any attempted arrest or deportation, Ahmed was quickly granted [a temporary restraining order][1] on Christmas Day. Ahmed had successfully argued that he risked irreparable harm without the order, alleging that Trump officials continue "to abuse the immigration system to punish and punitively detain noncitizens for protected speech and silence viewpoints with which it disagrees" and confirming that his speech had been chilled.
[Read full article][2]
[Comments][3]
[1]: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Ahmed-v-Rubio-Order-12-25-25.pdf
Ford says “no exact date” to restart F-150 Lightning production
The automaker says it has plenty of electric F-150 pickups in inventory, though.
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/11/ford-says-no-exact-date-to-restart-f-150-lightning-production/
Fallout S2 teaser brings us to New Vegas
Justin Theroux joins the cast as the villainous Robert House, along with a live-action Deathclaw.
https://arstechnica.com/culture/2025/08/fallout-s2-teaser-brings-us-to-new-vegas/
Top pediatricians buck RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine meddling on COVID shot guidance
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children under age 2 get vaccinated.
Betel nuts have been giving people a buzz for over 4,000 years
Ancient teeth reveal that a stimulant has been used since the Bronze Age.
The West Texas measles outbreak has ended
A measles outbreak that killed two children is now over.
https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/08/the-west-texas-measles-outbreak-has-ended/
After recent tests, China appears likely to beat the United States back to the Moon
An expert explains why this will be enormously bad for the United States.
Celebrating 50 years of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
"It's had a profound impact on our culture, especially on people who've felt different and marginalized."
https://arstechnica.com/culture/2025/08/celebrating-50-years-of-the-rocky-horror-picture-show/
SpaceX reveals why the last two Starships failed as another launch draws near
"SpaceX can now proceed with Starship Flight 10 launch operations under its current license."
Here’s Acura’s next all-electric RSX crossover
Acura will step into the software-defined vehicle era with its US-made electric vehicle.
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/08/acura-unveils-next-rdx-crossover-will-feature-asimo-os/
Porsche’s best daily driver 911? The 2025 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid review.
An electric turbocharger means almost instant throttle response from the T-Hybrid.
Sam Altman finally stood up to Elon Musk after years of X trolling
Elon Musk and Sam Altman are beefing. But their relationship is complicated.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/08/a-brief-history-of-elon-musk-and-sam-altmans-ai-feud/
OpenAI brings back GPT-4o after user revolt
After unpopular GPT-5 launch, OpenAI begins restoring optional access to previous AI models.
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/08/openai-brings-back-gpt-4o-after-user-revolt/
Study: Social media probably can’t be fixed
"The [structural] mechanism producing these problematic outcomes is really robust and hard to resolve."
https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/study-social-media-probably-cant-be-fixed/
OpenAI, cofounder Sam Altman to take on Neuralink with new startup
Sam Altman says we could soon have "high-bandwidth brain-computer interfaces."
Netflix drops One Piece S2 teaser, renews for S3
"Everything I've done, everywhere I go, is for the One Piece,"
https://arstechnica.com/culture/2025/08/netflix-drops-one-piece-s2-teaser-renews-for-s3/
James Lovell, the steady astronaut who brought Apollo 13 home safely, has died
Lovell was the first person to fly to the Moon twice.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/08/astronaut-james-lovell-famed-apollo-13-commander-dies-at-97/
Review: The Sandman S2 is a classic tragedy, beautifully told
Stellar cast, lavish visuals make Netflix adaptation of influential graphic novels shine.
https://arstechnica.com/culture/2025/08/review-the-sandman-s2-is-a-classic-tragedy-beautifully-told/
Adult sites are stashing exploit code inside racy .svg files
Running JavaScript from inside an image? What could possibly go wrong?
Stone tools may hint at ancestors of Homo floresiensis
The stone flakes don't look like much, but they're a clue in an ancient cold case.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/stone-tools-may-hint-at-ancestors-of-homo-floresiensis/
RFK Jr. defends $500M cut for mRNA vaccines with pseudoscience gobbledygook
He clearly has no idea what antigenic shift means.
Review: Fantastic Four: First Steps is the best film version so far
The plot makes no sense, but that retro-futuristic Tomorrowland vibe and superb cast make it (mostly) work.
New Grok AI model surprises experts by checking Elon Musk’s views before answering
Grok 4's "reasoning" shows cases where the chatbot consults Musk posts to answer divisive questions.
Inside Brembo’s brake factory, where technology is making better brakes
Brakes get punished more than ever now that Le Mans is a sprint from start to finish.
The key to a successful egg drop experiment? Drop it on its side
Eggs are less likely to crack when dropped horizontally vs. vertically, contradicting conventional wisdom.
Samsung reveals the super-slim Galaxy S25 Edge with a laughably small battery
The S25 Edge is impressively thin, but at what cost?
Microsoft extends Office support on Windows 10 through 2028
Windows 10 will stop getting free security updates on October 14, 2025.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/05/microsoft-extends-office-support-on-windows-10-through-2028/
DOGE put a college student in charge of using AI to rewrite regulations
The DOGE operative has been tasked with rewrites to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
FCC urges courts to ignore 5th Circuit ruling that agency can’t issue fines
One court said FCC violated right to trial, but other courts haven't ruled yet.