dlewis33/Getty ImagesAnyone who is not in the medical profession and who has wandered into an emergency room may be baffled by the hours of waiting and the mysterious process by which nurses and doctors move patients through the stages of the ER.Researchers at Yale School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University wrote recently that an artificial intelligenceprogram they've created can improve the emergency room process by making the task of triage more efficient and accurate. Triage is when nurses assess the severity of conditions at the intake of patients."Triage is a critical first step in emergency care with profound implications for resource allocation and, ultimately, patient outcomes, including morbidity and mortality," the scholars wrote in a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.Using AI in triageIt is the first study of its kind to show real effects of using AI in triage, the authors assert. Lead author R. Andrew Taylor and colleagues describe a three-year experiment spanning 2020 through 2023, in which emergency room nurses at three ERs in the northeastern US used the AI program for 176,648 patients to help the nurses rank the severity of cases at intake. The authors found that nurses using the tool were able to move patients through the emergency room process more rapidly -- from how long it took to provide initial care to how long it took to assign a bed to how long it took to discharge patients. All of which resulted in decreased time in the ER overall. The "AI-informed triage" program, a "clinical decision support tool" (CDS), resulted in "improved triage performance and ED [emergency department] patient flow," they wrote, so that "AI could lead to decreased wait times and ED length of stay." But they also found that nurses with the tool were more attentive to when patients needed critical interventions, such as hospitalization, surgery, or admission to the intensive care unit. A 'tree' of possible decisionsIn the study, Impact of Artificial IntelligenceBased Triage Decision Support on Emergency Department Care, Taylor and his team describe a computer UI that displays the recommendation of the CDS to the nurse. The AI program is not a large language model like OpenAI's GPT. It is a much older, more traditional AI technique known as "random forest," which relies on neural networks just like GPT but does not generate text outputs. Instead, it navigates a "tree" of possible decisions and chooses the best among them. Yale School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins UniversityThe CDS was input with the age, sex, arrival mode, vital signs, "chief complaint," comorbidities (medical condition history that might indicate risk areas such as high blood pressure), and "active medical problems" of each patient at intake. (Interestingly, across all cases, the three most common chief complaints were abdominal pain, chest pain, and shortness of breath.) Once the data was input, the user interface then showed the nurse a rating of the severity of the patient generated by the CDS in accord with a standard scale called the ESI, or Emergency Severity Index. The ESI rates patients from 1 to 5 in terms of the seriousness, or "acuity," of the condition, with 1 being the most serious. A natural-language summary of the justification for the machine's score was also displayed. Nurses were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the computer's ESI score and were asked to assign their own score as they normally do in the ER. Their agreement or disagreement with the computer was an important variable in the experiment because the study measured what happened when nurses were in accord or not with the AI's recommendation. Patient flow resultsWhat happened with "patient flow" was compared for patients six months before the CDS was implemented and six months after. The principal result is that the number of people grouped by high or low acuity changed, and so did the profile of who was ranked high or low. The number of people put in "low" acuity (ESI 4 or 5) rose by nearly 50%, while the total in the "high" category declined by almost 9%, and the total in the middle, level 3, also dropped by almost 20%. More people were bumped down to lower risk with the CDS, in other words. Also, more older patients were moved into the high-acuity group, while more young people were moved into the low-acuity group. There were also changes in how vitals, complaints, and comorbidities showed up, with, for example, chest pain becoming more prevalent in those assigned low-acuity and shortness of breath showing up more among those assigned high-acuity. In other words, the AI led to complaints being used differently to "stratify" patients. The immediate payoff, wrote Taylor and his team, was that patients "flowed" through things faster. "There was an observed decrease in time from arrival to the initial care area," they wrote. There was also a change in how fast people were discharged from the ER, by as much as 82 minutes on average. The biggest change is that those in the high-acuity category spent less time waiting before being sent to critical care, a reduction of over two hours. "The most notable changes were experienced by those critically ill or those meeting critical care or emergency surgery outcome criteria," they wrote. Efficiency isn't the only outcomeIt wasn't just efficiency, however. The number of patients properly assigned to "critical care" rose when using the CDS, meaning patients who eventually wound up dying in the hospital or being admitted to the intensive care unit were more accurately identified beforehand during triage. With the AI, nurses were becoming more "sensitive" to the cases that required critical care, as Taylor and his team put it. "The results demonstrate a marked change in the triage process," wrote Taylor and his team, "with improved distributional alignment, heightened precision in identifying high- and low-risk patients by AI-assisted nurses, and enhanced patient flow." They added, "AI triage CDS was associated with improved performance of triage nurses in the early identification of patients at risk for critical illness; this is an important primary objective of ED triage." And the nurses who agreed more often with the CDS ended up having even better sensitivity to the criticality of urgent care, surgery, ICU, etc. Here, Taylor and his team can't be sure it was the machine that guided the nurses to better decisions; it might just have been better nurses. As they wrote:The nurse subgroup with high agreement rates generally outperformed the AI alone; conversely, the nurse subgroup with low agreement rates universally performed worse than the AI alone. While our findings suggest that higher agreement may be linked to better triage performance, it is possible that the high-agreement group of nurses possessed greater clinical acumen independent of the CDS, enabling them to better discern when to align with AI-based recommendations. Their conclusion is that "the retention of human decision-making is critical and is aligned with prior studies that highlight a synergistic potential for integrating AI with human judgment." LimitationsThe uncertainty about the role of human nurses' individual acumen is not the only limitation of the study. In addition, different ERs can have seasonal trends that are "confounders," factors that make the study's findings problematic. Another limitation is that the CDS drew upon electronic health records, which have their own limitations, such as a lack of specificity about patients. The most profound limitation is that the study did not follow what happened to patients after the ER. Did better triage lead to better patient outcomes? It's not clear, wrote Taylor and his team. "Future research should consider these longer-term factors to fully understand the implications of AI support in clinical decision-making within emergency settings," they wrote. One very intriguing conclusion -- and it's probably relevant for all AI implementations -- is that AI needs to be tuned to the particular setting. The experiment was done across three ERs in a particular region of the US, and that clearly plays a role in the outcomes. As Taylor and his team wrote:Our data suggest that AI tools in health care may reach their fullest potential through site-specific deployment strategies. This approach marks a departure from the prevailing emphasis on broad generalizability and signals a shift toward a more nuanced, context-sensitive application of AI in health care.Artificial Intelligence

'Mullet Madjack' is a must-play addition ot Xbox Game Pass.Hammer95 StudiosIs there such a thing as a pleasant headache? Apparently, such a thing exists: playing Mullet Madjack on Xbox Game Pass for just half an hour instills a strangely delightful pain between your eyes that makes your brain tell you to stop, but you just cant put it down.Mullet Madjack is a roguelike first-person shooter from Hammer95 Studios and Epopeia Games, which finally landed on Xbox One, Series X/S, and Cloud Gaming after its initial release on PC last May. Its a curious and neon-soaked mix of Duke Nukem, Hotline Miami, Post Void, Superhot, and Void Bastards, playing out through the lens of an over-the-top, satirical capitalist dystopia found in The Running Man and its gaming stablemate Smash TV.Its also utterly fantastic and one of the most satisfying games thats landed on the service in the last few months.You assume the role of the titular Mullet Madjack, a snarling, hyper-masculine gunman whos tasked to become a so-called Moderator by a delightfully chipper executive at the Orwellian-named Peace Corp. You need to rescue a virginal princess and prime social media influencer with billions of followers from Robobillionaires that infest an 80-story tower block. Theyre supported by robots in a range of murderous flavors, though all share a consistent look: a cross between the aliens from They Live and the skinless Colossus from Attack on Titan. Its your job to terminate every single one of them.Mullet Madjack has a nice twist. In the interests of the audience viewing your battles through a bloodthirsty and nightmarish version of Twitch youre only given ten seconds to live, and the only way to top up this constant countdown is to kill enemies with speed and impunity, in increasingly gruesome ways, as you hurtle towards the exit doors of each stage.'Mullet Madjack' starts strong and only builds from there.Hammer95 StudiosEach floor averages just over one minute, but it feels so much quicker as you punt robots into extractor fans and electrical outlets, chop baddies in half with thrown katanas, blow gunmen up by shooting fire extinguishers, and split their heads open with machetes, claw hammers, and even anime comics. Its all OK because they aint got no souls.As you progress, new hazards, abilities, and enemies pop up, but its paced so well that these new additions simply become part of the fabric. Your one-minute runs may instead play out over 75 seconds, thanks to the inclusion of wall running, laser beams, spinning fans, and lava floors, but you adapt and survive while kicking the life out of anything that moves.During each set of ten levels, you upgrade your abilities at the end of each floor, adding buffs and bonuses that match your playing style. At the end of each deck, you take on a boss; defeating them gives you a checkpoint, which also resets everything youve collected apart from your weapon. If you die, and presuming youre not playing Mullet Madjack on its insane Permadeath mode, youre sent back to the nearest checkpoint.You gradually collect upgrades, until they're all removed and you have to start again.Hammer95 StudiosWhatever your playstyle and whichever difficulty level you choose, Mullet Madjack is one of the most satisfying arcade-style FPS games in recent memory. Chaining together kills can feel effortless. You feel all-powerful and dont question just how far you can fire someones dead body after murdering them with a heavy door kick. Even when youre struggling to make up lost time, you always feel like youve got skin in the game youll regularly cling onto life with milliseconds left, and the endorphin rush is joyous.Theres even a deeper story among all the madness involving your Peace Corp handler; a mid-run sequence involving a Tamagotchi and broken memories of your real life (or is it?); and a psychopathic robots desire to use virgin blood to make contact with every possible god or demon. None of this is fluff, but it also doesnt really matter if youre not that bothered.Mullet Madjack can get *weird*.Hammer95 StudiosStill, Mullet Madjack isnt without its foibles. At the time of publishing, Quick Resume doesnt really work; picking the game up again after a break (which youll really need to do every now and then) sees the game consistently crash within the first few moments. There are also occasional vertical glitches that can trap you in the ceiling for a few seconds before you eventually wriggle free.Most frustratingly, Mullet Madjack shares the same affliction of classic Japanese fighting games like Virtua Fighter and Samurai Shodown: you can be consistently strong and brilliant through the bulk of the game, only to hit a massive brick wall with the final boss. Part of this is because the game suits its largely one-directional corridor shooting its not really designed for standard, open-world FPS rules but the last battle is so demanding and indiscriminately unfair during certain attempts, and some of the games weapons are barely suited to take on the threat, unless youre in it for the long-haul, which goes against its fast-paced nature.Mullet Madjack is fast and furious at all times.Hammer95 StudiosAll in all, Mullet Madjack almost seems to be based on the vision of violent video games held by the anti-gaming lobby during the 1990s the sort of parents and legislators who thought every game was Doom and blamed developers for any and every evil thing committed by a youngster. It knows this, too the first achievement I got was for shooting someone in the bollocks, and doing so gives you a time bonus thats just as valuable as a headshot but Mullet Madjack is self-aware and proud of its anarchic stupidity, which showcases a wit as quick as its combat.If youre struggling to find something to play over a weekend, or so overwhelmed by choice on Xbox Game Pass or your own collection of unplayed titles, give Mullet Madjack a go. You wont regret it, even if your inevitable headache may imply otherwise.

In brief: Roblox has been heavily criticized for its (lack of) policy on younger players in the past. In a recent interview, the company's lead said that parents should always have the final word on what their children are allowed to play on their screens. Parents concerned about the content or interactions their children might encounter on Roblox should keep them off the platform. Company co-founder and CEO Dave Baszucki delivered this seemingly counterintuitive message in a recent BBC interview, stating that the company is doing all it can to ensure Roblox remains a child-safe virtual environment and game world.Baszucki expressed trust in parents to make sound decisions regarding online game safety and confidence in the effectiveness of Roblox's safety tools and parental controls. The company contends that even one bad incident is too many and claims to monitor the platform for potentially dangerous behaviors continuously.Moderators remain vigilant for bullying, harassment, and other negative behaviors that require filtering. Baszucki mentioned that the platform routinely conducts behavior analysis behind the scenes. Management will take action and involve law enforcement if necessary. Players who choose not to behave civilly can face temporary suspensions or permanent bans.In November, Roblox introduced new safety measures, restricting access to social hangouts and non-rated content for players under 13. Additionally, the platform now requires creators to rate content appropriately for its intended audience. Still, parents must stay informed and alert to their children's online activity.Last year, Roblox averaged over 80 million daily players, outpacing the PlayStation Network and Nintendo Switch Online combined. Around 40 percent of these players are under 13. The broadcaster demonstrated how, despite the new controls and safety measures, the platform can still expose younger users to inappropriate situations. // Related StoriesThe BBC created two fake accounts, one aged 15 and one 27, exchanging messages between the two about going elsewhere to chat or play more adult games. The automated system caught these conversations, but the reporters still figured out a way to communicate the same idea without getting filtered.Baszucki claimed the example proves how safe Roblox has become. Ill-intentioned people know and understand the rules enough to suggest other platforms to share illicit material or have adult conversations."We don't condone any type of image-sharing on our own platform, and you'll see us getting more and more, I think, way beyond where the law is on this type of behaviour," Baszucki said.

The answer is 42: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy introduced the world to the Babel fish a tiny, yellow creature that could instantly translate any spoken language when inserted into the ear. While Apple's latest plans may not involve intergalactic hitchhiking, they could bring users one step closer to effortless real-time multilanguage communication. Anonymous insiders told Bloomberg that Apple is developing a new AirPods feature that translates in-person conversations in real-time. The functionality, expected to launch later this year, will be included in an AirPods software update tied to iOS 19, Apple's next major mobile operating system release.The technology lets speakers of different languages communicate seamlessly. For example, if someone speaks Spanish, the iPhone translates their words and sends the English version to the listener's AirPods. It does the same in reverse, translating the English speaker's words into Spanish and playing them aloud through the iPhone. Apple introduced its native Translate app in 2020, but this is the first time it has built real-time translation directly into its earbuds.A spokeswoman for Apple declined to comment on the development.Live translation features are not entirely new in the industry. Google's Pixel Buds have supported similar functionality for years. However, Apple's ecosystem-driven approach could make its implementation more seamless, potentially offering a more polished experience for users already invested in its hardware. The update is part of Apple's broader software overhaul this year, including what Bloomberg has described as the most significant revamp of iOS to date and major macOS changes. Apple is also working to enhance translation technology beyond the AirPods feature.Apple has steadily expanded the capabilities of its earbuds via software updates, adding new features without requiring users to purchase new hardware. Last year, the company introduced hearing health functions for second-generation AirPods Pro, including an FDA-approved hearing aid mode and self-administered hearing tests. That is not to say that Cupertino is ignoring hardware innovations. The company is working on new AirPods hardware, including a third-generation AirPods Pro model and an experimental version with built-in cameras powered by artificial intelligence. // Related Stories

Premium headphones come at a premium price. Well, at least most of the time they do. But when you know where and when to look for great promos, youll often find one or two. Thats our job here at DT, and while combing through Bose headphone deals, we came across this gem: Now through March 30, when you purchase the Bose QuietComfort Headphones through Bose, youll only pay $250. Thats a $100 discount off the original MSRP.Why you should buy the Bose QuietComfort HeadphonesAs the successor to the Bose QuietComfort 45, the Bose QC proper carries over a lot of the same features and audio engineering. Out of the box, these cans deliver remarkable sound quality with a little extra kick in the low end. Youll also have the choice of wired or wireless playback, thanks to the headphones included TRRS cable. Most folks are probably going to use Bluetooth, though, and the QC Headphones run Bluetooth version 5.1 and support SBC and AAC audio codecs.When it comes to active noise-canceling, its hard to beat the performance of any Bose product, and the QC Headphones are no exception. The ANC system does an amazing job at cutting down on engine and HVAC noise, construction sounds, and even workplace chatter. Want even more ANC control? Download the Bose app to customize ANC settings. The app is also your gateway to graphic EQ settings, updates, and more.RelatedAs mentioned, this deal is only good through March 30, so youve got about two weeks to take advantage of this great offer. Save $100 on the Bose QuietComfort Headphones when you purchase before months end. And if you want even more audio gear to look through, consider our lists of the best Bose deals and best Bluetooth speaker deals for even more discounts on top AV devices!Editors Recommendations

The long-awaited trade function in Pokmon Trading Card Game Pocket has been the source of controversy since its implementation, but now the developers say one of its most annoying features will be going the way of Kabutops: extinct.In a post shared on the official Pokmon forums, the developers state that trade tokens will be completely removed and players will no longer need to exchange cards for the necessary currency. Rather than relying on trade tokens, trades will now use shinedust for three- and four-diamond and one-star rarity trades.Recommended VideosShinedust is already obtainable, and the post suggests the amount you earn will increase since it now has multiple uses. The developers say this update will allow players to trade more cards than they can currently. When trade tokens are removed from the game, any you currently own will automatically be converted to shinedust, although there isnt any information on what the exchange rate might be.The Pokemon CompanyAs part of the changes, anytime you receive a duplicate of a card you own, youll receive shinedust.That said, no changes are coming to one- and two-diamond trades.Please enable Javascript to view this contentAn interesting new feature thats on the way is the ability to flag specific cards youre looking for through the in-game trading function. While not explicitly stated, this could allow players to browse for trades based on card type and take some of the footwork out of hunting down that one pesky card you cant seem to get your hands on.According to the developers, all of these changes are due to be implemented by the end of autumn 2025. They didnt give a more specific date than that, but we expect it means by mid-November at the latest.Editors Recommendations

The American writers symbolic yet vividly rendered story depicts a maker of small objects of delicate ingenuity whose fellow townspeople refuse to recognize him as an artist.

Want to go on a nature hike but cant get out to the woods? Look for the plants and animals right around the corner.

Changing lanes Tesla urges overhaul of Trump tariffs hurting EV industry Tesla hopes to slow down Trump's tit-for-tat tariffs amid financial woes. Ashley Belanger Mar 14, 2025 2:20 pm | 3 Donald Trump and White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk deliver remarks next to a Tesla Model S on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Andrew Harnik / Staff | Getty Images News Donald Trump and White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk deliver remarks next to a Tesla Model S on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Andrew Harnik / Staff | Getty Images News Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreElon Musk's Tesla is waving a red flag, warning that Donald Trump's trade war risks dooming US electric vehicle makers, triggering job losses, and hurting the economy.In an unsigned letter to the US Trade Representative (USTR), Tesla cautioned that Trump's tariffs could increase costs of manufacturing EVs in the US and forecast that any retaliatory tariffs from other nations could spike costs of exports."Tesla supports a robust and thorough process" to "address unfair trade practices," but only those "which, in the process, do not inadvertently harm US companies," the letter said.The carmaker recommended that the USTRin its ongoing review of unfair trade practices and investigation into harms of non-reciprocal trade agreements"consider the downstream impacts of certain proposed actions taken to address unfair trade practices."According to Tesla, the current process to address unfair trade threatens to harm its more than 70,000 employees, and more broadly could trigger job losses and revenue dips in the US auto industry. It could also disrupt supply chains, as Tesla claims that even its best efforts prove it would be "impossible" to source all parts from the US currently."Even with aggressive localization of the supply chain, certain parts and components are difficult or impossible to source within the United States," the letter said, asking the USTR to "evaluate domestic supply chain limitations."If left unchanged, the process could make the US less competitive in global auto markets, Tesla warned, recommending that the "USTR should investigate ways to avoid these pitfalls in future actions."Moving forward, Tesla recommends that the USTR "take into account" how the trade war could hurt US exporters, as "US exporters are inherently exposed to disproportionate impacts when other countries respond to US trade actions."In the letter, Tesla appears to suggest that Trump's tariffs were rushed, suggesting that "US companies will benefit from a phased approach that enables them to prepare accordingly and ensure appropriate supply chain and compliance measures are taken."Tesla was not alone in submitting comments to the USTR. So far, hundreds of companies have chimed in, many hoping to push back on Trump's aggressive tariffs regime.Among them was a trade group representing major foreign automakers like BMW, Honda, and ToyotaAutos Drive Americawhich agreed with Tesla that the USTR should slow Trump down and require considerations about long-term impacts of sudden actions to address unfair trade. They similarly warned that imposing "broad-based tariffs will disrupt production at US assembly plants," Reuters reported."Automakers cannot shift their supply chains overnight, and cost increases will inevitably lead to some combination of higher consumer prices, fewer models offered to consumers and shut-down US production lines, leading to potential job losses across the supply chain," the group said.Disrupting Trump trade war may be toughLast week, Trump's 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico took effect, likely frustrating Tesla, which relies on a small parts manufacturer in Canada, Laval Tool, to source parts for the already costly molds for its Cybertrucks. Those tariffs threatened to spike costs beyond the current rate of nearly $500,000 per mold at a time when the Cybertruck hasn't been selling well, InsideEVs reported. And for Tesla, Trump's China tariffs may hit even harder, as China is Tesla's second biggest market.On the day that those tariffs kicked in, the head of the Alliance for Automotive Innovationwhich represents all the major US automakers, except TeslaJohn Bozzella warned that "all automakers will be impacted by these tariffs on Canada and Mexico," Reuters reported. He joined others predicting price hikes on cars coming soon, perhaps as high as 25 percent.Tesla's letter to the USTR is notably unsigned, despite CEO Musk's close allyship with Trump as a senior advisor in his administrationsuggesting Musk may be hesitant to directly criticize Trump's trade war or his opposition to EVs.Many have questioned how long Musk's friendship with Trump can possibly last, given their strong personalities and seeming unwillingness to bend to critics. At the beginning of this administration, Musk seemed unafraid to question Trump despite teaming up with him. Perhaps most notably, Trump's team was supposedly "furious" after Musk trashed Trump's $500 billion "Stargate" project with OpenAI, Politico reported, which Trump had hyped as "tremendous" and "monumental.""Its clear he has abused the proximity to the president," a Trump ally granted anonymity told Politico. "The problem is the president doesnt have any leverage over him and Elon gives zero fucks."Officially, Trump downplayed Musk's public criticism of his major announcement, seeming to understand that Musk views OpenAI CEO Sam Altmanwhom Musk is suing for making a "fool" out of himas an enemy."He hates one of the people in the deal," Trump told a reporter who asked if Musk's comments had bothered him, confirming, "it doesn't."Despite a long history of harsh comments about EVs, Trump has recently hyped Tesla cars, which Tesla noted in its letter to the USTR, further its mission "to accelerate the worlds transition to sustainable energy." The BBC noted Tesla's letter was sent the same day that Trump hosted a White House event where the president vowed to purchase a Tesla in defiance of Tesla boycotts and protests that some believe are driving a steep Tesla stock fall and even degrading the price of used Teslas. In a Truth Social post, Trump claimed that he was buying a Tesla to support "one of the Worlds great automakers" and "Elon's 'baby,'" alleging that protests and boycotts were somehow illegal.The Hill suggested that their friendship isnt likely to end soon, even though Trump has supposedly complained in private about taunts suggesting that Musk is really the president or somehow pulling the strings, The Independent reported.Musk may be settling into a good dynamic with Trump after spending ample time at the president's side, reportedly even joining meetings and sensitive calls. Or perhaps Musk is giving Trump space to call the shots, after Musk's Department of Government Efficiency's aggressive cuts at federal agencies sparked backlash that finally pushed Trump to rein in Musk's power a little.Musk's proximity to Trump was predicted to be a boon to his businesses, but Tesla has been stuck in a slump that seemingly some Trump allies think Trump might fear makes him look weak, The New Republic reported. But Trump has made tariffs the core of his trade policy, hoping aggressive taxes will force more industry into the US, and it's hard to see how Musk could easily influence him to shift gears.In Tesla's letter, the automaker told the USTR that it was "essential to support US manufacturing jobs" by ensuring that cost-prohibitive tariffs or other import restrictions don't disrupt critical auto industry supply chains. For Tesla, the stakes couldn't be higher, as the company reminded the USTR that "Tesla was ranked as the world leader in the transition to vehicle electrification," manufacturing "the best-selling car in the world (EV or otherwise).""Teslas US facilities support over 70,000 employees and are responsible for billions of dollars of US investment and economic activity each year," Tesla's letter said.Ashley BelangerSenior Policy ReporterAshley BelangerSenior Policy Reporter Ashley is a senior policy reporter for Ars Technica, dedicated to tracking social impacts of emerging policies and new technologies. She is a Chicago-based journalist with 20 years of experience. 3 Comments

Baytown bound To avoid the Panama Canal, Relativity Space is moving some operations to Texas "We are exploring options to expand our manufacturing capabilities." Eric Berger Mar 14, 2025 1:51 pm | 2 Artist's rendering of a Terran R rocket launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Credit: Relativity Space Artist's rendering of a Terran R rocket launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Credit: Relativity Space Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreAs he consolidates control over Relativity Space, new owner and chief executive Eric Schmidt is planning significant changes at the launch company, including a move to the Lone Star State.Schmidt's recent acquisition of the California-based company, which has largely evolved away from its 3D-printing origins to becoming a more conventional rocket developer, has solved Relativity's primary need. The company has been in a cash crunch for months, and being acquired by one of the 50 wealthiest people on the planet provides financial stability.One source said Schmidt has made a "mega" investment in Relativity, but the company has not publicly stated the size. It is likely to be at least $1 billion, if not more. Schmidt is also taking an active hand in operations.Undertaking his first CEO role in more than a decade since leaving Google, Schmidt is said to be going all in on setting Relativity on a sustainable path. The company faces several major challenges as it seeks to bring the Terran R rocket to market, particularly in logistics.This is because Terran R is a large launch vehicle, essentially the bigger cousin to the Falcon 9 rocket. The Terran R vehicle has a diameter17 feet, 9 inches compared to the Falcon 9's 12-foot diameterwhich makes it too large to move across the country by highway.Big rocket, big logisticsAs Ars reported last September, the company's initial plan was to manufacture first stages at its massive factory in Long Beach, California, and ship them through the Panama Canal to a test site at the Stennis Space Center in southern Mississippi. From there, they would be moved by barge again to the launch site in Florida. The total shipping cost to get a first stage to Florida and a barge back to Long Beach was at one point estimated to be as high as $3.45 million.However, two sources have indicated that Relativity Space will move a significant portion of its Terran R manufacturing to Baytown, Texas. This is a small city just east of Houston that, as its name suggests, is located on a bay. In the Houston metro area, Baytown is known for its ample petrochemical facilities, located on the Houston Ship Channel, which offers easy access to Galveston Bay and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico.Although Baytown does not have any historical affinity with aerospace, its location on the water offers far more straightforward access to Relativity's test facilities in Mississippi and its launch site in Florida. There are other benefits. The cost of living in the region is far lower than Southern California, and due to the location of Johnson Space Center just 20 miles away, there is a reservoir of space talent in the region.A spokesperson for Relativity Space did not confirm the move."As we scale Terran R production to meet growing customer demand, we are exploring options to expand our manufacturing capabilities," the spokesperson said. "Our focus is on ensuring we have the right footprint to achieve the production cadence required to serve our customers."Texas space is on the riseFor logistics and other reasons, Relativity has been evaluating locations across several states that border the Gulf of Mexico, including Texas, over recent years, multiple sources said. The company is expected to continue operating its large "Wormhole" factory in Long Beach, California, which is more than 1 million square feet in size. A second factory in Texas would likely be used to build propellant tanks and assemble stages for testing in Mississippi and launch in Florida.The addition of a second factory in Texas would underscore the investment to which Schmidt appears committed to making Relativity a major player in US launch.It is unclear whether state or local officials have provided any incentives to Relativity for relocating a significant chunk of its manufacturing operations to Texas. Last year the state legislature created the Texas Space Commission and provided $350 million in funding to support commercial space operations. In February the commission awarded the first of these grants, valued at $47.7 million, to five companies with Texas-based operations: Starlab Space, Intuitive Machines, Firefly Aerospace, SpaceX, and Blue Origin.A leading figure behind the commission is State Rep. Greg Bonnen, whose district includes Johnson Space Center. Bonnen has signaled that the commission is a long-term project by the state to ensure its economic prosperity in the 21st century by continuing to grow existing businesses in Texas, but also to attract new companies to the state.SpaceX and Firefly already manufacture rockets in Texas. Adding Relativity Space would be a significant coup for a state that, only a decade ago, was known primarily in space for being the home of NASA's human spaceflight activities.Eric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 2 Comments