Plus autonomous driving software feeds incoming sensor data into a AI model to assess current ... [+] traffic and predict what other vehicles are most likely to do.PlusAutonomous driving software company Plus has just announced a partnership to enhance autonomous trucking in Japan by teaming up with autonomous software provider TIER IV. The Tokyo-based TIER IV, which makes open-source software for autonomous driving, is working closely with the Japanese government to execute its new Autonomy 2.0 efforts for Level 4 autonomous trucks on Japans expressways. The partnership also aligns both companies with recent AI trends, because trucking has become a valuable application for physical AI.This news follows another partnership announcement from Plus late last year, when the Silicon Valley-based company released its SAE Level 4 trucking software in Europe and the United States in partnership with Traton the $40 billion trucking subsidiary of Volkswagen and its brands Scania, MAN and International.Addressing Japans Acute Shortage Of Truck DriversThe new partnership in Japan brings together Pluss end-to-end virtual driver AI model with TIER IVs Autoware-based platform to create a solution for L4 autonomous trucking. This solution will be co-engineered by the two companies specifically for the Japan market.Although the need for autonomous trucks is global, Japans government has taken a particular interest in this area and created special programs to fund L4 autonomous truck development and deployment based on vehicles from Japanese manufacturers. Why? Not enough truck drivers to meet demand. One independent study projected that Japan will have fewer than two-thirds of the truck drivers it needs by 2030.TIER IV was founded in 2015 and already has partnerships with the Japan-based truck manufacturers Mitsubishi Fuso (which is owned by Daimler) and Isuzu.Plus And Traton Bring Level 4 Autonomy To Trucks In Europe And U.S.Turning to the Traton partnership, the partner companies achieved SAE Level 4 autonomy through the beta 5.0 update to Pluss AI-based driving software, SuperDrive. The companies have already begun to map hub-to-hub routes for a phased commercial deployment in Texas. Since Texas is a central area for U.S. national trucking routes and logistics, it makes sense as a place to begin Tratons commercial rollout. In discussing the capabilities of the software release, Plus CEO David Liu showed a time-lapse video of a Traton truck successfully navigating surface streets and highways to make a delivery. During this video the safety driver did not once take the wheel, which is particularly impressive considering that the route was a 170-mile drive from San Antonio to Laredo, Texas.The Traton and Plus teams in Sweden, Germany and the U.S. worked together to develop and deploy the SuperDrive software. In addition to the tests in Texas, the companies are actively testing and developing in Sweden; both of these trials are meant to pave the way for the companies anticipated 2027 commercial launch. (Torc and Aurora, two other well-established software providers in this space, have each announced that they are on similar timetables.) The Traton-Plus fleet pilot programs will continue through 2027 so Plus can continue to improve the perception features and overall quality of its software solution before launch.Pluss Perception-Based, AI-Accelerated SystemWhile the TIER IV and Traton announcements are significant milestones for Plus, the company also has other partnerships in place with Hyundai, Iveco and Transurban, which could see those makers adopting some of the same software for their trucks. According to Plus, it has the most OEM truck partners of any autonomous driving software provider in the space. Its approach to autonomous driving is tied to its AV 2.0 technology, which leverages AI models to reduce the amount of code and complexity of the software.The Plus AI solution is based on a perception model that leverages the stream of incoming sensor data to feed a model that assesses the current situation and predicts what other vehicles are most likely to do. These technologies are the foundation of much of what Plus offers, including the SuperDrive autonomous driving software. Plus also offers PlusDrive for ADAS, PlusProtect for safety and PlusVision for perception.Preparing For The FutureWhile Plus is still a couple of years away from full commercial availability for its L4 autonomy systems, there is a clear roadmap in sight. Plus and its partners also have well-developed processes in place for offline testing, closed-road testing and public-road testing to continue to improve the software until it is ready to be released in production.While theres still a lot of work to be done between now and then, the potential for Pluss software to enable new types of trucking logistics and increase the speed of commerce while also improving safety is huge. Meanwhile, its drumbeat of partnership announcements, besides potentially accelerating the pace of technology development, suggests that its approach to the technical and market challenges of autonomous freight driving is resonating with both top software vendors and major truck makers in its market.Moor Insights & Strategy provides or has provided paid services to technology companies, like all tech industry research and analyst firms. These services include research, analysis, advising, consulting, benchmarking, acquisition matchmaking and video and speaking sponsorships. Of the companies mentioned in this article, Moor Insights & Strategy currently has (or has had) a paid business relationship with Plus.Editorial StandardsForbes Accolades

If youre always the one cooking, cleaning and picking up after housemates who dont pull their ... [+] weight, its time to step back and hold them accountable.gettySharing a living space with friends or strangers has become increasingly common. While this arrangement can be cost-effective and socially rewarding, it often comes with its own set of challenges. One of the biggest caveats is the unequal division of household chores, which can leave one person doing most of the work while others contribute little to nothing.In the popular fairytale Cinderella, the titular character was burdened with endless chores while her stepsisters and stepmother relaxed, never lifting a finger. In many shared households, a similar dynamic plays out, with one roommate constantly cleaning up after everyone else.In The Psychology of Your 20s podcast, host Jemma Sbeg calls this person the Cinderella roommate the one who takes on the bulk of household labor while others assume itll just get done.She explains that these roommates are often people-pleasers who either suppress their frustration until it boils over or eventually give up on change, feeling forced to clean messes that no one else will. Meanwhile, their roommates might remain unaware, expecting the cycle to continue.This imbalance can turn what should be a comfortable home into a source of perpetual stress, leaving the Cinderella roommate feeling exhausted and unappreciated.The Four Types Of RoommatesIn The Science of Living, renowned psychiatrist Alfred Adler discusses his Styles of Life theory, which explains how people adopt different behavioral patterns based on their personalities and social environments.According to Adler, individuals develop certain tendencies in how they interact with the world, which can also be applied to how roommates navigate shared responsibilities.His theory outlines four main types:The ruling type. This type of roommate likely insists on setting all the house rules, decides on grocery lists and manages the leasebut sometimes becomes too controlling.The getting type. This is likely the roommate who always enjoys the fruits of others laborlike home-cooked mealsbut never helps with cooking or dishes, expecting others to take care of it.The avoiding type. These are the people who actively disengage from responsibilities, assuming others will pick up the slack. This often leads to resentment and a breakdown in cooperation.The socially useful type. This type of roommate is usually the one who actively maintains the household, ensuring everything runs smoothly. This aligns closely with the idea of the Cinderella roommate.These roles arent set in stone, but they do influence how household chores are dividedor ignored. In many shared houses, this dynamic leads to an uneven distribution of labor, where the Cinderella roommate bears the brunt of the work while others remain indifferent.Here are three ways this imbalance negatively affects the Cinderella roommate.1. An Unequal Division Of Chores Deeply Impacts Well-beingLiving in a shared home can be an adventure. Its a mix of personalities, schedules and habits, where everyone is supposed to pitch in and make the space feel like home.But all too often, one person ends up doing far more than their fair share of the work. The Cinderella roommate is the one always wiping down counters, taking out the trash and picking up after everyone else, while others either ignore the mess or assume itll magically disappear.For international students, migrants and those with limited housing options, this imbalance can feel even more suffocating. When youre already dealing with financial stress, an unfamiliar culture and sometimes even unsafe or overcrowded housing, coming home to an unfair workload can make things worse.A 2023 study on international students in Sydney and Melbourne, published in Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, found that many live in poor-quality housing that strains their well-being and academic success. In these situations, speaking up about unfair chores can feel riskyespecially if you worry about losing your place to live.Over time, constantly picking up after others can turn your home from a place of rest into a source of resentment. The Cinderella roommate may start to feel invisible, unappreciated and exhaustedemotionally and physically. A home should be a sanctuary, but for them, it often feels like just another burden to bear.2. Cinderellas Often Shoulder The Invisible LoadThe Cinderella roommate often ends up shouldering a disproportionate share of household responsibilities, which can have significant emotional and psychological consequences.Beyond physical chores, such roommates often carry an invisible loadthe mental and emotional burden of reminding, organizing and planning for the smooth functioning of the household. This burden frequently goes unnoticed, yet it can be just as exhausting as the physical tasks themselves.Research suggests that women tend to bear a disproportionate share of managerial, cognitive and emotional responsibilities within households. This makes it likely that Cinderellas are more often women than men, reflecting broader societal norms around gender and domestic labor.Some roommates consciously or unconsciously rely on others to do the work, assuming that their Cinderella doesnt mind or enjoys cleaning. This leads to resentment and burnout, as the Cinderella roommate continuously compensates for others laziness.In fact, the gendered nature of household labor reinforces a sense of learned helplessnessfor both the Cinderella roommate and those who dont pitch in. Over time, Cinderella may grow resigned, feeling that no matter how much they advocate for fairness, nothing will change.Meanwhile, the other roommates become passive in a different way, content with the status quo and assuming that someone else will always step up. This cycle of inaction keeps the imbalance firmly in place, making it even harder to break free from these ingrained dynamics.A 2020 study published in the Australian Journal of Psychology found that when people take on responsibilities naturallywithout feeling pressuredhousehold tasks are completed more smoothly. However, in many shared houses, this balance is missing, leading to resentment and burnout.The key to a truly functional household is clear communication, flexibility and shared responsibility, rather than expecting one person to manage everything while others passively benefit.3. A Struggle To Delegate Results In Complete BurnoutDividing chores isnt the sole responsibility of one roommate, but how you approach it can make all the difference.Many Cinderellas struggle with asking others to pitch in, not just because their roommates might be unwilling, but because they hold themselves and others to impossibly high standards. If they believe no one else will clean as thoroughly as they would, they end up doing everything themselves. Over time, this creates a pattern where everyone assumes theyll take care of it, reinforcing the imbalance.They may tell themselves, I just care more about cleanliness, but deep down, it starts to weigh on them. Instead of feeling like home, their space becomes a constant source of mental and physical depletion.Additionally, people-pleasing tendencies can make it even harder to ask for help. Some Cinderellas avoid confrontation to keep the peace, even if it means overburdening themselves.In some cases, this responseknown as the fawn responseis rooted in a deeper fear of conflict, often shaped by past experiences. Instead of asserting their needs, they keep taking on more work, hoping their efforts will be noticed and appreciated.Everyone has different standards of cleanliness, personal schedules and ways of managing their time. Its important to let roommates take responsibility for their own choicesassuming they cant or wont only creates unnecessary tension.Give them the space to clean on their own terms, but set appropriate boundaries and expectations about managing housework together. For instance, if someone leaves their dishes in the sink for a few hours because they got busy with work, thats reasonable. However, letting them pile up for days is not just messy, but also a potential magnet for pestsand that must be addressed.Remember, you dont have to wear the glass slipper forever. Stepping out of the role you or your roommates have carved for you doesnt mean waiting for someone else to fix things. Set boundaries, communicate how you feel and maybe even use a little humor to get the message across. Living in shared spaces works best when everyone pulls their weight and not when one person is stuck cleaning up after everyone else.How responsible and understanding are your roommates? Take this science-backed test to find out: Perceived Responsiveness Scale

NoPilot: Microsoft is notorious for routinely bringing Windows usability and reliability to a halt with every other patch cycle. The latest updates released in March included the accidental bonus side effect of removing Copilot from Windows systems, and Redmond has yet to explain why. On March 17, Microsoft released the KB5053598 update for Windows 11, bringing the OS build number to 26100.3476 and introducing the usual batch of changes and security updates. As Windows users have come to expect, each new Patch Tuesday can be both a security improvement and a potential disaster for OS stability.Security-wise, the KB5053598 update addresses 57 flaws, including seven zero-day vulnerabilities. However, the most surprising "feature" of this update is that it unintentionally uninstalls the Microsoft Copilot application on some devices. Copilot is removed from the system and unpinned from the taskbar, according to Microsoft. However, the issue does not appear to affect the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.While Microsoft is working on a fix, affected users are advised to download and reinstall Copilot from the official Microsoft Store. Manually pinning the app to the taskbar should restore the chatbot functionality.Microsoft Copilot's disappearance is just one of three outstanding issues acknowledged by Microsoft for the KB5053598 update. The other known problems include Roblox no longer working on Arm devices and installation failures on systems with certain Citrix components.Beyond Microsoft's officially listed issues, users are reporting additional problems with the update. In some cases, the update fails to install, generating various error codes, including 0x800f0993, 0x800F081F, 0x80070032, and 0xC004F211. // Related StoriesEven when the update installs successfully, users may encounter post-installation issues. These include Remote Desktop Protocol disconnections, kernel or critical error messages, Blue Screens of Death (BSODs), and more. In the worst cases, some users have found themselves unable to boot their systems after installing KB5053598.As with the Copilot issue, affected users can attempt to restore system stability by manually uninstalling the KB5053598 update.Microsoft appears increasingly disinterested in providing a reliable PC operating system, as its focus shifts toward selling AI services and cloud subscriptions (or showing ads). Perhaps that explains why powerful hacking tools remain freely available on GitHub, with no censorship or restriction in sight.Are you happy to see more AI integration in Windows?

Gimp is a cross-platform image editor available for GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows and more operating systems. It is free software, you can change its source code and distribute your changes.Whether you are a graphic designer, photographer, illustrator, or scientist, Gimp provides you with sophisticated tools to get your job done. You can further enhance your productivity with Gimp thanks to many customization options and 3rd party plugins.FeaturesCustomizable InterfaceEach task requires a different environment and GIMP allows you to customize the view and behavior the way you like it. Starting from the widget theme, allowing you to change colors, widget spacings and icon sizes to custom tool sets in the toolbox. The interface is modulized into so called docks, allowing you to stack them into tabs or keep them open in their own window. Pressing the tab key will toggle them hidden.Gimp features a great fullscreen mode allowing you to not only preview your artwork but also do editing work while using the most of your screen estate.Photo EnhancementNumerous digital photo imperfections can be easily compensated for using GIMP. Fix perspective distortion caused by lens tilt simply choosing the corrective mode in the transform tools. Eliminate lens' barrel distortion and vignetting with a powerful filter but a simple interface.Digital RetouchingGimp is ideal for advanced photo retouching techniques. Get rid of unneeded details using the clone tool, or touch up minor details easily with the new healing tool. With the perspective clone tool, it's not difficult to clone objects with perspective in mind just as easily as with the orthogonal clone.Hardware SupportGimp includes a very unique support for various input devices out of the box. Pressure and tilt sensitive tablets, but also a wide range of USB or MIDI controllers. You can bind often-used actions to device events such as rotating a USB wheel or moving a MIDI controller's slider. Change the size, angle or opacity of a brush while you paint, bind your favorite scripts to buttons. Speed up your workflow.File FormatsThe file format support ranges from the common likes of JPEG (JFIF), GIF, PNG, TIFF to special use formats such as the multi-resolution and multi-color-depth Windows icon files. The architecture allows to extend Gimp's format capabilities with a plug-in. You can find some rare format support in the GIMP plugin registry.Thanks to the transparent virtual file system, it is possible to load and save files to from remote locations using protocols such as FTP, HTTP or even SMB (MS Windows shares) and SFTP/SSH.To save disk space, any format can be saved with an archive extension such as ZIP, GZ or BZ2 and GIMP will transparently compress the file without you needing to do any extra steps.What's NewAfter seven years of active development, we are proud to announce the next major release of GIMP GIMP 3.0! While the original focus was on updating to a newer GUI library, this release is packed with many new features, enhancements, and usability improvements. While we can't cover every single change from 2.10, we want to highlight some of the biggest ones as you start exploring this release.Updated GTK3 user interfaceOne of the main goals of this release was to upgrade our GUI library to GTK3. This was an intensive effort that involved changing every aspect of the code for our user interface. The benefits of this work include:Much better UI scaling on HiDPI screens, a common concern for users of GIMP 2.10.Much better support for tablet input.The theme system now uses CSS, which we hope will allow for users to more easily develop their own custom themes.GIMP 3.0 now runs natively on Wayland (though you can still run it on X11 as well)!A lot of important bugfixes which could not be backported to the GTK2 library we were using.Non-destructive layer effectsAnother big change introduced in GIMP 3.0 is non-destructive (NDE) filters. In GIMP 2.10, filters were automatically merged onto the layer, which prevented you from making further edits without repeatedly undoing your changes. Now by default, filters stay active once committed. This means you can re-edit most GEGL filters in the menu on the layer dockable without having to revert your work. You can also toggle them on or off, selectively delete them, or even merge them all down destructively. If you prefer the original GIMP 2.10 workflow, you can select the "Merge Filters" option when applying a filter instead.Curves Non-destructive filter being applied to a portrait of Sofiia being edited in GIMP. Photo by Sofia (CC by-sa 4.0 International)NDE filters can also be saved to XCF and reloaded for further editing. This means that if someone sends you an XCF project with NDE filters, you can make further adjustments on the image and text effects. You can also save and load XCF using third-party filters, although they will be discarded if you don't have those filters installed.GEGL filters can now also be found directly with the / search keyboard shortcut. This applies to third-party filters as well, which makes it easier to locate the right effect for your project.Searching for filters with Search ActionsFinally GEGL operations (the infrastructure underlying filters in GIMP) are now even better integrated with GIMP thanks to new metadata allowing a filter to register into menus without wrapping code in GIMP. This is particularly useful for third-party developers wishing to write filters.Some people might be pleased to know that a spiritual successor of the legacy Logos feature has appeared in recent versions of GEGL under the name "GEGL Styles":Styling text with GEGL Styles filterColor space managementThanks to better integration with the babl and GEGL libraries, GIMP now has more extensive support for RGB color spaces beyond sRGB. For example, if you load an image with an AdobeRGB color profile, that information will be retained in all aspects of GIMP allowing you to make whatever edits you need without losing color space information. This update also lays the groundwork for future CMYK and LAB image color modes.This improved support of anyRGB spaces now spans across various dialogs, such as the Colors dockable window, the Foreground and Background selection dialog, the Color Picker info window, and more, better showing which space a color is shown in.Color simulation and soft-proofing has also been improved in a variety of ways. Internally, we have ported more of it to use our babl color library, keeping the color processing consistent throughout GIMP. We have also consolidated soft-proofing options in a pop-over menu at the bottom-right corner of the status bar. If a CMYK profile is already attached to the image, you can click the icon to toggle soft-proofing on or off. You can also right-click the icon to quickly change the color profile, rendering intent, black point compensation, and other relevant options.Welcome DialogueGIMP 3.0 now displays an optional Welcome Dialogue on start. This feature provides quick access to create or load new images to begin editing via the Create section.The Personalize section makes it easy to quickly change several preference settings such as:Symbolic, Color, or Legacy icon stylesLight, Gray, and Dark variants of the UI themeUsing Tool Groups to condense icons in the toolboxMerging the menu toolbarsUsability ImprovementsThis release contains a lot of much requested updates to the GIMP user experience. A few of the most noticeable ones include:Layers, Channels, and PathsIt is now possible to have multiple selected layers, channels, and paths! Previously users needed to manually click link icons in order to affect multiple layers. Now you can use standard shortcuts to select multiple items at once.Layer locks have been moved from the dockable header to a pop-over menu that you can access next to each layer's visibility icon. This allows you to more easily see the lock status of each item, especially now that you can have multiple layers, channels, or paths selected at once.You can now organize layers with the new layer set feature. You can also search for layers by name, making it easier to find layers within a large project.The New Image and New Layer dialogs have a new "Middle Gray (CIELAB)" fill option.Off-Canvas EditingPaint tools can now automatically expand the width and height of a layer as you draw! You can select "Expand Layers" in the tool options to enable drawing past the current boundaries of layers.More features such as guides and auto-expanding layers can be used to work in the off-canvas space!User InterfaceGIMP's interface further incorporates Right-to-Left language layouts in various widgets and dialogues.We now better respect reduce motion and animation OS settings across the interface. Several animations and "easter eggs" no longer display based on your system settings. We implemented these fixes after feedback from users that these animations could cause motion sickness and other issues for certain people.Many Legacy icons have been converted to SVG, allowing for cleaner scaling when the icon theme size is increased. New icons have also been created to better distinguish certain actions, like the multiple zoom options on the Navigation dockable.The title bar on Windows now adapts to dark mode if you use a dark variant theme. You can also choose to merge the title bar with the menu to reduce the space it takes up on the screen.Number range sliders have been updated to be larger and easier to grab. Due to GTK3, they also now use + and - icons rather than the more ambigious ^ and v icons.A long-standing bug on macOS caused the UI text to become garbled for some users. This has been fixed thanks to an update to the Pango library bundled with GIMP 3.0!Workflow and Short-CutsCopying and pasting now creates a new layer by default rather than a "floating selection", which many users found confusing. Floating layers can still be created with the "Paste as Floating Data" option for those who prefer that workflow.The search menu results now show the menu location for each action. If you've ever wondered where a particular filter or feature was located before, now you can quickly discover them! We've also added a help button to the action search, making it easier to learn more about how to use each feature.Brush dynamics can now be turned off via the "Enable Dynamics" checkbox in tool options, rather than having to search for the "Dynamics Off" option in the list.You can now customize the actions performed with right or middle clicks (or any other buttons, except the primary button which is reserved for tools) in Edit > Preferences > Canvas Interaction > Modifiers. For instance, you want to change your brush size with a right click rather than displaying the menu? You can do it! You want to disable Canvas Rotation because you don't use this feature? It's possible too! You want to activate your favorite filter on Alt + middle click? No problem!On Wayland, you can also map tablet buttons to different actions as well. This update gives more options for tablet users to customize their workflow and easily apply important actions without switching input devices.2 New Snapping options appeared in the View menu:"Snap to Bounding Boxes": allows on-canvas snapping to either layer borders or center."Snap to Equidistance": allows to snap a layer to be at the same distance from a second one that this second one is to a third one, either horizontally or vertically.Improved file format supportGIMP 3.0 brings support for many new file formats. Icon creators can now import and export macOS ICNS icons and Windows CUR and ANI cursors. Amiga enthusiasts can now load images from a number of ILBM/IFF formats. Newer formats like QOI and JPEG XL are also now supported, and import support for older formats like DCX, PAM, and WBMP allow for accessing archived images.Read the complete release notes.Note: The GIMP for macOS currently available package provides GIMP 2.10.38 and has not yet updated to the latest version, GIMP 3.0.0. We're working on that, please check back later.

Folding phones are on their way back, which you already know if you follow the scene closely. However, even those loosely adjacent to phones might start picking up foldables again if the rumored Apple foldable iPad and iPhone hit the shelves eventually. The problem, though, is that they wont be here for another year or two.Theres a silver lining, though, and that is that you can get our second favorite folding phone at a discounted price today. Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6s at the 512GB level are down to $1,720 from the usual $2,020. And thats before you apply the up to $1,000 in trade-in credit you can get if you trade in your current phone. All together, this is a great way to get a folding phone now and have at least a couple of years of fun with it before Apples phones arrive. Tap the button below to check out the phone and deal, then keep reading to see our experiences with the phone, why it ranks number two on our list, and if this deal can take it to the top spot.Theres a lot to cover, so lets jump straight into our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review. One of the biggest points the review makes about this phone is how a ton of subtle changes add up to make big differences that you cant necessarily see on a stat sheet alone. Sure, it has a 120Hz screen, thats nothing other phones dont have, but it also has a well-engineered weight balance that makes it comfortable to hold unfolded in one hand. In other words, this phone exceeds at the subtle changes. Another thing the review points out is the IP48 dust and water resistance of the phone. This might seem unimportant when you compare it to non-folders, as even my Pixel 8 Pro has a nearly impervious IP68 rating, but when you compare it to the Pixel Folds IPX8 you can start to see that dust resistance does come at a premium with folding phones.RelatedNext, know that this is our runner-up phone in our list of the best folding phones. Its only losing to Googles Pixel 9 Pro Fold. But losing is used loosely here. When we compare the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 6 directly, however, theres a different story told. Both phones are considered a great purchase by staff that have experience with both and our recommendation is to go for whichever feels the best in your hand. With just a few hundred dollar off, the balance easily tilts in the Samsung Z Fold 6s favor.With this in mind, now is the time to get the Samsung Z Fold 6. Its base price at Samsung is $1,720, which is $300 less than the usual $2,020, and you can save up to $1,000 more with an applicable trade-in. All you need to do is tap the button below to start making this phone yours.Editors Recommendations

Colin Farrell might add another DC character to his resume.Per Deadline, Farrell is circling the titular role in Luca Guadagninos Sgt. Rock, a superhero action movie based on the DC Comics character. Queerwriter Justin Kuritzkes will pen theSgt. Rock screenplay.Recommended VideosFarrells interest comes after Daniel Craig exited the project in February. DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran said they never met with Daniel for Sgt. Rockand they never announced the project.Please enable Javascript to view this contentIf Farrell signs on, filming is expected to begin later this year. Farrell will play Sgt. Franklin John Rock, a World War II hero and leader of the U.S. Armys Easy Company. Rock is a highly skilled soldier and marksman who helped the U.S. take down Nazi Germany. The character debuted in the 1959 DC Comics issue Our Army at WarNo. 83.Farrell currently plays Oz Cobb/the Penguin in the Batman Epic Crime Saga. Farrells Oz first appeared in 2022s The Batmanbefore heading his own HBO spinoff series, The Penguin. In his review for Digital Trends, Alex Welch wrote, HBOs The Penguin is the rare franchise spinoff that manages to stand on its own, thanks in no small part to Cristin Milioti and Colin Farrells volatile lead performances.HBO / HBOFarrell has received universal acclaim for his performance in the show, winning a Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, Saturn Award, and SAG Award.BecauseThe Penguinis part of DC Elseworlds and Sgt. Rock will be in the DC Universe, Farrell could play both characters because they will never interact with one another.Farrell is expected to reprise his role as the Penguin in The Batman Part II, scheduled to release in theaters on October 1, 2027.Editors Recommendations

A new deal could come together soon, after talks fizzled last summer

The company is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a national tour featuring 1998s Diabelli, set to Beethoven, and a new work from the 83-year-old choreographer to music by Philip Glass.

Science under attack Federal funding for mRNA vaccine research in jeopardy under RFK Jr. "Kennedys war on vaccines has started," one researcher said. Beth Mole Mar 17, 2025 6:42 pm | 0 U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends U.S. President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty | Win McNamee U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends U.S. President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty | Win McNamee Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreFederal support for mRNA vaccine research appears in jeopardy after KFF Health News reported Sunday that officials at the National Institutes of Health have directed scientists to remove all references to the lifesaving technology from their grant applications. All such research is now under direct scrutiny from health secretary and long-time anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.A senior official at the NIH's National Cancer Institute confirmed to KFF that NIH acting Director Matthew Memoli "sent an email across the NIH instructing that any grants, contracts, or collaborations involving mRNA vaccines be reported up the chain to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s office and the White House."Further, two independent scientists told the outlet that they were informed by NIH officials that any mention of mRNA vaccines needed to be removed from their grant applications. One, a biomedical researcher in Philadelphia, said that the NIH had "flagged our pending grant as having an mRNA vaccine component." The other, a researcher in New York who works on vaccines but not mRNA vaccines, was told that background mentions of mRNA vaccine efficacy in their previous grant applications needed to be removed from future applications.While it remains unclear if mRNA vaccine research funding will be canceled or limited, researchers fear the worst. Last week, news broke that the NIH was canceling or limiting grant funding for research related to vaccine hesitancywhich has increased significantly in recent years, leading to declining vaccination rates and the loss of herd immunity in many communities.Language for grant termination notices stated: "It is the policy of NIH not to prioritize research activities that focuses gaining scientific knowledge on why individuals are hesitant to be vaccinated and/or explore ways to improve vaccine interest and commitment," according to reporting from The Washington Post.Those terminations were preceded by an email from Memoli similar to the one he sent regarding mRNA vaccines, KFF reported. "It is reasonable to assume mRNA vaccine work is next," the NCI official told the outlet.Ars Technica has reached out to the NIH and HHS for comment and will update this story with any new information provided. The agencies did not respond to comment requests from KFF.Kennedys misinformationBefore becoming the top health official in America, Kennedy had long railed against vaccines, becoming one of the world's most prominent anti-vaccine advocates and most prolific spreaders of misinformation and disinformation about vaccines. A 2019 study found Kennedy was the single leading source of anti-vaccine ads on Facebook. Kennedy subsequently faced bans from YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram for spreading misinformation.Researchers directly blame Kennedy and the Trump administration for the attack on vaccine research."Kennedys war on vaccines has started," the mRNA vaccine researcher in Philadelphia told KFF."There will not be any research funded by NIH on mRNA vaccines," the scientist in New York similar told the outlet. "MAGA people are convinced that these vaccines have killed and maimed tens of thousands of people. Its not true, but they believe that."Kennedy has made various statements against vaccines generally, as well as mRNA vaccines specifically. He falsely claimed the vaccine causes severe harms, including causing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's. In 2021, during the height of the pandemic, Kennedy petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to revoke the authorization of COVID-19 vaccines and refrain from approving any future COVID-19 vaccines. A study in 2022, meanwhile, estimated that the vaccines had saved more than 3 million lives and prevented more than 18 million hospitalizations.The NIH's recent moves aren't the first sign that Kennedy will use his powerful position to attack mRNA vaccines. Late last month, Bloomberg reported that HHS was considering canceling a $590 million grant to vaccine maker Moderna to develop mRNA vaccines against potential pandemic influenza viruses. That includes the H5N1 virus that is currently devastating US poultry and spreading wildly in dairy cows.An HHS spokesperson told media at the time that "While it is crucial that the US Department and Health and Human Services support pandemic preparedness, four years of the Biden administrations failed oversight have made it necessary to review agreements for vaccine production."It remains unclear what is happening with that grant review. Moderna declined to comment when Ars reached out for any potential updates Monday.Beth MoleSenior Health ReporterBeth MoleSenior Health Reporter Beth is Ars Technicas Senior Health Reporter. Beth has a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and attended the Science Communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She specializes in covering infectious diseases, public health, and microbes. 0 Comments

I've got one word for you Researchers engineer bacteria to produce plastics A bacterial energy storage system is modified to make polymers. John Timmer Mar 17, 2025 6:27 pm | 3 Medical technologist holds Bacteria culture growth on chromogenic media plate in Microbiology Laboratory, Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria culture growth on a petri dish. Credit: Md Ariful Islam Medical technologist holds Bacteria culture growth on chromogenic media plate in Microbiology Laboratory, Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria culture growth on a petri dish. Credit: Md Ariful Islam Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn morePlastics are great, except when it comes to making or disposing of them. Production generally requires the use of chemicals derived from fossil fuels, and so helps to continue our reliance on them. And the final products are generally not biodegradable, so they tend to stick around despite breaking down into ever smaller fragments.Biology might ultimately provide a solution, however. Researchers have identified bacteria that evolved the ability to digest some plastics. And improvements in our ability to design proteins have allowed us to make new enzymes that can chew up plastics.This week brings some progress on the other side of the equation, with a team of Korean researchers describing how they've engineered a bacterial strain that can make a useful polymer starting with nothing but glucose as fuel. The system they developed is based on an enzyme that the bacteria use when they're facing unusual nutritional conditions, and it can be tweaked to make a wide range of polymers.Handling a carbon surplusThe researchers focused on the system bacterial cells use for producing polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). These chemicals are formed when the bacterial cells continue to have a good supply of carbon sources and energy, but they lack some other key nutrients needed to grow and divide. Under these circumstances, the cell will link together small molecules that contain a handful of carbons, forming a much larger polymer. When nutritional conditions improve, the cell can simply break down the polymer and use the individual molecules it contained.The striking thing about this system is that it's not especially picky about the identity of the molecules it links into the polymer. So far, over 150 different small molecules have been found incorporated into PHAs. It appears that the enzyme that makes the polymer, PHA synthase, only cares about two things: whether the molecule can form an ester bond (PHAs are polyesters), and whether it can be linked to a molecule that's commonly used as an intermediate in the cell's biochemistry, coenzume A. One of the enzymes used in this system takes an amino acid (left) and links it to Coenzyme A. The second takes these items and links them into a polymer. Credit: Chae et. al. Normally, PHA synthase forms links between molecules that run through an oxygen atom. But it's also possible to form a related chemical link that instead runs through a nitrogen atom, like those found on amino acids. There were no known enzymes, however, that catalyze these reactions. So, the researchers decided to test whether any existing enzymes could be induced to do something they don't normally do.The researchers started with an enzyme from Clostridium that links chemicals to Coenzyme A that has a reputation for not being picky about the chemicals it interacts with. This worked reasonably well at linking amino acids to Coenzyme A. For linking the amino acids together, they used an enzyme from Pseudomonas that had four different mutations that expanded the range of molecules it would use as reaction materials. Used in a test tube, the system worked: Amino acids were linked together in a polymer.The question was whether it would work in cells. Unfortunately, one of the two enzymes turns out to be mildly toxic to E. coli, slowing its growth. So, the researchers evolved a strain of E. coli that could tolerate the protein. With both of these two proteins, the cells produced small amounts of an amino acid polymer. If they added an excess of an amino acid to the media the cells were growing in, the polymer would be biased toward incorporating that amino acid.Boosting polymer productionHowever, the yield of the polymer by weight of bacteria was fairly low. "It was reasoned that these [amino acids] might be more efficiently incorporated into the polymer if generated within the cells from a suitable carbon source," the researchers write. So, the researchers put in extra copies of the genes needed to produce one specific amino acid (lysine). That worked, producing more polymer, with a higher percentage of the polymer being lysine.Most of the polymers incorporated a fair amount of lactic acid, which can also form ester bonds. There's normally lots of lactic acid in the cell since it's one of the potential products of glucose metabolism. But the researchers knocked out the gene that encodes the primary enzyme that produces with lactic acid, dramatically cutting down the amount incorporated into the polymer.The researchers also tried a variety of conditions, showing that they could create polymers that were a mixture of two different amino acid monomers, and incorporating non-amino acids into the mixture. By adding a few additional enzymes to the E. coli strain, they managed to boost the yield of the polymer by weight to over 50 percent. They also showed that you could introduce mutations to the enzyme that does the polymerization, and it would selectively incorporate more of a specific amino acid into the resulting polymer.Overall, the system they develop is remarkably flexible, able to incorporate a huge range of chemicals into a polymer. This should allow them to tune the resulting plastic across a wide range of properties. And, considering the bonds were formed via enzyme, the resulting polymer will almost certainly be biodegradable.There are, however, some negatives. The process doesn't allow complete control over what gets incorporated into the polymer. You can bias it toward a specific mix of amino acids or other chemicals, but you can't entirely stop the enzyme from incorporating random chemicals from the cell's metabolism into the polymer at some level. There's also the issue of purifying the polymer from all the rest of the cell components before incorporating it into manufacturing. Production is also relatively slow compared to large-scale industrial production.So, it's not quite ready to take over global plastic production. But the work does do a great job of highlighting the potential of bio-based manufacturing.Nature Chemical Biology, 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41589-025-01842-2 (About DOIs).John TimmerSenior Science EditorJohn TimmerSenior Science Editor John is Ars Technica's science editor. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. When physically separated from his keyboard, he tends to seek out a bicycle, or a scenic location for communing with his hiking boots. 3 Comments