What's that? A lot of people are mistaking Elon Musks Starlink satellites for UAPs "We were able to assess that they were all in those cases looking at Starlink flares." Stephen Clark Nov 15, 2024 3:24 pm | 35 Starlink satellites' passage is seen in the sky in southern Poland on November 1, 2024. Credit: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto Starlink satellites' passage is seen in the sky in southern Poland on November 1, 2024. Credit: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreSpaceX's Starlink Internet satellites are responsible for more and more public reports of unexplained anomalous phenomena (UAPs), but most recent cases remain unsolved, according to a US government report released Thursday.Starlinks often move across the sky in "trains" that appear like gleaming gems in the blackness of space. They are particularly visible to the naked eye shortly after each Starlink launch.In recent years, leaks and disclosures from government officials have revitalized open discussion about mysterious lights and objects, some of which move in, to put it bluntly, unquestionably weird ways. Some of these images, particularly those from sophisticated instruments on military fighter jets, have made their way into the national discourse. The New Yorker, Ars' sister publication, has a thorough report on how UAPsyou might know them better as UFOsbecame mainstream.All of this attention has renewed questions about whether these sightings are evidence of extraterrestrial life or a national security threat from a foreign power. The Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), created in 2022 to collect and study information related to UAPs, says it has "discovered no evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity, or technology."NASA commissioned an advisory board to study the topic. Last year, a senior official said the agency has found "no convincing evidence" any of the UAPs have an extraterrestrial origin.Lawmakers from both parties have convened hearings and passed legislation to nudge the Pentagon to become more open about UAPs. On Wednesday, a House committee questioned a panel of former government officials on the matter. The former officials all urged the government to continue studying UAPsand warned against excessive government secrecy.One of the requirements levied by Congress in 2021 called for an annual report from the Department of Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on UAP sightings submitted by the public. AARO released this year's report Thursday.AARO said it received 757 UAP reports over a 13-month reporting period from mid-2023 through mid-2024. More than half of these reports remain unexplained, AARO said.Thats just ElonBut many UAP cases have verifiable explanations as airplanes, drones, or satellites, and lawmakers argue AARO might be able to solve more of the cases with more funding.Airspace is busier than ever with air travel and consumer drones. More satellites are zooming around the planet as government agencies and companies like SpaceX deploy their constellations for Internet connectivity and surveillance. There's more stuff up there to see."AARO increasingly receives cases that it is able to resolve to the Starlink satellite constellation," the office said in this year's annual report."For example, a commercial pilot reported white flashing lights in the night sky," AARO said. "The pilot did not report an altitude or speed, and no data or imagery was recorded. AARO assessed that this sighting of flashing lights correlated with a Starlink satellite launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the same evening about one hour prior to the sighting."Jon Kosloski, director of AARO, said officials compared the parameters of these sightings with Starlink launches. When SpaceX releases Starlink satellites in orbit, the spacecraft are initially clustered together and reflect more sunlight down to Earth. This makes the satellites easier to see during twilight hours before they raise their orbits and become dimmer."We found some of those correlations in time, the direction that they were looking, and the location," Kosloski said. "And we were able to assess that they were all in those cases looking at Starlink flares."SpaceX has more than 6,600 Starlink satellites in low-Earth orbit, more than half of all active spacecraft. Thousands more satellites for Amazon's Kuiper broadband constellation and Chinese Internet network are slated to launch in the next few years."AARO is investigating if other unresolved cases may be attributed to the expansion of the Starlink and other mega-constellations in low-Earth orbit," the report said.The Starlink network is still relatively new. SpaceX launched the first Starlinks five years ago. Kosloski said he expects the number of erroneous UAP reports caused by satellites to go down as pilots and others understand what the Starlinks look like."It looks interesting and potentially anomalous. But we can model that, and we can show pilots what that anomaly looks like, so that that doesn't get reported to us necessarily," Kosloski said.Stephen ClarkSpace ReporterStephen ClarkSpace Reporter Stephen Clark is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the worlds space agencies. Stephen writes about the nexus of technology, science, policy, and business on and off the planet. 35 Comments Prev story

Anything but launch As ABL Space departs launch, the 1-ton rocket wars have a clear winner "Our path to making a big contribution as a commercial launch company narrowed considerably." Eric Berger Nov 15, 2024 10:39 am | 15 Hot fire test of integrated second stage for ABL Space System's RS1 rocket in the fall of 2020. Credit: ABL Space Systems Hot fire test of integrated second stage for ABL Space System's RS1 rocket in the fall of 2020. Credit: ABL Space Systems Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreA 7-year-old launch company that has yet to have a rocket successfully lift off announced a radical pivot on Thursday. Its new plan? Focusing on missile defense.The founder and president of ABL Space Systems, Dan Piemont, announced the decision on LinkedIn, adding, "We're consolidating our operational footprint and parting ways with some talented members of our team." He said companies interested in hiring great people in Los Angeles or Mojave, California, should reach out.A bright beginningWith a background in economics and physics, Piemont founded ABL in 2017 with the aim of developing a ship-and-shoot rocket. The idea was to set up mobile ground systems in remote locations on short notice and launch on demand for the US military and other customers.Piemont proved successful at raising money, bringing hundreds of millions of dollars into the company, including from Lockheed Martin. At one point the private company was valued at $2.4 billion, and in 2021 Lockheed purchased a block buy of up to 58 launches of the RS1 vehicle. This rocket was intended to carry up to 1.35 metric tons to low-Earth orbit.ABL made its first RS1 launch attempt in December 2023 from Kodiak, Alaska, but a catastrophic fire shortly after liftoff quickly doomed the rocket. A second attempt was precluded in July of this year after an explosion during a static-fire test in Alaska. The company laid off some of its staff in August to control costs."From a personal perspective, if youve never been a part of something like that, it can be difficult to understand the magnitude," Piemont said of these two launch campaigns. "Physically taxing operations happen at all hours across many sites. Seemingly insurmountable problems arise every week, and are overcome. The accomplishments of the RS1 programfrom the individual level to the company levelhave been unbelievable."Shifting launch marketAs the company was failing in its efforts to reach orbit, the launch market was also changing, Piemont said. Although not directly mentioning SpaceX and its Falcon 9 rocket, Piemont said ABL's ability to impact the launch industry has diminished over the last seven years."Take a look around," Piemont wrote. "US rockets fly every couple of days, with perfect success. Its revolutionary. While there is still a need for more providers in certain market segments, those opportunities are decreasing. To succeed in such a demanding effort as scaling up an orbital launch program, you need deep motivation around your mission and potential impact, from many stakeholders. As the launch market matured, those motivations thinned and our path to making a big contribution as a commercial launch company narrowed considerably."Over the last half decade or so, three US companies have credibly vied to develop rockets in the 1-ton class in terms of lift capacity. ABL has been competing alongside Relativity Space and Firefly to bring its rockets to market. ABL never took off. In March 2023, Relativity reached space with the Terran 1 rocket, but, due to second-stage issues, failed to reach orbit. Within weeks, Relativity announced it was shifting its focus to a medium-lift rocket, Terran R. Since then, the California-based launch company has moved along, but there are persistent rumors that it faces a cash crunch.Of the three, only Firefly has enjoyed success. The company's Alpha rocket has reached orbit on multiple occasions, and just this week Firefly announced that it completed a $175 million Series D fundraising round, resulting in a valuation of more than $2 billion. The 1-ton rocket wars are over: Firefly has won.Focusing on defenseJust as Relativity pivoted away from this class of rocket, ABL will now also shift its focusthis time in an even more radical direction.US Defense spending on missile production and defense has skyrocketed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and ABL will now seek to tap into this potentially lucrative market."We have made the decision to focus our efforts on national defense, and specifically on missile defense technologies," Piemont said. "Well have more to share soon on our roadmap and traction in this area. For now, suffice to say we see considerable opportunity to leverage RS1, GS0, the E2 engine, and the rest of the technology weve developed to date to enable a new type of research effort around missile defense technologies."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. 15 Comments Prev story

With uncertainty about how a new Trump Administration will handle the $52.7 billion program, the outgoing administration is under pressure to make good on one of its signature legislative wins.

John Edwards, Technology Journalist & AuthorNovember 15, 20245 Min ReadSasin Paraksa via Alamy Stock PhotoIn their never-ending quest to improve efficiency and productivity, a rapidly growing number of enterprises are currently building, or planning to build, augmented-connected workforces. An augmented-connected workforce allows humans and machines to work together in close partnership. The goal is people and devices functioning more productively and efficiently than when working in isolation.An augmented-connected workforce can be defined as a tech-enabled workforce of humans that have access to next-generation technologies, such as AI, IoT, and smart devices, to do their day-to-day jobs, says Tim Gaus, a principal and smart manufacturing business leader with Deloitte Consulting, in an online interview. "These technologies add a level of intelligence and efficiency for employees by providing skills that humans dont possess while allowing workers to focus on higher level, strategic work." In general, augmented-connected workforces allow for a more dynamic, connected work environment that prepares human team members to work seamlessly with high technology devices.Building the CaseToday's workforce is moving rapidly toward an integrated, interconnected ecosystem of workers and technology. "By evolving our mindset on what a workforce is, it becomes clear that an augmented-connected workforce provides the most potential," Gaus says.Related:An augmented-connected workforce's benefits vary significantly depending on the type of augmentation being applied, says Melissa Korzun, vice president of customer experience operations at technology services firm Kantata. On the whole, however, it can reduce errors, decrease costs, improve quality, and even contribute to safer working conditions in manufacturing sectors, she notes in an email interview.Other potential benefits include faster training and upskilling, improved safety, enhanced efficiency, and better cost management. "In manufacturing, for example, as businesses look to expand production capabilities, using innovative tools designed for workers can help streamline processes, leading to faster time-to-market," Gaus explains.Korzun notes that in the business sector an augmented-connected workforce promises to build significant administrative efficiency. It can, for example, reduce the time needed to process large volumes of information while creating the ability to summarize unstructured data sets. Companies that take advantage of these new assistive capabilities will benefit from improved productivity, increased quality, and less burnout in their workforce, she says.Related:As organizations continue to scale their augmented-connected workforces, additional benefits are likely to emerge. "Life sciences, for example, has seen a huge benefit in leveraging computers to expedite data analysis and then pairing humans to use these discoveries to create new therapies for diseases," Gaus says. He expects that many other discoveries will emerge across industries over time, leading to innovations as well as new opportunities to engage customers.Virtual AssistanceAn augmented workforce can work faster and more efficiently thanks to seamless access to real-time diagnostics and analytics, as well as live remote assistance, observes Peter Zornio, CTO at Emerson, an automation technology vendor serving critical industries. "An augmented-connected workforce institutionalizes best practices across the enterprise and sustains the value it delivers to operational and business performance regardless of workforce size or travel restrictions," he says in an email interview.An augmented-connected workforce can also help fill some of the gaps many manufacturers currently face, Gaus says. "There are many jobs unfilled because workers aren't attracted to manufacturing, or lack the technological skills needed to fill them," he explains.Related:Building a PlanTo keep pace with competitors, businesses should develop a comprehensive strategy for utilizing new technologies, including establishing a cross-functional team that's dedicated to identifying critical areas where technology augmentation can help solve core business challenges, Korzun says. "There are lots of shiny objects out there to chase right now -- focus on applying new tech capabilities to your most critical business issues." To assist with planning, she advises IT leaders to talk with their vendors about their current augmented-connected workforce technologies and their roadmaps for the future.For enterprises that have already invested in advanced digital technologies, the path leading to an augmented-connected workforce is already underway. The next step is ensuring a holistic approach when looking at tangible ways to achieve such a workforce. "Look at the tools your organization is already using -- AI, AR, VR, and so on -- and think about how you can scale them or connect them with your human talent," Gaus says. Yet advanced technologies alone aren't enough to guarantee long-term success. "Innovative tools are the starting point, but finding ways to make human operations more efficient will lead to true impact."Final ThoughtsWhile many enterprises have already begun integrating emerging technologies into routine tasks, innovation alone without considering the role humans will play within the new model can lead to slower progress in an augmented-connected model, Gaus warns. "Humans are much more likely to engage with and utilize technology they understand and trust." The other piece of the puzzle is ensuring that workers are appropriately skilled in the new technologies entering the business.Businesses must continue to embrace technology and digital transformation in order to build the most dynamic workforce possible, Gaus states. "Doing so will maximize their technology investment and create a more connected, reliable workforce."About the AuthorJohn EdwardsTechnology Journalist & AuthorJohn Edwards is a veteran business technology journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and numerous business and technology publications, including Computerworld, CFO Magazine, IBM Data Management Magazine, RFID Journal, and Electronic Design. He has also written columns for The Economist's Business Intelligence Unit and PricewaterhouseCoopers' Communications Direct. John has authored several books on business technology topics. His work began appearing online as early as 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he wrote daily news and feature articles for both the CompuServe and Prodigy online services. His "Behind the Screens" commentaries made him the world's first known professional blogger.See more from John EdwardsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports

Planned legislation could see Australian teenagers banned from all of these appsShutterstock/ViktollioA plan to ban all Australian children under 16 from social media is unworkable, unenforceable and ultimately wont help the people it aims to protect, experts have told New Scientist.While social media platforms are banned outright in some authoritarian regimes, no democratic country has gone as far as the proposal from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in completely restricting them for under-16s.

Do you speak AI?Shutterstock/Ole.CNXMicrosoft has created an artificial language that allows AI models to talk to each other faster and more efficiently than in English, with the hope that groups of models will be able to team up without having to resort to clumsy and sprawling human words.Many researchers believe that using several artificial intelligence models, each with different specialisms and abilities, to solve problems collectively holds promise for tackling thorny problems that individual ones cant solve. Although large language models like ChatGPT have been shown to be capable of communicating at high speed, even reaching consensus

This article first appeared in The Checkup,MIT Technology Reviewsweekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first,sign up here. Every journalist has favorite topics. Regular Checkup readers might already know some of mine, which include the quest to delay or reverse human aging, and new technologies for reproductive health and fertility. So when I saw trailers for The Substance, a film centered on one middle-aged womans attempt to reexperience youth, I had to watch it. I wont spoil the movie for anyone who hasnt seen it yet (although I should warn that it is not for the squeamish, or anyone with an aversion to gratuitous close-ups of bums and nipples). But a key premise of the film involves harmful attitudes toward female aging. Hey, did you know that a womans fertility starts to decrease by the age of 25? a powerful male character asks early in the film. At 50, it just stops, he later adds. He never explains what stops, exactly, but to the viewer the message is pretty clear: If youre a woman, your worth is tied to your fertility. Once your fertile window is over, so are you. The insidious idea that womens bodies are, above all else, vessels for growing children has plenty of negative consequences for us all. But it has also set back scientific research and health policy. Earlier this week, I chatted about this with Alana Cattapan, a political scientist at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. Cattapan has been exploring the concept of women of reproductive agea descriptor that is ubiquitous in health research and policy. The idea for the research project came to her when the Zika virus was making headlines around eight years ago. I was planning on going to the Caribbean for a trip related to my partners research, and I kept getting advice that women of reproductive age shouldnt go, she told me. At the time, Zika was being linked to microcephalyunusually small headsin newborn babies. It was thought that the virus was affecting key stages of fetal development. Cattapan wasnt pregnant. And she wasnt planning on becoming pregnant at the time. So why was she being advised to stay away from areas with the virus? The experience got her thinking about the ways in which attitudes toward our bodies are governed by the idea of potential pregnancy. Take, for example, biomedical research on the causes and treatment of disease. Womens health has lagged behind mens as a focus of such work, for multiple reasons. Male bodies have long been considered the default human form, for example. And clinical trials have historically been designed in ways that make them less accessible for women. Fears about the potential effects of drugs on fetuses have also played a significant role in keeping people who have the potential to become pregnant out of studies. Scientific research has excluded women of reproductive age, or women who might potentially conceive, in a blanket way, says Cattapan. The research that we have on many, many drugs does not include women and certainly doesnt include women in pregnancy. This lack of research goes some way to explaining why women are much more likely to experience side effects from drugssome of them fatal. Over the last couple of decades, greater effort has been made to include people with ovaries and uteruses in clinical research. But we still have a long way to go. Women are also often subjected to medical advice designed to protect a potential fetus, whether they are pregnant or not. Official guidelines on how much mercury-containing fish it is safe to eat can be different for women of childbearing age, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, for example. And in 2021, the World Health Organization used the same language to describe people who should be a focus of policies to reduce alcohol consumption. The takeaway message is that its women who should be thinking about fetal health, says Cattapan. Not the industries producing these chemicals or the agencies that regulate them. Not even the men who contribute to a pregnancy. Just women who stand a chance of getting pregnant, whether they intend to or not. It puts the onus of the health of future generations squarely on the shoulders of women, she says. Another problem is the language itself. The term women of reproductive age typically includes women between 15 and 44. Women at one end of that spectrum will have very different bodies and a very different set of health risks from those at the other. And the term doesnt account for people who might be able to get pregnant but dont necessarily identify as female. In other cases it is overly broad. In the context of the Zika virus, for example, it was not all women between the ages of 15 and 44 who should have considered taking precautions. The travel advice didnt apply to people whod had hysterectomies or did not have sex with men, for example, says Cattapan. Precision here matters, she says. More nuanced health advice would be helpful in cases like these. Guidelines often read as though theyre written for people assumed to be stupid, she adds. I dont think that needs to be the case. Another thing On Thursday, president-elect Donald Trump said that he will nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services. The news was not entirely a surprise, given that Trump had told an audience at a campaign rally that he would let Kennedy go wild on health, the foods, and the medicines. The role would give Kennedy some control over multiple agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates medicines in the US, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which coordinates public health advice and programs. Thats extremely concerning to scientists, doctors, and health researchers, given Kennedys positions on evidence-based medicine, including his antivaccine stance. A few weeks ago, in a post on X, he referred to the FDAs aggressive suppression of psychedelics, peptides, stem cells, raw milk, hyperbaric therapies, chelating compounds, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, vitamins, clean foods, sunshine, exercise, nutraceuticals and anything else that advances human health and cant be patented by Pharma. If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you, continued the post. 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags. Theres a lot to unpack here. But briefly, we dont yet have good evidence that mind-altering psychedelic drugs are the mental-health cure-alls some claim they are. Theres not enough evidence to support the many unapproved stem-cell treatments sold by clinics throughout the US and beyond, either. These treatments can be dangerous. Health agencies are currently warning against the consumption of raw unpasteurized milk, because it might carry the bird flu virus that has been circulating in US dairy farms. And its far too simplistic to lump all vitamins togethersome might be of benefit to some people, but not everyone needs supplements, and high doses can be harmful. Kennedys 2021 book The Real Anthony Fauci has already helped spread misinformation about AIDS. Here at MIT Technology Review, well continue our work reporting on whatever comes next. Watch this space. Now read the rest of The Checkup Read more from MIT Technology Reviews archive The tech industry has a gender problem, as the Gamergate and various #MeToo scandals made clear. A new generation of activists is hoping to remedy it. Male and female immune systems work differently. Which is another reason why its vital to study both women and female animals as well as males. Both of the above articles were published in the Gender issue of MIT Technology Review magazine. You can read more from that issue online here. Women are more likely to receive abuse online. My colleague Charlotte Jee spoke to the technologists working on an alternative way to interact online: a feminist internet. From around the web The scientific community and biopharma investors are reacting to the news of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Its hard to see HHS functioning, said one biotech analyst. (STAT) Virologist Beata Halassy successfully treated her own breast cancer with viruses she grew in the lab. She has no regrets. (Nature) Could diet influence the growth of endometriosis lesions? Potentially, according to research in mice fed high-fat, low-fiber Western diets. (BMC Medicine) Last week, 43 female rhesus macaque monkeys escaped from a lab in South Carolina. The animals may have a legal claim to freedom. (Vox)

This is today's edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. How this grassroots effort could make AI voices more diverse We are on the cusp of a voice AI boom, as tech companies roll out the next generation of artificial-intelligence-powered assistants. But the default voices for these assistants are often white AmericanBritish, if youre luckyand most definitely speak English. And if youre one of the billions of people who dont speak English, bad luck: These tools dont sound nearly as good in other languages. This is because the data that has gone into training these models is limited. In AI research, most data used to train models is extracted from the English-language internet, which reflects Anglo-American culture. But there is a massive grassroots effort underway to change this status quo and bring more transparency and diversity to what AI sounds like. Read the full story. Melissa Heikkil Azalea: a science-fiction story Fancy something fiction to read this weekend? If you enjoy Sci-Fi, check out this story written by Paolo Bacigalupi, featured in the latest edition of our print magazine. It imagines a future shaped by climate changeread it for yourself here. The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Cruise has admitted to falsifying a crash report The report failed to mention that its robotaxi dragged a pedestrian after striking her. (San Francisco Chronicle)+ The firm has been fined $500,000 to resolve the criminal charges. (WP $)2 The US plans to investigate Microsofts cloud business As the Biden administration prepares to hand over power to Donald Trumps team. (FT $)3 Silicon Valley hates regulation. So does Trump. AI and energy ventures could be the first to prosper under lighter-touch governance. (WP $)+ Peter Thiel claims the tech industry is fed up with wokeness. (Insider $)4 Elon Musks cost-cutting team will be working 80+ hours a week And youll need to subscribe to X to apply. (WSJ $)+ As if that wasnt appealing enough, the positions are also unpaid. (NBC News)+ The lucky workers can expect a whole lot of meetings. (Bloomberg $)5 The trolls are in charge now And its increasingly unclear whats a joke and whats an actual threat. (The Atlantic $)+ Its possible, but not guaranteed, that Trumps more controversial cabinet picks will be defeated in the Senate. (New Yorker $)6 How to keep abortion plans private in the age of TrumpReproductive rights are under threat. Heres how to protect them. (The Markup) 7 The first mechanical Qubit is here And mechanical quantum computers could be the first to benefit. (IEEE Spectrum)+ Quantum computing is taking on its biggest challenge: noise. (MIT Technology Review) 8 Can Bluesky recapture the old Twitters magic?No algorithms, no interfering billionaires. (Vox) + More than one million new users joined the platform earlier this week. (TechCrunch)9 Weight-loss drugs could help to treat chronic pain And could present a safer alternative to opioids. (New Scientist $)+ Weight-loss injections have taken over the internet. But what does this mean for people IRL? (MIT Technology Review)10 These are the most expensive photographs ever taken The first human-taken pictures from space are truly awe-inspiring. (The Guardian)Quote of the day It feels like its a platform for and by real people. US politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tells the Washington Post about the appeal of Bluesky as users join the social network after abandoning X. The big story How environmental DNA is giving scientists a new way to understand our world February 2024 Environmental DNA is a relatively inexpensive, widespread, potentially automated way to observe the diversity and distribution of life.Unlike previous techniques, which could identify DNA from, say, a single organism, the method also collects the swirling cloud of other genetic material that surrounds it. It can serve as a surveillance tool, offering researchers a means of detecting the seemingly undetectable.By sampling eDNA, or mixtures of genetic material in water, soil, ice cores, cotton swabs, or practically any environment imaginable, even thin air, it is now possible to search for a specific organism or assemble a snapshot of all the organisms in a given place.It offers a thrilling and potentially chilling way to collect information about organisms, including humans, as they go about their everyday business. Read the full story.Peter Andrey Smith We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.) + Smells like punk spirit. + If youve been feeling creaky lately (and who hasnt), give these mobility exercises a go.+ Talk about a glow upthese beautiful locations really do emanate light.+ Its the truly chilling collab we never knew we needed: Bon Jovi has joined forces with Mr Worldwide himself, Pitbull.

"Nobody Wants This" is a Netflix rom-com series starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody.Bell's character, Joanne, is a podcast host who falls in love with Brody's character, Noah, a rabbi.Here's everything we know about season two.Warning: Spoilers ahead for the season one finale of "Nobody Wants This."Netflix's rom-com series "Nobody Wants This" was a major hitwith viewers when it premiered in September.The series topped Netflix's television list just days after its premiere. Based on its social-media reception, it quickly became apparent that, actually, a lot of us want this. Now, Netflix is delivering with a second season on the way.Created by Erin Foster, the show stars Kristen Bell as Joanne, a woman who hosts a sex and relationships podcast with her sister Morgan (Justine Lupe). She meets Noah, a young rabbi played by Adam Brody, at a party, and they immediately hit it off.The series is charming from the get-go, mostly by virtue of Bell and Brody's easy, ineffable chemistry. And with 20- to 30-minute episodes that go down easy (plus a cliffhanger ending), it's hard to not immediately want more.Here's everything we know about "Nobody Wants This" season two, including when it's hitting Netflix. Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as Joanne and Noah in "Nobody Wants This." Adam Rose/Netflix 'Nobody Wants This' season 2 is officially a goNetflix announced in October that it had renewed "Nobody Wants This" for a second season. Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan, both of whom worked on the HBO series "Girls," joined as showrunners and executive producers, and Nora Silver ("Deli Boys") also came on board as an EP.Series creator Erin Foster told IndieWire prior to the renewal that she had already started thinking about season two."We're getting a really positive response," she told IndieWire ahead of the show's premiere. "And so I think the conversations have definitely started to happen about a potential season two.'"Foster added: "The story in season one unfolds really slowly. And so I think if there is a season two I would want to just kind of pick up where we leave off and continue to take it slow, because I don't want us to get too far ahead of ourselves. I mean, I want my show to be on the air as long as possible!" Justine Lupe and Kristen Bell as Morgan and Joanne in "Nobody Wants This." Hopper Stone/Netflix 'Nobody Wants This' season 2 will likely come out in late 2025In November, Bell and Brody told Variety that filming for season two will begin in February 2025."Hopefully they'll have it out by September next year," Brody said.Kristen Bell and Adam Brody will reprise their roles in 'Nobody Wants This' season 2Given that Joanne and Noah's story will continue in season two, both Bell and Brody will be back as well. Foster told The Hollywood Reporter in October that Bell and Lupe had visited the season two writers' room, so Lupe's character Morgan is presumably back as well.Foster also said that Esther, Noah's sister-in-law played by Jackie Tohn, would be a season two regular. From Foster's comments, we'll see Noah's brother Sasha (Timothy Simons) return as well. Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as Joanne and Noah in "Nobody Wants This." Adam Rose/Netflix 'Nobody Wants This' season 1 ends with a big cliffhangerAt the end of season one, Joanne backs away from her relationship with Noah. After realizing that she's not ready to convert to Judaism, she tells him that she doesn't want him to have to choose between her and his life and career. In the end, Noah chooses her putting his prospective head rabbi job at risk.It's a cliffhanger ending that leaves plenty on the table for a second season. Foster told Vulture that season two would potentially dive into the process of converting to Judaism, something that she herself did before marrying her husband."I am used to writing about all the things that are going wrong in my life," she told Vulture. "My manager always says that sometimes when you're succeeding, it feels like you're being beaten to death with your dreams.""Nobody Wants This" is streaming on Netflix.

Miss Nicaragua Geyssell Garca unveiled a vibrant costume behind a small replica of the Len Cathedral. Miss Nicaragua 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Inspired by the UNESCO World Heritage site, Garca wore cathedral pieces and long peacock feathers on her forearms.When she moved them, you could see her rhinestone-covered leotard with flame detailing, inspired by a mythical phoenix, as announced when she walked onstage.She also wore a round, multicolored headpiece lined with a golden band. It represented Nicaragua's various lakes.Garca, 29, works as a businesswoman in manufacturing and marketing. Miss Venezuela Ileana Marquez Pedroza wore a costume that made her look as though shed emerged from the Amazon rainforest.Miss Venezuela 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images The 28-year-old mother wore a tan, bedazzled bodysuit beneath blue bikini-style pieces across her chest and hips.Behind the sparkling outfit was a backpiece crafted to look like leaves and branches, transforming Pedroza into a mother of nature, peace, and Indigenous children, according to the competition's announcers.To further convey this message, Pedroza had faux parrots attached to her costume's branches and a baby doll in hand. The latter was painted gold and dressed in the same turquoise beads that adorned her outfit. Miss Zimbabwe Sakhile Dube aimed to show the majesty of her nation with an eagle-inspired gown.Miss Zimbabwe 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Sakhile, a 28-year-old fashion designer, stepped onstage in a strapless gown embellished with a yellow eagle face across its bodice. She said on Instagram that she chose the bird to showcase Zimbabwe's natural beauty, strength, and vision.She also wore purple wings that extended past her shoulders to mirror the rainbows and water of Victoria Falls and a skirt that looked like it was made from rocks to honor Great Zimbabwe, the remains of a once-medieval city. Miss India Rhea Singha also wore a bird-inspired costume as an homage to her country's nickname.Miss India 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images India has long been called "Sone ki Chidiya," or the "Golden Bird," in reference to its natural resources and prosperity, according to the show's announcers.So, the 19-year-old embodied that nickname with what appeared to be a heavy outfit that resembled a suit of armor. The costume covered her entire body with metal and featured massive wings that she carried on her back.Singha a model, actor, and social worker also donned a matching gold helmet crafted like a bird's face. She walked slowly across the stage to carry each piece. Miss Kyrgyzstan Maya Turdalieva found inspiration in the snow leopards that grace the Tian Shan mountain range.Miss Kyrgyzstan 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Turdalieva, 26, made a statement onstage in a semi-sheer, gray-hued bodysuit with Swarovski-embellished spots to replicate the fur pattern of the big cats.On Instagram, she said the animals are great representatives of Kyrgyzstan's resilience.Handmade by Kyrgyz artisans, the animal-inspired costume also highlighted the need for wildlife conservation in her home country. She completed the look with a backpiece shaped like a shield and two swords, representing cultural pride and a willingness to defend her home. Miss Serbia Ivana Trisic looked like royalty when she arrived wearing a feather-covered coat and statement crown.Miss Serbia 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Inspired by Serbia's coat of arms, 30-year-old Trisic stunned in gold and velvet. Beneath her textured cape was a golden corset covered in feathers, with two eagle heads emerging from its shoulders. She also wore sparkling chainmail pants, black platform boots, and a crystal belt.Trisic, a law school graduate, aimed to honor Serbia's heritage, unity, and traditions with the outfit. Miss Sri Lanka Melloney Dassanayake donned a sculpture on her back inspired by Sigiriya, a natural formation known as Lion Rock.Miss Sri Lanka 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images The 25-year-old banker and TV host looked tiny compared to the backpiece, which extended above her head and far past her shoulders.She also wore a metal bralette, a green skirt with a copper belt, multicolored scarves hanging from her waistband, and lots of bangles across her arms.For more color, Dassanayake added a pink flower crown and carried a matching bouquet of water lilies, a common flower across Sri Lanka. Miss Netherlands Faith Landman embraced the art of Dutch ceramics with her blue and white costume.Miss Netherlands 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images The bodice and skirt of her white gown were decorated with blue sequins in the shapes of various flowers and a windmill, while her long sleeves were crafted from a fishnet material.The 28-year-old mom also wore a floral headpiece and carried a round, double-sided backpiece behind her.The latter was made to mirror the art and ceramic pieces famously handcrafted in the city of Delft. Miss Trinidad and Tobago Jenelle Thongs brought the coral reefs of her island country to the Miss Universe stage.Miss Trinidad and Tobago 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Thongs, a 32-year-old aspiring author, brightened the stage with her one-piece outfit and massive feathered wings.Both pieces were designed with neon shades of pink, green, and blue, similar to the awe-inspiring colors of marine life.Another feature of her costume was her coral headband, which was covered in seashells, jewels, and small starfish-shaped pieces that matched those decorating her leotard. Miss Spain Michelle Jimnez represented the women of her homeland with a rose-covered gown.Miss Spain 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Jimnez, 21, wore a red velvet leotard with off-the-shoulder sleeves and an attached skirt. The latter two pieces were covered with roses to represent the country's passion, as announced during the contest.Rather than wearing her Miss Spain sash across her chest, the model wrapped it around her wrist and waved it as she walked.Jimnez completed her costume with statement earrings, platform heels, and a red crown. Miss United States Alma Cooper took a style cue from Uncle Sam.Miss United States 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Cooper, a 22-year-old second lieutenant and military intelligence officer in the US Army, stepped onstage wearing a white leotard with red stripes, matching boots, and a star-embellished top hat.She also wore a long-sleeved overcoat that reached the floor. Though it looked purple as cameras flashed, it was the same blue shade as seen on the American flag.The patriotic ensemble wasn't complete without some fireworks. Cooper wore faux rockets across her back that were crafted to appear like they were mid-explosion. Miss Paraguay Naomi Mndez made a costume change as she strutted down the runway.Miss Paraguay 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images The 32-year-old entrepreneur stepped onstage in a white layered dress, gold headpiece, and a rounded structure across her shoulders with white plants attached.But with one spin, she removed the top layer and revealed a golden leotard that looked like armor.It was announced during the contest that her costume was meant to showcase the evolution of Paraguayan women. Miss Peru Tatiana Calmell honored the Incan sun god Inti with her golden two-piece and glimmering accessories.Miss Peru 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images The 30-year-old actor and model glided down the runway in a gold bra, a golden crown, and a matching mid-rise skirt with a long slit down the middle.But the most mesmerizing parts of her outfit were the art panels that extended from her shoulders showcasing sun rays and golden bricks and the sun-shaped piece that rose behind her head. Miss Mexico Mara Fernanda Beltrn Figueroa let her colorful costume do all the talking.Miss Mexico 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images The 24-year-old communications professional, who's now studying to get her master's degree in artificial intelligence, walked onstage with her face covered by a giant green mask.The piece was designed to transform Figueroa into "the daughter of the sun," as was announced during the competition.It featured eight pieces, including a sphere backpiece, a tall hat covered in feathers, and a bejeweled corset over a matching skirt. Miss Indonesia Clara Shafira Krebs embraced the energy of a warrior with a statement shoulder piece and bird-topped staff.Miss Indonesia 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Her outfit consisted of a golden corset, matching shorts, red hip pieces, and a shoulder decoration that resembled wings.And that's not to mention her headband, which mirrored the larger gold tendrils that made her costume stand out.Krebs, a 22-year-old model, was dressed in honor of the herons commonly seen flying around the Indonesian city of Nusantara. Miss Italy Glelany Cavalcante's costume was inspired by the Italian film industry of the 1960s.Miss Italy 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Cavalcante's black-and-white ensemble featured a sparkly bodysuit at its base, while the detachable skirt, designed by Erasmo Fiorentino, looked like reels of film cascading around her, as Miss Italy shared on her Instagram.Her black headpiece read "Cinecitt," where the Italian film industry has its roots. As an additional nod to cinema, she carried a bedazzled clapperboard.Cavalcante is a 30-year-old model, and she is a university student pursuing her degree in communications. The colorful cape on Miss Honduras Stephanie Cam's outfit told a story as she walked down the runway.Miss Honduras 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Cam, a 32-year-old model, content creator, and single mom, paired a black cropped top with a skirt adorned with multicolored beading.She carried a backpiece attached to her arms with fabric that cascaded down to the floor. The cape featured multiple layers of fabric, each painted to depict a different aspect of Honduran culture. Cam dropped the different layers as she walked down the runway, showing off new elements of her home country.A wide-brimmed hat completed her colorful outfit. Miss Guatemala Ana Gabriela Villanueva's leaf-covered backpiece helped transform her into a tree for the contest. Miss Guatemala 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images As announced during the pageant, Villanueva paid homage to Guatemala's rainforest, wearing a semi-sheer, mesh bodysuit designed to resemble bark. It was adorned with sparkly embellishments and tassels to give it dimension, coordinating with a small headpiece.A massive backpiece covered in faux leaves completed the illusion, with the leaves cascading to the floor and floating above Villanueva's head.Villanueva, 22, is both a model and a law student. Miss Costa Rica Elena Hidalgo took inspiration from her country's currency for her costume.Miss Costa Rica 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Hidalgo, 32, walked the costume contest in a long-sleeved, floor-length dress painted to resemble the coln, the Costa Rican currency, as pageant announcers shared while she walked the stage.The dress was adorned with "Banco Central de Costa Rica," and the skirt depicted people picking fruit. Hidalgo carried a basket of fruit to help bring the image to life.Hidalgo is getting her degree in nutrition in between her work as an international model and being a mother. Miss Chile Emilia Dides' outfit celebrated a famous Chilean game show.Miss Chile 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Dides' look was inspired by "Sbado Gigante," a famous game show in Chile, as shared during the live show on Telemundo.Her red, sparkly bodysuit featured daring cutouts and flowed into a train decorated with faces designed to resemble an audience. The ensemble's backpiece mimicked the show's roulette wheel, with different prizes listed in the colorful sections it was divided into.Dides, 25, is a musician who won a singing competition show in Chile in 2019. Miss Cuba Marianela Ancheta's gold look paid tribute to a goddess.Miss Cuba 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images As she shared on Instagram, Ancheta, a 31-year-old businesswoman and model, wore an ensemble inspired by the goddess Oshn, who represents fertility and love.Because yellow and gold are traditionally associated with Oshn, Ancheta wore gold from head to toe. Her bedazzled bodice flowed into a skirt with large cutouts on each side, and a dramatic gold cape flowed behind her.A flower-shaped head and backpiece adorned with sunflowers tied the look together. Miss Dominican Republic Celinee Santos pulled inspiration from the oceans surrounding her home for her sheer costume.Miss Dominican Republic 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images The Dominican Republic is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and according to the live show, Santos celebrated those bodies of water with her ethereal look.Her coordinating swimsuit set looked like shells, as did her arm cuffs and headpiece, which were covered in sparkly embellishments. Her backpiece formed one big shell overlaid with gossamer fabric.Santos, 24, has a law degree and is in the middle of a law internship. Miss Colombia Daniela Toloza Rocha celebrated the relationship between Mexico and Colombia with her colorful costume.Miss Colombia 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Rocha, a 30-year-old fashion designer and strategist, wore a bejeweled set as the base of her look, which she paired with coordinating leg cuffs and a belly chain.Her feathered headpiece flowed up in tiers above her in different colors, while her reversible armpiece showed a portrait of a woman and a young child reaching toward each other. Miss Denmark Victoria Kjr Theilvig transformed into a Viking goddess in her red and yellow costume.Miss Denmark 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Designed by Neftali Jahaziel Espinoza and Stalyn Nuez, as she shared on her Instagram, Theilvig's bright costume featured a bedazzled, yellow set that appeared to have flames coming out of it.Her feathered backpiece was mostly red, though it featured an inlay of the same gold and red sparkly pattern as her set. Red gloves, a large headpiece, and embellished ankle cuffs completed the powerful ensemble.Theilvig, 21, is a successful competitive dancer who hopes to become a lawyer. Miss Czech Republic Marie Dani turned gingerbread cookies into fashion for her costume.Miss Czech Republic 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Dani, a 28-year-old model, worked with designer David Hanykyr to create her gingerbread-inspired costume, according to her Instagram.Her white strapless ball gown flowed into exaggerated ruffles at the hem, creating the illusion of icing dripping down from a cookie. An assortment of heart-shaped faux cookies sat atop the dress.A white crown completed Dani's festive look. Miss Canada Ashley Callingbull celebrated Indigenous women with her costume.Miss Canada 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Callingbull, 35, is the first Indigenous woman to represent Canada at Miss Universe, and she celebrated her heritage with her costume, as she shared on Instagram.Her purple, tiered ball gown, designed by Patrick Isorena, was made to look like the night sky with subtle sparkles in the fabric. It also featured lights embedded in the dress, glowing as she walked the runway. Miss Bahamas Selvinique Wright honored a festival with her costume.Miss Bahamas 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images As announced during the pageant, Wright's colorful outfit, which featured a massive fish headpiece, was inspired by the Bamahian festival Junkanoo.Her pink bodysuit was adorned with heavy beading, while her tulle skirt mimicked the ocean. She also wore a colorful backpiece that spread around her, making her look like an ocean reef.Wright, 32, is a women's health advocate and the founder of Women's Health Us First. Miss Bolivia Juliana Barrientos looked to the Tobas culture of her country for her costume.Miss Bolivia 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Barrientos, a 27-year-old biochemist and pharmacist, turned herself into an owl in the style of a Tobas dancer for the costume contest, according to her Instagram. Qhapaq an Art designed the look.Her cropped black top was sparkly, while her floor-length skirt was adorned with black beading to make it look like it was covered in white feathers.Barrientos' backpiece was the standout feature of her ensemble, as it was made to look like a massive owl floating above her with wings resting next to her torso. Miss Argentina Magal Benejam's outfit represented different aspects of a jungle.Miss Argentina 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Benejam, a 30-year-old model and animal rights activist, looked to Argentina's jungles for her costume, as announced during the pageant.Her white-and-blue bodysuit was covered in sparkly embellishments, while feathered and bejeweled decorations floated down her arm. The bodysuit nodded to the waterfalls of the jungle while her multicolored, feathered headpiece celebrated the trees.A glittering tucan headpiece completed her vibrant ensemble. Miss Aruba Anouk Eman became the country's national animal, the burrowing owl, for the costume contest.Miss Aruba 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Eman's shining owl headpiece was the center of her look, while her arm pieces featured feather detailing that completed the owl effect. She paired the feathery look with a sparkly set that featured a heart on the bodice. According to Miss Universe, Eman, 32, found athletic success in Iron Man competitions after scoliosis prevented her from following her dreams of synchronized swimming in the Olympics. Miss France Indira Ampiot paid tribute to the symbols of France with her national costume. Miss France 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Ampiot's bedazzled ensemble featured a patriotic cape in the colors of France's flag, which matched the pageant queen's top. She also sported sheer sparkling gloves and a dramatic necklace.According to the 20-year-old's Instagram, her bright-red hat was a tribute to the classic French beret, while the dramatic white feathers referenced the Gallic rooster.Ampiot is from Guadeloupe, an overseas region of France in the Caribbean. In her Miss Universe bio, Ampiot said she's a "fervent ambassador of cultural diversity and the beauty of our French heritage." Miss Ecuador Mara Topi made an entrance with her national costume, which references the historic center of her countrys capital. Miss Ecuador 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Topi's national costume featured the monasteries of San Francisco and Santo Domingo, both of which are in Quito. Ecuador's capital city has Latin America's best-preserved historic center and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.The 30-year-old pageant queen's ensemble featured a sparkling red wrap skirt, which she opened to reveal a vibrant illustration of the country's landscape. Topi balanced the two churches on her shoulders as two white bird figurines flew above them. Her dramatic backpiece, which she revealed onstage, added a floral backdrop lined with red feathers.According to her Miss Universe bio, Topi is a director and actor. She has worked with Daddy Yankee and appeared on "Law & Order." Miss Bulgaria Elena Vian dressed as a rose, her countrys national flower, for the Miss Universe stage but she gave it a fierce twist. Miss Bulgaria 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images According to the Miss Universe announcers, Vian, 38, wanted her national costume to symbolize the "strength and subtle danger" of female beauty.Her ensemble featured a red bralette and shorts that matched her bright-red hair and knee-high red boots. Her gold headpiece and shoulder piece were both adorned with roses. The outfit also featured a gold choker that crept up Vian's neck onstage as she spit out fake blood during her walk.Vian has a master's degree in economics and designs ensembles for live performances, according to her Miss Universe bio. She's also the mother to a 4-year-old girl. Miss Persia Ava Vahneshan glittered in gold as she walked down the Miss Universe stage. Miss Persia 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images According to the Miss Universe announcers, Vahneshan's national costume symbolized "good thoughts, good words, and good deeds." The metallic gold wings on her backpiece represent the Faravahar, a symbol of ancient Persia.Vahneshan, 26, paired the ensemble with a sparkling gold crown that matched her bodice and a voluminous white skirt.According to her Miss Universe bio, the pageant queen is a Persian-Portuguese singer, model, and Chinese medicine specialist. Miss Saint Lucia Skye Faucher brought the Olympics to the Miss Universe stage with her national costume. Miss Saint Lucia 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images Faucher's costume is a tribute to Julien Alfred, who won Saint Lucia's first-ever Olympic medal after taking gold in the women's 100-meter final in Paris.The 24-year-old wore a cobalt-blue jumpsuit with white, black, and yellow details, paying homage to Saint Lucia's flag. Faucher also sported a big gold medal around her neck and a backpiece with the iconic Olympic rings.Faucher is a cancer genomics scientist, according to her Miss Universe bio. She also plays volleyball and is a big supporter of women's sports. Miss Myanmar Thet San Andersen spread her gold wings in tribute to the owl. Miss Myanmar 2024. Hector Vivas/Getty Images According to her Instagram, Andersen, 23, wanted to bring good luck to the Miss Universe stage by dressing as a sparkling gold owl, which is considered a good luck charm in Myanmar that brings "wisdom, prosperity, and clarity.""There's a belief that if an owl flies into a house, it's a positive omen," her caption reads. "The tradition is to honor the owl by pouring water infused with gold and silver on it before setting it free."Andersen is a fashion designer, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker.