Nature, Published online: 18 December 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-04167-7Chinas low-altitude aviation economy is poised to become a trillion-yuan industry in 2025 if safety and security challenges can be overcome.

Nature, Published online: 18 December 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-03983-1Laurie Barge and Arezoo Khodayari created an internship between NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory and California State University, Los Angeles to launch the careers of students from minority backgrounds.

A compact, do-it-all solution from Canon

Video streaming platform Netflix is diving deep into the world of video games, with everything from classic hits to industry unknowns. Here's our list of the best games you can play on Netflix.

A PvE game is only as good as its enemy selection, and Helldivers 2 has proven time and again that its not lacking at all in that category. Complete with three entire enemy factions to square off against, Arrowheads unexpected smash hit has managed to keep players engaged, due in no small part to the extremely varied enemy types on offer. From the teeming hordes of insect-like terminids, to the unending battalions of Automatons, to the recently revealed Illuminate that look like something out of H.G. Wells worst nightmare, the enemies of Super Earth are all equally undemocratic. But not all of them are equally dangerous.

In the final moments of what's been a hell of a match for the Blue Lock, the Blue Lock XI's team is taken on an electrifying ride via the Blue Lock Season 2, Episode 13. This episode sees character growth, nail-biting intensity, and the thrill of the competition come together with just fifteen minutes left on the clock and keeps fans tuning in.

If you have big aspirations for 2025a big deadlift, a marathon, a change in the size of your bodyI sure hope you havent translated them into the limited, pass-fail box-checking of a SMART goal. But that doesn't mean SMART goals are useless. You really need two types of goals: Dream Goals to inspire and motivate you, and SMART goals, which are a type of process goal, to keep you on the path toward those dreams.Why SMART goals are different from Dream GoalsSMART goals have long been heralded as a goal-setting life hack, but the truth is that they were invented for managers to set quotas and such for their companies (the original A stood for assignable, as in, to an employee). Their usefulness in fitness or self-improvement is pretty limited. A SMART goal, as its talked about it the fitness world today, is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Put together, this means you set a deadline by which time you expect to achieve a specific measurement of an outcome. In other words, youve turned it into a pass-fail test. And because you wouldnt want to fail that pass-fail test, creating a proper SMART goal means that you need to set the bar low. The goal has to be Attainable, remember? When you look at it that way, SMART goals are not goals in the way I would think of the word, in the sense of big dreams that inspire us to keep going.That's why you need another type of goal, which I'll call a dream goal. A dream goal is what you really want. It's the thing that inspires you, whether or not it's attainable. You might dream of deadlifting 500 pounds, or hiking the Appalachian trail, or qualifying for the Boston Marathon, or, heck, winning the Boston Marathon. We're not going to shoehorn that into the SMART goal framework. But we can set some SMART goals as benchmarks or process goals to guide our training as we work toward that big dream. How to dream big while still setting process goalsIve written before that SMART goals are overrated, but to be honest, they make a good framework for process goals. Process goals are things that are fully in our control. They are Attainable, by definition. For example, going for a run three times a week is a process goal. Eating a vegetable at every meal is a process goal. Following a program that tells you to do five sets of eight reps of deadlifts every Tuesday is a process goal. And the point of a process goal is to put you on the path to your big Dream Goal. I like to think of it this way: Your Dream Goal is a big mountain off in the distance. You know its there, but you dont know exactly how far away it is, or how tough the journey will be. Your process goals are things that will keep you on the path toward that mountain. Packing your bags. Putting one foot in front of the other. Or as Peloton instructor Tunde Oyeneyin puts it (right before telling me I better beat my score from her last burpee circuit): A goal is a wish. A standard holds us accountable. We need both.I cant emphasize how important it is that we allow ourselves to dream big. Take one minute off my 5K race time this year is attainable, but why limit yourself to that? Run a 5K in under 20 minutes is a big-as-hell dream (especially if youre around 30 minutes right now) but its very much worth working for. The path up that mountain might be a long one, but its not going to walk itself. How to write SMART goals to support your Dream GoalsSo, lets start charting that path. As with any trip up a distant mountain, you wont know quite what the road is like until you get there. So focus on whats right in front of you and what you can control. Heres an example of how you can set some SMART process goals to guide you toward a big dream that may or may not be achievable. Lets say youre a runner, and you want to be a faster runner. You might chart out a journey like this:Dream goal: Run a 5K in 20 minutes or less (someday)Process goals for winter/spring 2025: Build up my aerobic base by running a few more miles each week, until I am running 20 miles a week.Run a time trial at the track on January 25, both as a benchmark and so I can calculate my training paces.Follow the Hal Higdon Intermediate 5K Training Program as written, including the recommended Tuesday and Thursday strength training.Run the Big Local 5K in my city this March.In the week following that 5K: Congratulate myself on finishing, assess my strengths and weaknesses, and decide on a new set of process goals for summer training.See how each of these five is a SMART goal? They are all Specific enough that you know exactly what to do to fulfill those goals. (Ive given a mileage number and picked out a specific training program, but obviously you would choose your own.) They are Measurable: You hit the miles, or you check off the number of workouts programmed. On the day of the time trial and the race, you either show up or you don't. And you get a finish time for each, to more precisely measure your progress.They are Attainable: You have full control of whether or not you go out for a run, show up for a race, etc. (Obviously, if you dont have full control over this due to life circumstances, you would write a different set of goals that take those circumstances into account.)They are Relevant: They all set you on the path toward being a faster runner at the 5K distance.They are Time-bound: From this framework, you could sit down and schedule every single run on your calendar for the next three or four months. (You would work backward from the race date to find the start of the training program, and so on.) These goals define your process, and then you get to reassess. After the Big Local 5K, do you want to do more specific 5K training to get faster? Do you want to train for a marathon for the base-building opportunities and because you kind of like the idea of a side quest? Or might you find that your other goals in life conflict with this oneperhaps youd rather reduce mileage this summer so you can do more paddleboarding, and return to run training in the fall? This way, you still get to dream big, but you know youre always on the path to those big goalsat least as long as you want to be. Shoot for the moon, and if you dont make it, at least youve built a damn good rocket ship along the way.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.If youre looking for a home security system for a smaller space and dont mind going the pre-owned route, this certified refurbished eight-piece Ring Alarm kit is a solid option at $110.99a 48% discount from its usual $214.99. Like-New Ring Alarm 8-piece kit $110.99 at Amazon $214.99 Save $104.00 Get Deal Get Deal $110.99 at Amazon $214.99 Save $104.00 Designed for single- or double-bedroom homes or apartments, this kit includes a base station, range extender, motion detector, four contact sensors, and a keypadeverything you need to get started. Setting up the system is simple: Just download the Ring app, plug in the base station, place the sensors where needed, and activate them. The system offers three security modes: Home mode keeps outdoor sensors active while ignoring indoor ones, away mode arms all sensors, and disarm mode turns everything off. Just a heads up, according to this PCMag review, when the system is in disarm mode, it doesnt send you notificationsa potential drawback if you rely on alerts.Speaking of alerts, if youre fine with handling alerts yourself, you can skip the $20 monthly fee and opt for DIY monitoring. But if youd rather not play security guard, the Ring Home Premium plan offers 24/7 professional monitoring with automatic emergency dispatch. This subscription also unlocks integration with Amazon Echo, Alexa, and other Ring devices, giving your system a bit more versatility. That said, if youre big on third-party compatibilitysay with Apple HomeKit or Google Assistantyoull find this kit lacking. For that, the Abode Iota is a solid alternative, though at $299.99 (down from $329.99), its a bigger investment.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.I review a lot of smart home tech, and my home is often full of robots rolling on the floor, voice assistants talking, and notifications chiming from my phone. Most smart home devices have a short lifespan in my houseonce theyre tested, theyre out the doorbut the ones I really love, I hold onto. Here are the ones that impressed me so much that I kept coming back to them.The Brisk It grill is my favorite smoker Credit: Amanda Blum I spent the summer with six smart grills on my patio, and I used them often with friends. While there were a few that really impressed me (The Kamado Konnected Joe, The Masterbuilt Auto Ignite 545 Digital Charcoal Grill), the one I kept was the Brisk It Origin. More a smart smoker than smart grill, it smoked flawlessly and with very little effort on my part. You just choose from your phone what youd like to cook, send the recipe to the grill, and put your food on the grill when instructed. The grill takes over for the most part, raising and lowering the temperature and adjusting the smoke level. I was never passionate about smoking (or grilling, to be honest), but the Brisk It requires so little effort that I often use it as an easy alternative to my oven. It turns out you can smoke almost anything. The Brisk It Smart Smoking Grill $699.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $699.99 at Amazon The BedJet 3 is my favorite luxuryThe BedJet is a smart climate control for beds that shoots air into a billowy top sheet that hangs over you like a cloud. You choose how cold, hot, and powerful you want the air to be, and can use it on hot nights to cool down, or cold nights to warm you and your sheets. My favorite BedJet setting is turbo, which gives me a jet of 110 degree air, and there's nothing more luxurious to me when I climb into bed on a cold night. It's not the most aesthetically pleasing piece of techbasically an air hose that hangs off the end of your bedbut I love it. BedJet 3 Climate Control $489.00 at Amazon $599.00 Save $110.00 Shop Now Shop Now $489.00 at Amazon $599.00 Save $110.00 The Smart Coop helped me get my first chickens Credit: Amanda Blum I finally got chickens this year, and I did it, at least in part, because of the Smart Coop: a fully functioning coop run with smart cameras. Those cameras have AI that can count your chickens, identify intruders, and notice an egg out of the nesting box (and I love watching my sleeping chickens on a closed-loop video). The double-walled coop offers insulation to keep my chickens out of extreme weather, and the run is a good size for my flock of four.I still use my PlusLife Molecular COVID Test Credit: Amanda Blum I still use an at-home, rapid PCR COVID test, and if you have vulnerable friends or family members, the PlusLife NAAT Test Device is a real gift. Its the easiest way to quickly and reliably find out if I have COVID or just allergies. As an interesting bonus, this particular test connects via Bluetooth to virus.sucks and shows a test assay graph in real timeso instead of a simple "positive" or "negative" test result, I can see just how much virus was detected. I find it both fascinating and reassuring.Dreo are my favorite smart fansThis year I tried four Dreo smart fans, including ceiling fans, standing fans, and desk fans, and they're among the best fans I've ever used. You can easily adjust a Dreo fan's strength and direction through an app, and they're easy to take apart to clean them. It's single best feature, though, is the natural setting that varies the power of the fan so it feels less like an artificial wind and more closely resembles a breeze.If you're going to start with a Dreo, I recommend the Polyfan. Dreo Polyfan $98.99 at Amazon $109.99 Save $11.00 Shop Now Shop Now $98.99 at Amazon $109.99 Save $11.00 The Oura Ring is my favorite fitness trackerAn Oura 4 is already out, but since I placed the Oura 3 on my hand a few months ago, it's nearly become an addiction. It tracks my sleep, steps, and energy level, and I can bring the data into other health apps I use, like Guava. I particularly use my sleep data often to gauge whether I need to adjust my sleeping conditions. Wearing my Oura Ring has become a habit, and I use it enough that when I misplaced mine last month, I know Id need to replace it. Oura Ring 3 $249.00 at Best Buy $299.00 Save $50.00 Shop Now Shop Now $249.00 at Best Buy $299.00 Save $50.00 The K10+ Pro is my favorite robot vacuumI have favorite vacuums, and youll hear me talk about Roborock a lot, but my favorite is the K10 from Switchbot. This year, the K10+ Pro improved by ditching the mop function and letting the K10 shine as a well-priced super vacuum small enough get a tight radius around obstacleslike an M&M that moves about the floor. If youre looking to go all-in on a robot vacuum and mop, you should still consider splurging on a Roborock, but for any small house, office, or room that just needs a great vacuum at a great price, the K10+ Pro is a great way to go. Switchbot K10+ Pro Robot Vacuum $599.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $599.99 at Amazon The Terra Kaffe TK-02 is my favorite smart espresso makerI tested every smart espresso maker on the market, and the one I was most reluctant to send back was the Terra Kaffe TK-02. It makes very good coffee and froth, and it's easy to use through its app or touchscreen. I especially loved that I could preload beans every once in a while and change the water every few days, and otherwise let the machine take over from beginning to end. Credit: Amanda Blum The Bird Buddy is my favorite bird feeder Credit: Amanda Blum What can I say, I like to watch birdsin particular, my hummingbirds. Unlike previous Bird Buddies that dont hold a solar charge well, the Hummingbird feeder is fantastic. The video and images are stunning and built for sharing, and its also a fantastic gift (for you, if no one else). The new Bird Buddy subscription allows you even name your favorite birds.The Mammotion Luba is my favorite robot lawnmower Credit: Amanda Blum On my block, I tested robot lawnmowers on the lawns of anyone whod let me. For me, one robot mower was the clear winner: the Mammotion Luba. It reliably left the dock, mowed the lawn regardless of light or weather conditions, and returned to the dock. The Luba didn't care about dips in the lawn or hills, and it traversed rocky paths and anything else I threw at it. At almost $3,000, it's obviously expensive, but it can be worth the investment if you want the best robot mower for your lawn. Mammotion Luba 2 at Amazon Pre-order Here Pre-order Here at Amazon

The Quadrantid meteor shower, the first major meteor display of 2025, will peak on the night of Friday, January 3. The annual event offers skywatchers a chance to see bright meteors streak across the sky, with the possibility of observing up to 120 meteors per hour at its peak.Unlike most meteor showers, which are named after the constellations from which they appear to originate, the Quadrantids are named for a now-defunct constellation, Quadrans Muralis. Although the constellation is no longer in use, the meteors appear to radiate from a region near the constellation Botes.The Quadrantids are known for their bright, short-lived meteors, often referred to as fireballs. These meteors originate from debris left behind by asteroid 2003 EH1. As these fast-moving fragments enter Earths atmosphere, they burn up and produce the visible streaks of light. The shower typically peaks with a brief but intense burst of activity.Best viewing conditionsFor the best viewing experience, experts recommend heading outside during the early hours before dawn, when the sky is darkest and the moon is low. This year, the moon will be a waning crescent, only 11% full, which should provide favorable conditions for spotting meteors.To get the clearest view, find a location away from city lights. Light pollution can significantly reduce the number of visible meteors. The best time to watch the Quadrantids will be during the hours before dawn, when the sky is darkest and the moon is low in the sky.While no special equipment is needed to view the meteors, its helpful to dress warmly, bring a blanket or reclining chair, and allow your eyes time to adjust to the darkness. Avoiding the use of phones or bright lights will also help improve visibility.When to watchThe Quadrantid meteor shower will continue to be visible until January 16, so if the peak night is cloudy or overcast, there will still be several opportunities to catch the display. After the Quadrantids, the next major meteor shower, the Lyrids, will occur in mid-April.