From process documentation to AI-powered automation, there are plenty of highly effective technology initiatives companies can roll out without breaking the bank.

Garmin HRM 200 (L) and HRM-Pro Plus (R)GarminThe best sports watches have heart rate reader tech good enough to make most of us consign chest straps to the back of a cupboard. But Garmin has just released a new strap, the Garmin HRM 200.This is roughly the replacement for the old Garmin HRM-Dual, which has been around since 2019.For those buying in 2025, though, the key question is whether you should buy the Garmin HRM 200 or the HRM-Pro Plus, released in 2022.The HRM-Pro Plus is still the higher-end and more feature-rich chest strap in most respects. But there are at least a couple of reasons to pick up the newer model instead.The HRM 200 Is CheaperGarmin charges less for the HRM 200 than the HRM-Pro Plus. Official retail pricing is $79.99 versus $129.99, a $50 difference.Of course, with the HRM-Pro Plus now well-established, you can often pick one up for less than $100. Price may be less of a key separator than youd guess.3ATM Vs 5ATM Water ResistanceMORE FOR YOUThe HRM-Pro Plus is better-suited to swimming than the new HRM 200. It has 5ATM water resistance, just like the HRM-Swim, made specifically for swimmers.Garmins HRM-300 is rated for 3ATM water resistance, not enough for confident use in the pool.If swimming will be your primary use case, the HRM-Swim is going to be the better buy, though, as its non-slip construction may help when pushing off from the poolside.HRM 200 Module Is DetachableOne benefit of the HRM 200 design is the strap is washable. The central module connects to the strap using a couple of poppers, so you can put the strap in the washing machine with your clothes if you like.Garmin HRM 200 rearGarminAn HRM-Pro Plus should never be put in the washing machine. GoPro recommends you hand wash it after every seven sessions.HRM-Pro Plus Is LighterThe older HRM-Pro is a little lighter than the HRM 200. It weighs 52g, while the HRM 200 weighs 63g, when paired with the larger M-XL size strap.The fully integrated style the HRM-Pro Plus also leads to lesser bulk, which may be far more important for some. Its 8.6mm thick, to the 11m of the HRM 200.HRM-Pro Plus Has Far More FeaturesYou can use the HRM-Pro Plus as a standalone wearable if you like, as it has its own onboard storage. It can hold up to 18 hours of data. And while theres no activity-tracking control to make this a particularly desirable way to use the band, its clearly a more capable gadget. It will even record steps.A HRM-Pro Plus will record additional data too, when hooked up to a watch. This includes running dynamics, Ski Power and running pace and distance.The HRM 200 is designed to connect to one of Garmins watches, or bike computers, to transmit heart rate and HRV (heart rate variability) data only.That said, the HRM 200 does have a button and light, not seen in the HRM-Pro Plus, which lets you easily tell if the strap has power and is working.Secure Transmission Is Available In The Garmin HRM 200The HRM 200 gets a new secure transmission mode, which relays heart rate data over an encrypted connection. This means only the paired device can access the data.Its the polar opposite of the classic transmission method of these heart rate straps, ANT+, which flings the signal out freely for anyone to pick up.Both support Bluetooth transmission, though,The HRM-Pro Plus Is Heading Towards Its EndAccording to the Garmin website, the HRM-Pro Plus is only guaranteed to receive security updates until July 2024. It hasnt seemingly received a major software update since 2022 too. Is it not long for this world?Security becomes a bit more of an issue with this model than the basic HRM lines, as it can connect to Garmin Connect on its own. More to the point, the date is also a suggestion Garmin considers, or at least considered at one point, it to be an end-of-life product in 2025.Which Should You Buy?If swimming is going to be part of your exercise routine, the HRM-Pro Plus is the better buy of these two straps.Its inclusion of running dynamics is neat too, although this data is provided by plenty of Garmins higher-end watches already. Theres also an argument for waiting to see if Garmin updates its HRM-Pro line later this year if youre in no rush. It seems unlikely the status quo of the cheaper band having an additional security/privacy feature will carry on in perpetuity.

In a nutshell: Despite being one of the most popular tools for GPU tuning on the market if not the most popular MSI Afterburner sees relatively few stable updates. However, the program's developer has confirmed that a major update is on the horizon. The update will coincide with the release of new GeForce cards, which are set to introduce an additional feature for fan control. We are hours away from Nvidia's official presentation at CES 2025, where the company is expected to unveil the next generation of its premium gaming GPUs. The release of the GeForce RTX 5000 series is all but confirmed, and MSI Afterburner developer Alexey "Unwinder" Nicolaychuk has provided another hint about what these new cards will bring to the gaming hardware market.Nicolaychuk revealed that a new version of MSI Afterburner is in the works and will launch close to the RTX 5080 series' sales debut. The update will include additional "strings," as the Blackwell GPU cards introduce three independent fan controllers an upgrade from the two controllers found in previous generations like the RTX 3000 and RTX 4000 series. As a result, MSI Afterburner will incorporate a new button for asynchronous fan speed control for the third fan.If leaks and expectations hold true, Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang will unveil the GeForce RTX 5080 during his Tuesday presentation, with sales expected to begin on January 21. One leaked product, the MSI RTX 5080 Gaming Trio, reportedly features three fans perfectly aligning with the three fan controllers supported by the new cards.Nicolaychuk, who develops MSI Afterburner in close collaboration with the Taiwanese company, likely has early insights into these upcoming GPUs. His comments further reinforce the buzz surrounding the RTX 5000 series and the anticipated technological advancements it will bring.The latest stable version of MSI Afterburner (4.6.5) was released in April 2023, while the most recent beta version (4.6.6 Beta 3) dates back to March 2024. As many enthusiast gamers and content creators are well aware, this versatile tool offers an array of essential features, including GPU overclocking, performance monitoring, benchmarking in-game graphics, capturing screenshots, and more.MSI Afterburner supports a wide range of GPUs from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel, including integrated graphics. It even allows users to record video clips of their gaming sessions. However, based on my personal tests, it ranked third in terms of performance impact and overall video quality compared to Nvidia ShadowPlay and OBS Studio. That said, I rely on MSI Afterburner constantly especially when battling through the toughest challenges in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree to monitor how my hardware is holding up. // Related StoriesDespite its immense popularity, MSI Afterburner faced an uncertain future in 2023 due to sanctions against Vladimir Putin's Russia. Nicolaychuk revealed that MSI hadn't paid him in over a year, leaving him unwilling to maintain the project without compensation. Fortunately, the issue was eventually resolved, allowing development to continue as usual.

Why it matters: The cost of progress is getting steeper with each new manufacturing process TSMC develops for Apple's A-series chips, which power the iPhone and iPad. A recent analysis sheds light on the increasing wafer prices and the diminishing transistor density gains Apple faces. Let's rewind to 2013 and the A7, Apple's first 64-bit chip built on TSMC's 28nm process. At the time, those 28nm wafers cost Apple $5,000 each, according to Creative Strategies CEO Ben Bajarin's supply chain sources. Those wafers packed a billion transistors into the A7's dual-core CPU and quad-cluster GPU.Fast forward to today, and the wafers for Apple's latest A18 Pro chips now cost $18,000 apiece over 3.5 times the price of the A7's wafers. This translates to an eye-watering increase in cost per square millimeter, rising from $0.07 on 28nm to $0.25 on 3nm.To be fair, the A18 Pro is fabricated on TSMC's cutting-edge 3nm process and crams an astonishing 20 billion transistors into its significantly more powerful CPU, GPU, and neural cores.Despite these impressive advancements, the rising costs are becoming harder to justify as performance gains diminish. Transistor density improvements have slowed in recent years as well. // Related StoriesBajarin notes that the biggest density gains came during the transitions to 20nm and 16nm, and the "glory days" of 10nm and 7nm with the A11 and A12. Those two chips saw transistor density hikes of 86% and 69% respectively compared to previous generations.However, in the past few years, these gains have slowed to a crawl. Between the A16 and A18 Pro, transistor density increases have dropped to single-digit percentages, largely due to diminishing returns in SRAM scaling. Despite this, Apple has to pay the piper much steeper prices for each new process node.Also read: Aiming for Atoms The Art of Making Chips SmallerAs for what's Apple's play here, it's all about maximizing the key performance-per-watt metric. As Bajarin explained to Tom's Hardware, IPC throughput gains are getting harder each generation, so the company has had to switch gears to focus more on power efficiency and keeping operating costs in check. Bajarin added that Apple has successfully maintained relatively stable die sizes while dramatically increasing transistor density.It should also be noted that as a top customer, Apple has a few advantages over other TSMC clients. Rumor has it that Apple is the only client paying TSMC per "good die" rather than per full wafer, giving it a competitive edge over its rivals.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsForced Perspective: Caged BirdForced Perspective: Ship in a BottleForced Perspective: Flowers in Three VasesForced Perspective: Capturing a ThiefForced Perspective: Long-Eared BunnyForced Perspective: Catching a Big FishForced Perspective: Light up the Bridge LampsForced Perspective: Flying BuntingsForced Perspective: Thuddy SnowmanForced Perspective: Happy BearForced Perspective: Empty FlowerpotForced Perspective: Burning with AngerForced Perspective: Catching a WaterfallThere are many different types of puzzle quests in Infinity Nikki, such as the Kindled Inspiration or the Risky Photography quests. One of the tougher types of quests to complete are the Forced Perspective quests that require you to take photos in specific perspectives to illicit an illusion of sorts.Recommended VideosDifficultyModerateDuration1 hourYou will come across a myriad of Forced Perspective quests around the open world of this gacha dress-up game. If you're stuck figuring out how to take the right photo for the Infinity Nikki Forced Perspective quests, here's some guidance on what your photos should look like.InFold GamesTalk to Ginona by the bridge in Florawish. She is standing on the deck of her house, and will ask you to take a photo of a caged bird for her.The bird cage is right behind Ginona, alongside the bird that you're meant to pretend is in the cage with this perspective.InFold GamesInFold GamesToscani is south of the Mayor's Residence Warp Spire and looking out over the water. He wants a photo of a ship in a bottle.This one is tricky, but make sure to zoom in enough for the photo to accept the ship inside of the bottle.InFold GamesInFold GamesToscani will now be by the house north of the Mayor's Residence Warp Spire. He's looking for a photo of three vases with flowers.Get right in front of the three blue vases in front of the house and make it look like the middle one has white flowers in it.InFold GamesInFold GamesTalk to Toran, who is near the statue outside of the Mayor's Residence. He wants a photo of what looks to be a captured thief.Just behind Toran is a house with an iron fence. Find the part with the thief painted on the walls, and take a picture with the iron bars in front of the thief.InFold GamesInFold GamesQiara is at the Leisurely Anglers Florawish Branch and is looking for a photo of a long-eared bunny.Use the hanging life ring as the bunny's body, and the two oars behind it as the bunny ears for this photo.InFold GamesInFold GamesViliak is at Meadow Wharf and wants you to take a photo of you catching a big fish.Hop onto the small boat on the water to get the right angle for this photo. Have the hook in front of the drawing of the fish.InFold GamesInFold GamesMeet Tristan at night in front of the Breezy Meadow bridge. He's looking for a photo showing the bridge's lamps lit up.Run backward far enough so you can use the lamp post in your photo. Make the lamp's light parallel with the hanging bridge light.InFold GamesInFold GamesJust southwest of the Lavenfringe Fields Warp Spire in Stoneville is Rico. He wants a photo of two scarecrows pulling the bunting.Take a picture of the red and blue scarecrow with the bunting in between and behind them.InFold GamesInFold GamesTalk to Sunkissed Stella in the Abandoned District on Windrider Mill. She wants a photo of a snowman.Nearby are two pumpkins that when photographed together look like the head and body of a snowman.InFold GamesInFold GamesTalk to Playful Pollie in the Handsome Lads Circus maze in the Abandoned District. She wants a photo of a bear holding balloons.Take the photo of the hay bale bear near the entrance to the maze with balloons in its paw.InFold GamesInFold GamesFind Sopuda by the river northeast of the Wishcraft Lab in the Wishing Woods. She wants a photo of a flower pot with flowers.Put the flower bush that's growing on the ground in front of the empty flower pot.InFold GamesInFold GamesTalk to Turaida in the Grand Tree Residential Area in the Wishing Woods. He wants a photo of himself burning with anger.Get in perspective so that the blue flame drawing is right behind Turaida's head.InFold GamesInFold GamesFind Titibo in the northern part of the Wishing Woods south of the Workshop Waterwheel Warp Spire. He wants a photo of a barrel catching a waterfall.Zoom into the small barrel and make it look like the waterfall to the west is falling into it.InFold GamesEditors Recommendations

Troubleshooting only gets easier HDMI 2.2 will require new Ultra96 cables, whenever we have 8K TVs and content The physical connector is, confusingly but expectedly, the same. Kevin Purdy Jan 6, 2025 12:27 pm | 17 The HDMI Forum's guidance on how cable markers might properly identify their future HDMI 2.2 cables, including QR-code-based certification of authentic Ultra96 cables. Credit: HDMI Forum The HDMI Forum's guidance on how cable markers might properly identify their future HDMI 2.2 cables, including QR-code-based certification of authentic Ultra96 cables. Credit: HDMI Forum Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreWe've all had a good seven years to figure out why our interconnected devices refused to work properly with the HDMI 2.1 specification. The HDMI Forum announced at CES today that it's time to start considering new headaches. HDMI 2.2 will require new cables for full compatibility, but it has the same physical connectors. Tiny QR codes are suggested to help with that, however.The new specification is named HDMI 2.2, but compatible cables will carry an "Ultra96" marker to indicate that they can carry 96GBps, double the 48 of HDMI 2.1b. The Forum anticipates this will result in higher resolutions and refresh rates and a "next-gen HDMI Fixed Rate Link." The Forum cited "AR/VR/MR, spatial reality, and light field displays" as benefiting from increased bandwidth, along with medical imaging and machine vision. Examples of how HDMI 2.2's synchronization abilities will benefit home theaters. Examples of how HDMI 2.2's synchronization abilities will benefit home theaters. A visualization of how far HDMI has come in bandwidth, from 1.0 to 2.2. A visualization of how far HDMI has come in bandwidth, from 1.0 to 2.2.Examples of how HDMI 2.2's synchronization abilities will benefit home theaters.A visualization of how far HDMI has come in bandwidth, from 1.0 to 2.2.A bit closer to home, the HDMI 2.2 specification also includes "Latency Indication Protocol" (LIP), which can help improve audio and video synchronization. This should matter most in "multi-hop" systems, such as home theater setups with soundbars or receivers. Illustrations offered by the Forum show LIP working to correct delays on headphones, soundbars connected through ARC or eARC, and mixed systems where some components may be connected to a TV, while others go straight into the receiver.HDMI 2.2 is not a real thing you can buy into yet, as both cable and device manufacturers have not received the full specification yet and need time to build supported components.As to whether you need to buy into HDMI 2.2, that's another issue. You can already get uncompressed 8K, 60HZ video signals with 8-bit color depth or compressed 10K at 120Hz with 12-bit color depth through a top-flight HDMI-2.1b-compliant cable. It's the rare home system that needs more than that right now, let alone one that has any content to actually play at those rates.The Forum, perhaps knowing the deep grief that is trying to buy a "high speed" cable in modern times, wants people to look for an "Ultra96" badge on cable packaging. In addition, one can scan a QR code and see that a cable has been certified and is not counterfeit.Kevin PurdySenior Technology ReporterKevin PurdySenior Technology Reporter Kevin is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering open-source software, PC gaming, home automation, repairability, e-bikes, and tech history. He has previously worked at Lifehacker, Wirecutter, iFixit, and Carbon Switch. 17 Comments

INTELLIGENT COG IN THE WHEEL Sam Altman says we are now confident we know how to build AGI The race to replace human workers continues in Big Tech, but not everyone is convinced it will happen so soon. Benj Edwards Jan 6, 2025 12:18 pm | 0 Sam Altman speaks onstage during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2024 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 04, 2024 in New York City. Credit: Eugene Gologursky via Getty Images Sam Altman speaks onstage during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2024 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 04, 2024 in New York City. Credit: Eugene Gologursky via Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreOn Sunday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman offered two eye-catching predictions about the near-future of artificial intelligence. In a post titled "Reflections" on his personal blog, Altman wrote, "We are now confident we know how to build AGI as we have traditionally understood it." He added, "We believe that, in 2025, we may see the first AI agents 'join the workforce' and materially change the output of companies."Both statements are notable coming from Altman, who has served as the leader of OpenAI during the rise of mainstream generative AI products such as ChatGPT. AI agents are the latest marketing trend in AI, allowing AI models to take action on a user's behalf. However, critics of the company and Altman immediately took aim at the statements on social media."We are now confident that we can spin bullshit at unprecedented levels, and get away with it," wrotefrequent OpenAI critic Gary Marcus in response to Altman's post. "So we now aspire to aim beyond that, to hype in purest sense of that word. We love our products, but we are here for the glorious next rounds of funding. With infinite funding, we can control the universe."AGI, short for "artificial general intelligence," is a nebulous term that OpenAI typically defines as "highly autonomous systems that outperform humans at most economically valuable work." Elsewhere in the field, AGI typically means an adaptable AI model that can generalize (apply existing knowledge to novel situations) beyond specific examples found in its training data, similar to how some humans can do almost any kind of work after having been shown few examples of how to do a task.According to a longstanding investment rule at OpenAI, the rights over developed AGI technology are excluded from its IP investment contracts with companies such as Microsoft. In a recently revealed financial agreement between the two companies, the firms clarified that "AGI" will have been achieved at OpenAI when one of its AI models generates at least $100 billion in profits.Tech companies don't say this out loud very often, but AGI would be useful for them because it could replace many human employees with software, automating information jobs and reducing labor costs while also boosting productivity. The potential societal downsides of this could be considerable, and those implications extend far beyond the scope of this article. But the potential economic shock of inventing artificial knowledge workers has not escaped Altman, who has forecast the need for universal basic income as a potential antidote for what he sees coming.Criticism of predictions of impending AGIArtificial workers or not, some people have already been calling "BS" on Altman's optimism. It's nothing new. Marcus, a professor emeritus of psychology and neural science at New York University, often serves as a public foil to Altman's pronouncements, a trend that largely began when Marcus appeared before the US Senate in a May 2023 hearing as a skeptical counterpoint to Altman's testimony during the same session.On Sunday, Marcus laid out his most recent criticisms of OpenAI's prediction of achieving AGI soon in a series of posts where he detailed how current language models sometimes fail at basic tasks like math problems, "commonsense reasoning," and maintaining accuracy when faced with novel problems.OpenAI's current "best" released AI model, o1-pro, what you might call a "simulated reasoning" or SR model, reportedly performs well on some mathematical and scientific tasks but still shares weaknesses with OpenAI's GPT-4o large language model, such as failing to generalize well beyond its training data. And it may not be as strong as OpenAI claims in some cases.For example, Marcus cited a recent benchmark conducted by All Hands AI that reportedly shows that OpenAI's o1 model scored only 30 percent on SWE-Bench verified problems (a set of GitHub-based problems), which is below OpenAI's claimed 48.9 percent performance rate, while Anthropic's Claude Sonnet (which is not purported to be an SR model) achieved 53 percent on the same benchmark.Even so, OpenAI claims further progress on its AI model capabilities over time. In December, OpenAI announced o3, its latest SR model that impressed some AI experts by reportedly performing well on very difficult math benchmarks, but it has not yet been released for public examination.Superintelligence as well?Altman's post follows his September prediction that the AI industry may develop superintelligence "in a few thousand days." Superintelligence is an industry term for a hypothetical AI model that could far surpass human intelligence. Former OpenAI Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever founded a company around the pursuit of the technology last year.Altman addressed the topic in his latest post as well."We are beginning to turn our aim beyond [AGI], to superintelligence in the true sense of the word," he wrote. "We love our current products, but we are here for the glorious future. With superintelligence, we can do anything else. Superintelligent tools could massively accelerate scientific discovery and innovation well beyond what we are capable of doing on our own and in turn massively increase abundance and prosperity."Despite frequent and necessary skepticism from critics, Altman has been responsible for at least one verifiable tech catalyst: the release of ChatGPT, which served as an unexpected tipping point, he says, that brought AI to the masses and launched our current AI-obsessed tech era. Even if OpenAI doesn't get to AGI as soon as Altman thinks, there's no doubt that OpenAI has taken the technology to unexpected places and spurred wide-ranging research on AI models in the tech industry."We started OpenAI almost nine years ago because we believed that AGI was possible and that it could be the most impactful technology in human history," he reflected in his post. "At the time, very few people cared, and if they did, it was mostly because they thought we had no chance of success."Benj EdwardsSenior AI ReporterBenj EdwardsSenior AI Reporter Benj Edwards is Ars Technica's Senior AI Reporter and founder of the site's dedicated AI beat in 2022. He's also a tech historian with almost two decades of experience. In his free time, he writes and records music, collects vintage computers, and enjoys nature. He lives in Raleigh, NC. 0 Comments

Full Nelson Outgoing NASA administrator urges incoming leaders to stick with Artemis plan "I was almost intrigued why they would do it a few days before me being sworn in." Eric Berger Jan 6, 2025 12:02 pm | 2 Administrator Bill Nelson will have the final say on how Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams return to Earth. Credit: Trevor Mahlmann Administrator Bill Nelson will have the final say on how Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams return to Earth. Credit: Trevor Mahlmann Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreAfter a long career as a politician from Florida, former astronaut Bill Nelson has served as NASA's administrator for the last three and a half years. He intends to resign from this position in about two weeks when President Joe Biden ends his term in the White House.Several significant events have happened under Nelson's watch at NASA, including the long-delayed but ultimately successful launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the flight of the first Artemis mission, and the momentous decision to fly Boeing's Starliner spacecraft back to Earth without crew aboard. But as he leaves office, there are questions about ongoing delays with NASA's signature Artemis Program to return humans to the Moon.Ars spoke with Nelson about his time in office, the major decisions he made, and the concerns he has for the space agency's future under the Trump administration. What follows is a lightly edited transcript of our conversation.Ars: I wanted to start with the state of Artemis. You all had an event a few weeks ago where you talked about Artemis II and Artemis II delays. And you know, both those missions have slipped a couple of years now since you've been administrator. So I'm just wondering, do you know how confident we should be in the current timeline?Bill Nelson: Well, I am very confident because this most recent [delay] was occasioned by virtue of the heat shield, and it has been unanimous after all of the testing that they understand what happened to Orion's heat shield. The chunks came off in an irregular pattern from the Artemis I heat shield. With the change in the re-entry profile, they are unanimous in their recommendation that we can go with the Artemis II heat shield as it is.And I must say that of the major decisions that I've made, that was an easy one for me because it was unanimous. When I say it was unanimous, it was unanimous in the IRT, the independent review team, headed by Paul Hill. It wasn't to begin with, but after all the extensive testing, everybody was on board. It was unanimous in the deputy's committee. It was unanimous in the agency committee, and that brought it to me then in the Executive Council, and it was unanimous there.So I'm very confident that you're going to see Artemis II fly on or around April of 2026, and then if the SpaceX lander is ready, and that, of course, is a big ifbut they have met all of their milestones, and we'll see what happens on this next test... If they are ready, I think it is very probable that we will see the lunar landing in the summer of 2027.Ars: I understand that you're heading to Florida for the debut launch of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. What is the significance of the private industry building another private, heavy lift vehicle? How is this important for Blue Origin's Human Landing System?Bill Nelson: I've said we needed two landers because if one poops out, we've got another one. And if ever there's been a good example of why you ought to do that, it's the commercial crew to orbit. You started out, and this started back in the Obama administrationSpaceX and Boeing were selected to compete. And of course, the hands-down favorite at the time was Boeing. You see where we would be. So there's a pretty good example of why you need two. New Glenn rocket undergoes a hot-fire test on Friday evening in Florida. Credit: Blue Origin New Glenn rocket undergoes a hot-fire test on Friday evening in Florida. Credit: Blue Origin Ars: Speaking of the Human Landing System decision, I've heard you were a bit upset that the decision in April 2021 was rushed before your confirmation. At the time, they picked one, SpaceX's Starship. Were you upset?Bill Nelson: The answer is no, this is not true. But let me tell you why the speculation is there. I was sworn in on the third of May. I believe that decision was made the previous week. [Note: It was. NASA publicly announced Starship's selection on April 30.]So it clearly had been made after I was unanimously reported by the Senate committee. That's why there's all this speculation that I was upset. I do not, in any way, object to the outcome. I think it was the right outcome, and SpaceX was clearly the right winner. Which is another reason, by the way, to have a commercial partner because, in effect, SpaceX is picking up half the bill of the lander.I did think it kind of unusual. I was almost intrigued why they would do it a few days before me being sworn in. However, I don't object. I think it was the right decision. But the decision then was immediately appealed by [Blue Origin founder] Jeff Bezos. It slowed down everything for six months until the appeal was overturned, and then I insisted that there be a second lander competition, and that's when we went to work to get the money for the second competition.Ars: What's going on with the Mars Sample Return mission? You made an important decision about a year ago by shutting the current program down for a re-think.Bill Nelson: On Tuesday, we're going to announce the Mars sample return decisions, and it will not put the new administration in a box. We're going to work it up with options for them to consider, and then, in large part, it's going to be their decisions because of the funding. But sooner or later, the samples will be returned from Mars, and therefore, we will have an idea that millions of years ago, was there life on Mars? And what happened? And what can we learn if there was life that we could become better stewards of ours?Ars: Do you think you have some options that are affordable for the mission? From a schedule and cost standpoint, it was looking pretty untenable.Bill Nelson: Well, that's why I pulled the plug on it, because it was too costly, and it was going to take all the way to 2040, and that's unacceptable. So I think you will see in the options that we're going to present on Tuesday that our desire to bring it in quicker and cheaper is certainly doable.Ars: What do you think of the Trump administration's plan to nominate private astronaut and entrepreneur Jared Isaacman as your successor?Bill Nelson: I don't really know him. I've met him. I called him on the day it was announced and congratulated him and told him that I was happy to help in any way. But I really do not know him. Obviously, a lot of people think very highly of him, and so I wish him well, and if he is confirmed as the administrator of NASA, he will certainly have my support.Ars: Do you think it's appropriate for the next administration to review the Artemis Program?Bill Nelson: Are you implying that Artemis should be canceled?Ars: No. I don't think Artemis will be canceled in the main. But I do think they're going to take a look at the way the missions are done at the architecture. I know NASA just went through that process with Orion's heat shield.Bill Nelson: Well, I think questioning what you're doing clearly is always an issue that ought to be on the table. But do I think that they are going to cancel, as some of the chatter out there suggests, and replace SLS with Starship? The answer is no.Ars: Why?Bill Nelson: Put yourself in the place of President Trump. Do you think President Trump would like to have a conversation with American astronauts on the surface of the Moon during his tenure?Ars: Of course. Elon Musk, SpaceX's CEO, President-elect Donald Trump, and Gen. Chance Saltzman of the US Space Force watch the sixth launch of Starship Tuesday. Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images Elon Musk, SpaceX's CEO, President-elect Donald Trump, and Gen. Chance Saltzman of the US Space Force watch the sixth launch of Starship Tuesday. Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images Bill Nelson: OK, let me ask you another question. Do you think that President Trump would rather have a conversation with American astronauts during his tenure rather than listening to the comments of Chinese astronauts on the Moon during his tenure?My case is closed, your Honor, I submit it to the jury.Ars: You've had a long relationship with Elon Musk. I think some good, some bad. And I'm just wondering how comfortable you are with the role he's playing, advising the incoming president on space policy, given that SpaceX is integral to what NASA is doing, and there's some pretty clear conflicts of interest there.Bill Nelson: I have not had any bad experiences with Elon vis--vis our space program. I have always said to him, and I've said it to him at least twice personally, that SpaceX's success on the lander is NASA's success, and SpaceX's success on the lander is America's success. I have a great relationship with Gwynne (Shotwell), and I think it's a tribute to Elon that he lets her run SpaceX.Now that's my professional relationship with Elon. I have not ventured in a relationship with him with regard to what you're referring to in his conduct in an election and the future. I will venture to say that as to the future of NASA, since I am basically an optimist by nature, I believe that at least for the human program going to the Moon and then eventually to Mars, I think that Elon, with his personal relationship with the president-elect, can make sure that NASA has the money to accomplish that. And for that reason, I am optimistic.Ars: What are you going to do next?Bill Nelson: Well, the first thing I'm going to do is sequester myself for a couple of months, and I'm going to see if in this experience of 50 years, having already written one book 38 years ago about NASA, specifically about training, spaceflight, and the Challenger disaster, I'm going to see if there's the thread of some story that might be worth publishing.Ars: As one writer to another, I wish you the best of luck with that.Eric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 2 Comments

Pluto (right) and its moon Charon, photographed by NASAs New Horizons probe in 2015NASA/JHUAPL/SwRIPluto and its moon Charon may have been briefly locked together in a cosmic kiss, before the dwarf planet released the smaller body and recaptured it in its orbit.Charon is the largest of Plutos five moons, with a radius more than half that of Pluto itself,but the question of how it came to orbit Pluto has puzzled astronomers. AdvertisementOne prominent theory suggests that Charon formed after a vast object smashed into Pluto, spewing debris into space that later formed Charon, similar to how scientists think Earths moon formed. But Charons large size and close orbit, at eight times wider than Pluto itself, make this a challenging scenario to explain.Now, Adeene Denton at the University of Arizona and her colleagues have proposed that Charon may have a less destructive origin story, which they describe as a kiss and capture.Previous simulations have treated Pluto and Charon as fluids an assumption that works when modelling collisions between larger bodies. But recent research has shown that with objects of lighter mass than Earths moon, the material strength of their composition influences the outcome. Pluto and Charon are quite small, so the assumption that they are fluid bodies probably no longer applies, says Denton. Voyage across the galaxy and beyond with our space newsletter every month.Sign up to newsletterThe researchers ran simulations that take into account Pluto and Charons compositions of rock and ice, and found that a more likely scenario involved a gentle sticking together and parting ways.Their model showed that a proto-Charon may have penetrated a proto-Plutos icy shell and the two bodies would have spun together rapidly for around 10 hours. Eventually, the spinning flung Charon back out and it settled into Plutos orbit.I had always assumed that any collision between planetary bodies that were hundreds of kilometres across would destroy the smaller one, if captured, says David Rothery at the Open University, UK.While the kiss-and-capture scenario is interesting, says Rothery, it will need to also explain the complex geological features seen on both Pluto and Charon, such as heavily cratered surfaces and icy volcanism, which it doesnt currently.Journal reference:Nature Geoscience DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01612-0Topics:Pluto

Velvet ants sting by injecting venom from their abdomenJojo Dexter/Getty ImagesThe sting of a female velvet ant is one of the most painful in the animal kingdom. Now, researchers have discovered that these insects have multiple proteins in their venom that make it exquisitely effective against a wide range of victims, including invertebrates, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.Velvet ants are in fact a family of wingless wasps with more than 7000 species. The researcher Justin Schmidt, who invented the Schmidt sting pain index, described their sting as explosive and long-lasting, you sound insane as you scream. Hot oil from the deep fryer spilling over your entire hand. AdvertisementTo investigate what makes it so painful, Dan Tracey at Indiana University and his colleagues asked members of the public to carefully collect female scarlet velvet ants (Dasymutilla occidentalis) from sites in Indiana and Kentucky.They tested the venom on fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), mice (Mus musculus) and a Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis), a potential predator of velvet ants.One of the peptides that the team isolated from the venom, called Do6a, clearly caused a response in insects but, surprisingly, not in mice. Unmissable news about our planet delivered straight to your inbox every month.Sign up to newsletterSo this means that the venom has evolved to have components that are specifically targeting pain-sensing neurons of insects and other ingredients are targeting the mammals, says Tracey.The team further tested this by allowing a praying mantis to attempt to capture velvet ants.We discovered that the velvet ants always escaped from the grip of the mantis by stinging it in self-defence, says Tracey.However, mice did show strong pain responses when tested with other peptides isolated from the velvet ant venom, called Do10a and Do13a.After finding the peptides that activate neurons, the researchers compared the venom peptide sequences from four other velvet ant species.All of them have an almost identical version of the peptide that potently activates insect pain-sensing neurons, says Lydia Borjon, a team member at Indiana University. They also have some peptides that look similar to the general neuron activators, but with some differences. So, it is likely that pain is caused in a similar way in other velvet ant species.The research could help to develop new pain treatments for humans, says Borjon.Journal reference:Current Biology DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.11.070Topics: