You can't replace cats with AI, not yet Three bizarre home devices and a couple good things at CES 2025 Some quietly good things made an appearance at CES 2025, amidst the AI slush. Kevin Purdy Jan 11, 2025 7:30 am | 19 Credit: Verity Burns/WIRED UK Credit: Verity Burns/WIRED UK Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreEvery year, thousands of product vendors, journalists, and gadget enthusiasts gather in an unreasonable city to gawk at mostly unrealistic products.To be of service to our readers, Ars has done the work of looking through hundreds of such items presented at the 2025 Consumer Electronic Show, pulling out the most bizarre, unnecessary, and head-scratching items. Andrew Cunningham swept across PC and gaming accessories. This writer has stuck to goods related to the home.It's a lie to say it's all a prank, so I snuck in a couple of actually good things for human domiciles announced during CES. But the stuff you'll want to tell your family and friends about in mock disbelief? Plenty of that, still.AI-powered spice dispenser: SpicerrPart of my job is to try and stretch my viewpoint outwardto encompass people who might not have the same experiences and who might want different things from technology. Not everybody is a professional writer, pecking away in Markdown about the latest turn-based strategy game they are enjoying. You must try to hear many timbres inside the common voice in your head when addressing new products and technologies.I cannot get there with Spicerr, the "world's first AI-powered spice dispenser," even living aside the AI bit. Is the measurement and dumping of spices into a dish even 5 percent of the overall challenge? Will a mechanical dispenser be any more precise than standard teaspoons? Are there many kinds of food for which you would want to sprinkle a "customized blend" of spices? Are there home cooks who are so dedicated to fresh, bright flavors that they want their spices delivered in small vials, at presumably premium prices, rather than simply having small quantities of regularly restocked essentials?Maybe the Spicerr would be a boon to inexperienced cooks, whose relatives all know them to under-season their food. Rather than buying them a battery-powered device, they must charge to "take the guesswork out of seasoning," though, you could buy them good cookbooks, or a Times Cooking subscription, or just a few new bottles of paprika, oregano, cumin, cayenne, and turmeric.Philips Hues (sigh) AI-powered lighting assistantsI'm not dismayed that Philips Hue is jumping on the "This has AI now" bandwagon. Well, I am, but not specifically dismayed, because every vendor at CES this year is hawking AI. No, the bad thing here is that Hue lights are devices that work great. Maybe Philips' pursuit of an "AI assistant" to help you figure out that Halloween lights should be orange-ish won't distract them from their core product's reliability. But I have my doubts.Hue has recently moved from a relatively open lighting system to an app-and-account-required cloud-controlled scheme, supposedly in the name of security and user control. Having an AI assistant is perhaps another way to sell services beyond hardware, like the $130 or $3/month LG TV app it now offers. The AI service is free for now, but charging for it in the future is far from impossible.Again, none of this should necessarily affect people who, like me, use Hue bulbs to have a porch light come on at sunset or turn a dim, warm hue when it's time to wind down. But it felt like Hue, which charges a very decent amount for their hardware, might have held off on chasing this trend.Robot vacuums doing way too muchRobot vacuums are sometimes worth the hassle and price. If you don't mind doing a pre-vacuum sweep of things that might get stuck in its brushes, you've got room for an emptying base or will empty it yourself, and you don't mind that they usually miss floor edges and corners. They're fine, I'm saying.Robot vacuum makers have steadfastly refused to accept "fine" and are out way over their skis this year. In one trade show, you can find:Eureka's J15 Max Ultra, incorporating "IntelliView AI 2.0," infrared, and FHD vision, detects liquid spills and switches brushes and vacuums to better clean and avoid spreading.Roborock's Saros Z70 has a "mechanical task arm" that can pick up objects like socks and small debris (up to 10.5 ounces) and put them in a pre-determined pile spot.SwitchBot's modular K20+ Pro, which is a vacuum onto which you can attach air purifiers, tablet mounts, security cameras, or other things you want rolling around your home.Dreame's X50, which can pivot to clean some small ledges, but cannot actually climb.The Narwal Flow, which has a wide, flat, off-center mop to reach wall edges.Pricing and availability are not available for these vacuums yet, but each is likely to set you back the equivalent of at least one new MacBook. They are also rather big devices to stash in your home (it's hard to hide an arm or an air purifier). Each is an early adopter device, and getting replacement consumable parts for them long-term is an uncertain bet. I'm not sure who they are for, but that has not stopped this apparently fertile field from marching onward.Now for good things, starting with Google HomeI've been watching and occasionally writing about the progress of the nascent Matter smart home protocol, somewhat in the vein of a high school coach who knows their team is held back by a lack of coordination, communication, and consistent direction. What Matter wants to do is vital for the future of the smart home, but it's very much a loose scrimmage right now.And yet, this week, in a CES-adjacent announcement, Google reminded me that Matter can really, uh, matter. All of Google Home's hub devicesNest screens and speakers, Chromecasts, Google TV devices running at least Android 14, and a few other gadgetscan interoperate with Matter devices locally, with no cloud required.That means people with a Google Home setup can switch devices, adjust volumes, and otherwise control devices, faster, with Internet outages or latency no longer an issue. Local, no-cloud-required control of devices across brands is one of Matter's key promises, and seeing it happen inside one major home brand is encouraging.More we'll-see-what-happens news is the unveiling of the public Home APIs, which promise to make it easier for third-party devices to be set up, integrated, and automated in a Google Home setup. Even if you're skeptical of Google's long-term support for APIs, the company is also working with the Matter group to improve the Matter certification process for all devices. Device makers should then have Matter to fall back onto, failing enthusiasm for Google Home APIs.This cat tower is also an air purifier; it is also goodThere are a lot of phones out there that need charging and a bunch of gamers who, for some reason, need even more controllers and screens to play on. But there is another, eternally underserved market getting some attention at CES: cats wanting to sit.LG, which primarily concerned itself with stuffing generative AI interfaces into every other device at CES 2025, crafted something that feels like a real old-time trade show gimmick. There is no guarantee that your cat or cat will use the AeroCat Tower; some cats will sit inside the cardboard box it came in seemingly out of spite. But should they deign to luxuriate on it, the AeroCat will provide gentle heat beneath them, weigh them, and give you a record of their sleep habits. Also, it purifies the air in that room.There is no pricing or availability information yet. But if you like your cats, you want to combine the function of a cat tower and air purifier, or you just want to consider something even just a little bit fun about the march of technology, look out for this one.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. 19 Comments

As the song says, the Beats go on. Well, not exactly what the song says, but you get the drift. But the Amazon deals on Beats headphones and earbuds do indeed go on, and the latest is todays 36% off sale on the Beats Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earbuds.See at AmazonThe best Beats for workout fanatics, runners, and anyone who prefers earhooks on their buds for more stability and comfort are just $159 while this deal lasts $20 less than the Apple AirPods 4 and nearly $90 less than the AirPods Pro 2. The Powerbeats Pro are powered by Apples H1 headphone chip, the same one that you find in the AirPods Max for nearly $400 more.Perfect for Your Gym BagIf youve ever had to deal with earbuds shaking loose while youre on the treadmill or taking an active-motion exercise class, you know how a pair of earhooks are the best way to keep your buds firmly in place while staying wireless. The Powerbeats Pro have adjustable, secure-fit earhooks that keep your tunes rolling comfortably.The enhanced sweat and water resistance of the Powerbeats Pro are another mark in the plus column for anyone seeking the ideal sound companion for your trips to the gym or outdoor workouts, and if youre a truly dedicated gym rat or long-distance runner, youll love that the Powerbeats Pro have a 9-hour battery life on a single charge, and up to 24 hours of combined playback when you factor in the charging case.Its Still About the SoundHaving earbuds that can hang and bang with you in the gym is great, but if they sound like junk, whats the point. Beats, however, claimed their place among the top headphone brands with their outstanding sound and tub-thumping bass. The Powerbeats Pro sacrificed none of that sound to make them workout-friendly. They support Spatial Audio for truly immersive sound, and that H1 chip creates greater range and fewer dropouts.Each bud has full volume and track controls, so you dont need to fumble with your smartphone to make adjustments. And that smartphone can be an iPhone or Android device the Powerbeats Pro are compatible with both. They also have Audio Sharing so you can pair two sets of Powerbeats Pro with the same device so you can listen with a friend.The $160 Powerbeats Pro available now at Amazon move to the front of the line if youre looking for earbuds that are right at home in your gym bag and able to bring world-class sound when you comfortably latch them over your ears. Grab yours now before this deal ends.See at Amazon

When wildfires spread into neighborhoods, they burn all kinds of materials found in cars and houses and everything around them electronics, paint, plastics, furniture. Research shows that the mix of chemicals released when human-made materials like these burn is different from what is emitted during a vegetation fire and is potentially more toxic. The smoke and ash can blow under doors and around windows in nearby homes, bringing in chemicals that are absorbed into furniture, walls, and other indoor surfaces and continue off-gassing for weeks to months. As people return to smoke-damaged homes after a wildfire, there are several steps they can take to protect their health before starting to clean. Elevated levels of metals and VOCs In 2021, after the Marshall Fire swept through neighborhoods near Boulder, Colorado, my colleagues and I at Colorado universities and labs heard from many residents who were worried about the ash and lingering smells inside their homes that had otherwise survived the flames.In homes that my colleagues were able to quickly test, they found elevated levels of metals and PAHs polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the ash. We also found elevated VOCs volatile organic compounds in airborne samples. Some VOCs, such as dioxins, benzene, formaldehyde and PAHs, can be toxic to humans. Benzene is a known carcinogen.At the time, we could find no information about physical health implications for people who have returned to smoke-damaged homes after a wildfire. So, to look for patterns, we surveyed residents affected by the fire six months, one year and two years after the fire. Even six months after the fire, we found that many people were reporting symptoms that aligned with health risks related to smoke and ash from fires.More than half (55%) reported that they were experiencing at least one symptom six months after the blaze that they attributed to the Marshall Fire. The most common symptoms reported were itchy or watery eyes (33%), headache (30%), dry cough (27%), sneezing (26%) and sore throat (23%). All of these symptoms, as well as having a strange taste in ones mouth, were associated with people reporting that their home smelled differently when they returned to it one week after the fire.Many survey respondents said that the smells decreased over time. Most attributed the improvement in smell to the passage of time, cleaning surfaces and air ducts, replacing furnace filters, and removing carpet, textiles and furniture from the home. Despite this, many still had symptoms. We also found that living near a large number of burned structures was associated with these health symptoms. We found that for every 10 additional destroyed buildings within 820 feet (250 meters) of a persons home, there was an associated 21% increase in headaches and a 26% increase in having a strange taste in their mouth.These symptoms align with what could be expected from exposure to the chemicals that we found in the ash and measured in the air inside the few smoke-damaged homes that we were able to study in depth. Lingering symptoms and questions There are a still a lot of unanswered questions about the health risks from smoke- and ash-damaged homes. For example, we dont yet know what long-term health implications might look like for people living with lingering gases from wildfire smoke and ash in a home. We found a significant decline in the number of people reporting symptoms one year after the fire. However, 33% percent of the people whose homes were affected and responded to a later survey still reported at least one symptom that they attributed to the fire. About the same percentage also reported at least one symptom two years after the fire.We also could not measure the level of VOCs or metals that each person was exposed to. But we do think that reports of a change in the smell of a persons home one week after the fire demonstrates the likely presence of VOCs in the home. That likely has health implications for people whose homes are exposed to smoke or ash from a wildfire. Tips to protect yourself after wildfires Wildfires are increasingly burning homes and other structures as more people move into the wildland-urban interface, temperatures rise and fire seasons lengthen. If your home survives a wildfire nearby, here are some of the steps to think about before starting to clean: When youre ready to clean your home, start by protecting yourself. Wear at least an N95 (or KN95) mask and gloves, goggles and clothing that covers your skin. Cleaning can send some of those gases and ash into the air again. Keep people with heart or lung diseases, older adults, pregnant women, children and pets away from cleanup activities. Vacuum floors, drapes and furniture. A recent scientific study documents how cleaning all surfaces within a home can reduce reservoirs of VOCs and lower indoor air concentrations of VOCs. Once the air outside has cleared, open windows to let clean air in. Avoid harsh chemical cleaners because they can react with the chemicals in the ash. Clean your HVAC filter and ducts to avoid spreading ash further, and change filters monthly until the smell is gone. Portable air cleaners with carbon filters can help remove VOCs and particles. If your car smells of smoke, consider changing the cabin air filter. This is an update to an article first published Dec. 23, 2024.Colleen E. Reid, Associate Professor of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

By Ed Cara Published January 11, 2025 | Comments (0) | Fresh milkfish being sold at a stall in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. Afriadi Hikmal/NurPhoto via Getty The future of burn and wound care is looking fishyin a good way. New research suggests that a greater variety of fish skins can be used as wound dressings than currently assumed. Researchers at Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines conducted the study, which aimed to test the feasibility of milkfish (Chanos chanos) skin as a base for skin grafts. The researchers found that milkfish skin was just as durable and effective at curbing microbe growth as tilapia fish skin, an emerging skin graft alternative. The discovery could allow milkfish to become a cost-effective, environmental friendly option for treating serious wounds in poorer areas, the researchers say. In recent years, scientists have explored fish skin as a skin graft material for people and animals. Compared to other animal skin grafts, fish skin is more resistant to potential viral contamination and it may be better at speeding up wound healing. Several fish skin graft products are currently being tested and have even been used during emergency crises like the California wildfires in 2023. Right now, though, the most commonly used fish in these grafts is tilapia. So the Ateneo de Manila researchers wanted to see whether the popular milkfish (known as bangus locally) could also be turned into a wound care treatment.Skin samples from tilapia (top) and milkfish (bottom) immersed in silver nanoparticle solution for sterilization. Bianca Patrice Go/Ateneo de Manila University They collected fresh milkfish and tilapia skins from a local market in Metro Manila, then descaled, rinsed, and cut them into strips. Some of the strips were treated with silver nanoparticles, a common antimicrobial, while others were left alone as controls.Under a microscope, the milkfish skins maintained the structural integrity of their collagen about as well as tilapia did. And the treated milkfish skin also appeared to inhibit bacterial and fungal growth just as well, too. By demonstrating that milkfish skin can be effectively sterilized and used similarly to tilapia skin, this research provides innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable wound-healing solutions, the researchers wrote in their paper, published late last year in BIO Web of Conferences.As popular as milkfish is in places like the Philippines, its skin is typically tossed into the trash. So being able to use milkfish skin as a wound dressing would both help hospitals with fewer resources and reduce environmental waste, too. More research will have to be done to confirm the viability of milkfish skin for grafts, but it could certainly turn into a vital treatment option, the researchers say.This finding has the potential to transform wound care in underserved areas, improving patient outcomes in regions with limited access to advanced medical facilities, they wrote. Scientists elsewhere have also begun to test out other species of fish as the base material for skin grafts, such as cod.Daily Newsletter

GAMPA and Sfra with Public Spaces of Automatic Mills in Pardubice / pka architektiSave this picture! Ale JungmannCultural ArchitecturePardubice, Czech RepublicArchitects: pka architektiAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:2522 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 PhotographsPhotographs:Ale Jungmann Lead Architects: Jan Brta, Marek Fischer, Jan pka More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The complex of the former Winternitz Automatic Mills in Pardubice, one of the first implementations of the architect Josef Gor, ceased to serve its purpose in 2013. A year later, it became a national cultural monument. Our intention was to integrate the listed building into the new complex, where it will have a central position. The city, the region and a private person participated financially in the whole event. The aim was to create a new multifunctional urban space for cultural, educational institutions, and private activities. Thus, a kind of triangle of important urban spaces and objects was created, consisting of the Renaissance castle, Pertn Square and the complex of the Automatic Mills. By removing some existing buildings, we enhance the dominant frontal portal with the entrance arch and at the same time allow an unobstructed view of the entire site from the side of the historic part of the city. The creation of two new public spaces, which intentionally have a different character and function, is absolutely fundamental from the point of view of the revitalization of the mills. We confirm the main entrance with a designed square with a sycamore bosquet, where a water channel made of bricks for irrigation is led to each tree. It is primarily a quiet, representative entry point, but we assume that, for example, markets can be held here. Inside the new complex, we are creating the Mill Courtyard, which will be a lively space for holding exhibitions, concerts, or theatre performances in the open air. The proposed public spaces are considered only for the movement of pedestrians. An integral part of the overall concept is the colour solution. The entire complex includes a number of objects of various functions, which were treated by four architectural studios. It was therefore very important to coordinate individual plans together. Our effort was to harmonize all new interventions into a uniform colour that follows the existing brick colour of the Automatic Mills. With this, we wanted to make the entire area more unified, including the walking areas, which are made of bricks and red mortar. The variety of individual objects with various functional uses should not create a chaotic impression.Save this picture!The new building of the GAMPA and Sfry encloses the proposed block of the complex of the former Winternitz automatic mills in Pardubice from the north side. These are two objects financed by the city, each of which has its own special programme. The Gallery of the City of Pardubice GAMPA is located on the ground floor, and the object of the Central Polytechnic Workshops Sfra levitates above it. We left a gap between the two with a view to the surroundings so that the large mass of the new building does not act as a barrier. Thanks to the elevation of the Sfra building, the quiet necessary for students' work is ensured on the higher floors, while GAMPA, which is located in the lower part, is more connected to the public space. The gallery represents a kind of plinth; its roof is also publicly accessible. The building is completely brick and connects to the public space of the Automatic Mills, which thus acquires another dimension by the fact that an amphitheatre for 250 people is located here, where a number of open-air events can be organized in the summer. The outdoor scene is covered by the cantilevered part of the workshop mass and it is possible to completely cover it with a retractable blind. From the public space, the visitor can enter directly into the foyer, where the reception, cloakrooms and toilets are located. Furthermore, it is possible to continue directly to the gallery, which goes around the entire circumference of the area under consideration and is designed over two floors. We primarily work with overhead lighting in all exhibition halls, then in the main area we deliberately allow a view from the window towards the main entrance to the entire mill complex. The gallery is divided into several rooms that can be closed with sliding and accordion doors. Therefore, a number of different exhibitions, or one larger exhibition, can be held here. In summer, it is possible to completely open the parterre with the help of sliding walls towards the courtyard and allow a greater connection with the interior of the gallery. The offices are located on the second floor and are accessible via a separate staircase. In the opposite part of the treated area, there is a residential studio intended for the work of visiting artists.Save this picture!Sfra is located above the GAMPA and is accessible by two staircases, which at the same time create a static support for the object. The workshops are intended primarily for primary and secondary school students and offer top-class equipped classrooms and laboratories for teaching technical and natural sciences. The entrance hall on the fourth above-ground floor, where the reception and cloakrooms are located, can be reached through the main entrance on the ground floor, which also serves as an entrance to the gallery. Vertical communication is enabled by both the mentioned staircases and lifts, while we always declare one as the main entrance and the other as an escape route. Each of the two floors has two classrooms on the sides, namely workshops or laboratories. A staff room is located next to the entrance hall and classrooms. There are toilets opposite. In the very centre of the building, we designed a two-story projection space with a centrally located sphere on which it is possible to project and simulate the natural phenomena of our planet. The lower floor of the textile, graphics, wood, and metal workshops has natural window lighting. On the contrary, the laboratories of physics, chemistry, natural science, and robotics on the top floor have overhead lighting with skylights covered by shades in the form of pyramids. On the same floor as the laboratories, we also find a room with a spherical playground, which is intended for preschool children and where they get to know natural and physical phenomena in the form of games. For better orientation, in collaboration with UMPRUM (Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design in Prague) teachers and students, we designed creatively negotiated niches that respond to individual workshops. Collages were created from wood, textile, metal, and graphic matrices. In part of the roof there is a boiler room with an engine room, accessible by one of the vertical staircases.Save this picture!When solving the object, we asked ourselves the question of the truthfulness of the architectural expression. Our answer is recognized construction and material design. Where we see the bricks are actually masonry load-bearing walls, where there is exposed concrete, it is a load-bearing concrete structure, and where there is weathering-steel sheet cladding, there is a non-load-bearing shell of panels. The effort was to design a coherent material design in the interior and exterior. The lower part of the gallery is brick, and thus follows the industrial construction of the mills. Brickwork not covered with plaster does not only mean a reference to a monument-listed building, but it is a natural effect of the wall itself, which plays a central role in shaping the space. It is a "bare" wall that does not need to be covered, but requires careful craftsmanship. The same can be said about other structural elements, such as ceilings, walls, and floors. The entire building tells us what and how it was really made. We colour matched all the materials to the brickwork. In the case of concrete, almost 30 different samples in the form of cubes had to be cast before the colour could be mixed. We decided to wall these cubes into the brickwork in the entrance hall as a memory of finding the right shade. In the case of the workshops, we used coloured concrete for the structures and floors. The construction of the workshops is based on load-bearing concrete ribs in a grid of 3 3 meters, which support X-beams at the edges near the faade. We are helped to bridge the nine-meter spans by one-meter beams with openings that allow the installation of approved distribution systems in the interior. Thus, classrooms do not have to have additional internal supports. X-beams are a kind of hybrid perforated wall, which at the same time ventilate the entire building around the perimeter. Light panels with insulation, covered with weathering-steel sheet, are placed on the outside.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Pardubice, Czech RepublicLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officepka architektiOffice

As comets approach the center of the Solar System, they send off trails of gas and dust. (Credit: Nazarii_Neshcherenskyi)NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsThere arent many comets that are visible to observers without binoculars or telescopes. But one may be coming, and coming soon. Dubbed the "New Years Comet" for its imminent arrival, Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is currently traveling closer and closer to the center of our Solar System, and is set to come closest on Monday, January 13, 2025. The comet will theoretically be brightest to observers on and around that date, with the best chances of catching it being in the Southern Hemisphere. A Southern SpectacleObserved for the first time in April 2024, the comet will come within its closest proximity to the Sun and Earth on Monday, January 13, 2025, when it will travel within 8.3 million miles of the Sun and 8.7 million miles of Earth. Thats so close that the comet may appear brighter than the stars. In fact, the comets perihelion, or its closest proximity to the Sun in its orbit, is three times closer than Mercurys. At the time of its perihelion, Comet C/2024 G3 may shine about as brightly as Venus, at around negative 4.5 magnitude. But although the comet may be brighter than any other in 2025, it will not be visible to all. Thats because the comet is positioned to be seen better by viewers in the Southern Hemisphere than those in the Northern Hemisphere.Catching the CometAccording to the Planetary Society, the best sightings of the comet are anticipated in the Southern Hemisphere in mid- to late January 2025, when Comet C/2024 G3 will appear in the sky immediately after sunset around the constellation Capricornus.At that time, observers in the Southern Hemisphere may be able to spot the comet above the western horizon, in a similar area of the sky as the setting Sun. In mid-January, the comet will appear closer to the setting Sun but brighter, while in late January, it will appear farther from the setting Sun but dimmer.While Southern-Hemisphere observers may be able to view Comet C/2024 G3 without binoculars or telescopes, observers ability to see the comet will depend on a number of factors, including their vision and location, as well as the weather. The comets appearance in a similar area of the sky as the Sun also adds difficultly for observers, who should take care to avoid staring at the Sun. If you are a Southern-Hemisphere observer hoping to see the comet this January 2025, look for a darker location, far away from cities and other producers of light pollution, where the western horizon will be visible. (Another option is checking out the comet online, through the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, which may be an altogether better sighting.) Brief But BrightA cosmic clump of frozen dust and ice, Comet C/2024 G3 may be born from the frozen leftovers of the Solar Systems formation. According to the Planetary Society, the comet probably originated in the Oort Cloud, a collection of comets and comet-like objects that surround the Solar System, orbiting the Sun from afar. As comets travel along their orbits and come closer to the Sun, they start to thaw, spewing gas and dust into a shimmering, sunlit trail. These trails, called comet tails, stretch millions of miles across the black backdrop of space, making a stunning sight for observers on Earth, as long as they are bright enough to be spotted. While some comets survive their travels around the Sun, others do not, spouting so much gas and dust that they disintegrate, breaking apart as they approach perihelion. Analysis of Comet C/2024 G3 suggests that its current trip around the Sun isnt its first, improving its chances of survival.If the comet survives, it should shoot around the Sun, then towards the outer Solar System once again, following its approximately 160,000-year orbit. While its trip around the Sun will certainly be brief, it may be bright, too, bringing potentially brilliant views to those who catch them.Article Sources:Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:The Planetary Society. How to Spot Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)NASA. Comets NASA. Oort CloudSam Walters is a journalist covering archaeology, paleontology, ecology, and evolution for Discover, along with an assortment of other topics. Before joining the Discover team as an assistant editor in 2022, Sam studied journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Stack CommerceShareWe may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more As a Minnesota native, I cant stand listening to the meteorologists winter weather predictions. Theyre basically never right. Either they say well get a foot of snow, and we get squator vice versa. I recently canceled plans because they warned everyone of freezing rain and icy roads, and guess what? It was a beautiful winter day.Thats why Im shutting off the news and downloading this real-time weather radar app. I know we all have free weather apps on our phones, but Weather Hi-Def Storm Watch Plus has future-generated forecasts, so you can actually make plans. Use code FESTIVE30 at checkout to get lifetime access for $27.99 (reg. $39.99) until January 12.I may have missed out on a day of thrifting and a pizza buffet with my friends because of some guy on TV, but never again. Now, I can see a 10-day forecast that shows snowfall, winter storm conditions, and temperatures.On the day of my plans, I can open map overlays to see icy road conditions and snowfall on a map. Anyone whos had to drive to work on the day of a blizzard knows how critical this information is before trekking their way to the office.Im also pumped to use this weather radar app in the summer. You already know Im from Minnesota, so I need to maximize every day of warm weather with outdoor activities. Any information about incoming rainfall and lightning alerts will be so clutch.Code FESTIVE30 expires January 12 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Get your Weather Hi-Def Storm Watch Plus lifetime subscription for $27.99 (reg. $39.99).StackSocial prices subject to change.Weather Hi-Def Radar Storm Watch Plus: Lifetime SubscriptionSee Deal

A new analysis of the 6,000-year-old stone circle known as Rujm el-Hiri (also Gilgal Refaim) in Golan Heights suggests that it was not built to observe the heavens.

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For years, Gearbox Software's Borderlands franchise has been one of the biggest names in the gaming industry. While its 2024 movie may not have lit the world on fire, the video game series has seemingly gone from hit to hit, with the highly anticipated Borderlands 4 looming on the horizon. It remains to be seen if the studio can capture players' attention once more, but if they can, then there's no telling where the series will go from here. Unfortunately, the Tiny Tina's Wonderlands series may not be following.