One of Elon Musk's old pals is calling out the billionaire's power hunger and egotism.In a lengthy essay cross-posted on Facebook and LinkedIn, Philip Low, the founder of the brain-computer interface (BCI) company NeuroVigil, insisted that despite Musk's apparent Sieg Heil and subsequent Holocaust jokes, his former friend and business partner of 14 years "is not a Nazi, per se."If anything, though, his explanation somehow sounds even more sinister."Nazis believed that an entire race was above everyone else," Low wrote. "Elon believes he is above everyone else.""Everything Elon does is about acquiring and consolidating power," he continued. "That is why he likes far right parties, because they are easier to control."Throughout the meandering post, the tech founder and erstwhile Musk confidante made a number of bold claims, including that one of Musk's exes came on to him and that the multi-hyphenate business owner who invested in Low's NeuroVigil company in 2015 and still owns a small amount of stock in it started Neuralink in 2016 as an attempt to compete with him."His lust for power is also why he did xAI and Neuralink, to attempt to compete with OpenAI and NeuroVigil, respectively, despite being affiliated with them," the tech founder wrote. "Unlike Tesla and Twitter, he was unable to conquer those companies and tried to create rivals."To be clear, Low's insistence that Musk started Neuralink to compete with NeuroVigil is somewhat fuzzy.For one, their approaches to BCI are vastly different. Unlike Neuralink, which involves a coin-sized chip being placed inside the skull and attached to the brain, NeuroVigil is entirely non-invasive and reads brainwaves from the outside while users are asleep to monitor their brain activity and, apparently, help diagnose medical conditions.The way Low presents the timeline of his falling out with Musk is also pretty murky.As the NeuroVigil founder correctly noted in his post, Musk was terminated with cause from NeuroVigil's board in late 2021. According to Low, that firing occurred after the billionaire essentially tried to tank the company's stock by returning his holdings instead of selling them outright."I fired him with cause in December 2021 when he tried to undermine NV," Low wrote. "It is ironic that years later, he clearly tried to undermine Twitter before buying it."Though there's weight to the argument that Musk tried to "undermine" Twitter before buying it, that didn't happen "years later" his purchase began just a few months later in April 2022, and was finalized that October, which was less than a year after Low fired him from the NeuroVigil board.Still, Low's overall assessment of his former friend and business partner is compelling even if there may be too many emotions tied up in their falling out.More on Musk friendships: Trump Gives Elon Musk Access to All Unclassified Data in the US GovernmentShare This Article

America's oligarch-in-chief Elon Musk is extending his tendrils beyond the half-baked Department of Government Efficiency and into the Office of Personnel Management,which is essentially the HR body for federal agencies.The top brass of the OPM has been hollowed out to make room for Musk's former henchmen, according to federal sources tapped by Wired, where they're poised to "monitor and enforce" loyalty to Trump across the federal government, University of Michigan's Don Moynihan told the magazine.Though Trump's pick for OPM director, Scott Kupor, still has to pass Senate and DHS scrutiny, the soil is already being prepared for his arrival by appointees, some of whom are so inexperienced that their qualifications sound like a surreal joke about Musk's penchant for nepotism."One, a senior adviser to the director, is a 21-year-old whose online resume touts his work for Palantir," per Wired, while another "who reports directly to Scales, graduated from high school in 2024." A copy of the latter's resume include his summer internship with Musk's Neuralink, alongside jobs as we assure you that we are not joking a camp counselor and bike mechanic.Although both these tykes are ostensibly poised to rip and tear through America's federal agencies, Wired declined to name them "because of their ages" a somewhat baffling choice given that both appear to be of legal age. (And if they're not, well, that's a much bigger problem.)Populating the OPM with naive-yet-loyal yes men seems to be a key strategy in Trump's plan to drastically cut down the federal workforce. It also follows Musk's disastrous playbook at Twitter the two young OPM hires are reminiscent of a move the billionaire pulled when he hired his alarmingly junior and inexperienced cousins to facilitate three massive rounds of layoffs as he took over the platform.Other high-profile Musk-adjacent picks include Chief of Staff Amanda Scales, formerly of Musk's xAI, and senior advisor Ricardo Biasini, former director of operations for Musk's extremely underwhelming and poorly constructed Vegas Hyperloop.For the OPM's general counsel, Trump and Musk have installed the self-described "raging misogynist" Andrew Kloster, a disaster of a pick who was subject to a 2022 restraining order for domestic violence allegations.And if the official staff list is giving you a sinking feeling of despair, other people calling the shots at OPM aren't government personnel at all.On Monday, some federal HR chiefs received a memo from the OPM's acting director regarding hiring freezes and return-to-office orders, making concrete some of Trump's promises to drastically cut down the federal workforce. Eagle-eyed redditors quickly found the memos contained metadata which linked back to Noah Peters and James Sherk two right-wing lobbyists who aren't officially affiliated with the OPM, but who are officially connected to the ultra-right Project 2025.That memo led to a class-action lawsuit on behalf of two federal employees, alleging that the OPM set up its own internal server for the purpose of storing federal employee data in one central location. The suit alleges that OPM chief of staff Amanda Scales received and stored the information without ever running a privacy assessment directly violating a United States Digital Service statute from 2002.The OPM's growing menagerie of Musk-lackeys is troubling news, indicating that the tech mogul has been granted carte-blanche to hand out the keys to the kingdom to anyone he wants even if they can't legally buy alcohol.Share This Article

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Fans seem to be pretty mixed on the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doomso far. Some are vocally upset with Marvels decision to useDoom to replace Kang as the main villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universes ongoing Multiverse Saga. As it stands now, we should get our first official look at Downeys Doom in one of Marvels upcoming movies, likelyThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, leading into his first big movie,Avengers: Doomsday.But what if we told you that this pivot, while certainly created in the last few years to cover Jonathan Majors dismissal and the end of the Kang storyline, actually makes total sense within the overall story of the MCU? What if we told you that if you look closely, you might just spot hints that Doom has been pulling the strings in the MCU all along? Thats right, and in our latest Marvel video, well explain how Marvel has been leavingclues about Doom everywhere, and point out all thehints that sets upDoomsday and the upcomingAvengers: Secret Wars.Watch our look at Doom,Doomsday, and the MCU below:READ MORE: The Worst Marvel Comics EverIf you liked that video on all of the clues that Doctor Doom was the secret Big Bad in the Marvel Cinematic Universe all along, check out more of our videos below, including one on the controversial casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom and whether Marvel is making a mistake with the shift away from Kang, one on some of the most notable deleted scenes in the history of Marvel, and how they could have changed the MCU forever, and one on why Eternals isnt as bad as you think and why we still want a sequel. Plus, theres tons more videos over atScreenCrushs YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to catch all our future episodes.The next Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Captain America: Brave New World, is scheduled to open in theaters on February 14, 2025.Sign up for Disney+ here.Get our free mobile appEvery Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie, Ranked From Worst to BestIt started with Iron Man and its continued and expanded ever since. Its the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with 34 movies and counting. But whats the best and the worst? We ranked them all.

The Federal Reserve paused interest rate cuts at today's meeting. Suffice it to say, this wasn'tthe most interesting decision of 2025 so far.Still, given that the Fed cut interest rates three times in 2024, we were hoping for a path toward lower borrowing costs. Last week, President Donald Trump said he would demand that interest rates drop immediately.The Fed is currently in a holding pattern. There's too much uncertainty about the incoming administration's policies, especially regarding immigration and trade, to make any major policy shifts.While the Fed is expected to hold interest rates steady for a while, anything could change in the next few months. Future decisions about interest rates will impact our finances, including how much we earn from oursavings accounts,how much extra we owe for carrying credit card debt and whether we can afford to take out a car loan or a mortgage.Here's a quick primer on interest rates and what today's Fed decision could mean for your money.Read more: Trump Can't Lower Interest Rates. But What Power Does the President Have Over the Fed?How the Fed determines interest ratesThe Fed meets eight times a year to assess the economy's health and set monetary policy, primarily through changes to the federal funds rate, the benchmark interest rate used by US banks to lend or borrow money to each other overnight.Imagine a situation where the financial institutions and banks make up an orchestra, and the Fed is the conductor, directing the markets and controlling the money supply. So although the Fed doesn't directly set the percentage we owe on our credit cards and mortgages, its policies have a ripple effect on the everyday consumer.Interest is the cost you pay to borrow money, whether that's through a loan or credit card. When the central bank "maestro" increases interest rates, many banks tend to follow. This can make the debt we're carrying more expensive (such as a 22% credit card APR vs. a 17% APR), but it can also lead to higher savings yields (a 5% APY vs. a 2% APY).When the Fed lowers rates, as it did three times last year, banks tend to drop their interest rates, too. Our debt could become slightly less cumbersome (though not by much), and we won't get as high a yield on our savings.How inflation and the job market affect the FedFinancial experts and market watchers spend a lot of time predicting the timing of interest rate cuts and hikes based on the direction of the economy, with a special focus on inflation and the labor market.Economists are concerned that the Trump administration is implementing policies that will reignite inflation. Because economic activity has continued to expand and inflation remains somewhat elevated, the Fed isn't likely to make any interest rate cuts until later this year.Generally, when inflation is high and the economy is in overdrive, the Fed tries to pump the brakes by setting higher interest rates and decreasing the money supply. Between March 2022 and July 2023, the Fed raised the federal funds rate 11 times, which helped slow down record-high price growth.However, the Fed takes a risk if it brings inflation down too much. Any major, rapid decline in economic activity can cause a major spike in joblessness, leading to a recession. You might hear the phrase "soft landing," which refers to the balancing act of keeping inflation in check and unemployment low.The economy can't be too hot or too cold. Like the porridge for Goldilocks, it has to be just right.Read more: What This Week's Fed Decision Means for Mortgage RatesWhat today's Fed decision means for your moneyOver the last few years, high interest rates have made credit and loans more expensive. Although last year's interest rate cuts didn't immediately improve our financial situation, the government's monetary policy this year will definitely impact your money over the long term.Here's what today's decision means for credit card APRs, mortgage ratesand savings rates. Credit card APRsHolding the federal funds rate steady could cause credit card issuers to charge the same annual percentage rate on your outstanding balance each month. However, every issuer has different rules about changing APRs."Some credit card APRs have inched down slightly after the Fed's rate cuts last year, but they're still really high. Even if you can't pay off the full balance, try to make more than the minimum payment each month to avoid additional interest. If you qualify for a balance transfer card or personal loan with a lower interest rate, either could potentially help you pay off your debt faster."--Tiffany Connors, CNET Money editor Mortgage ratesThe Fed's decisions impact overall borrowing costs and financial conditions, which in turn influence the housing market andhome loan rates, although this is not a one-to-one relationship."Even as the Fed holds interest rates steady, mortgage rates will continue to fluctuate in response to new economic data and political announcements. For the Fed to resume cutting interest rates and for mortgage rates to drop, further progress on inflation is needed. Even then, mortgage rates tend to rise quickly and fall slowly. It could take until the end of the year for rates to get into the low-6% range." --Katherine Watt, CNET Money housing reporter Savings ratesSavings rates are variable and move in lockstep with the federal funds rate, so your annual percentage yield may go down following more rate cuts later this year. Just remember that not all banks are created equal, and we regularly track the best high-yield savings accounts and certificates of deposits at CNET."A rate pause means we're not likely to see any significant change in CD and savings account APYs, at least for the time being. That gives savers more time to maximize their earnings by locking in a high CD rate or taking advantage of high savings rates while they're still around."--Kelly Ernst, CNET Money editorWhat's next for interest rate cutsExperts anticipate the potential for two rate cuts sometime in 2025, though market watchers and economists usually have varying opinions about the Fed's monetary decisions. The pace of interest rate reductions will depend on the job market, inflation pressures and other political and financial developments.

Key takeaways The Federal Reserve paused rates at its January meeting.Today's best savings accounts and CDs offer up APYs as high as 5%.Rate cuts are expected later this year, so now's the time to maximize your earnings. After cutting interest rates at its last three meetings, the Federal Reserve opted to pause rates today, keeping them at a target range of 4.25% to 4.5%. In its post-meeting statement, the Fed noted that "economic activity has continued to expand at a solid pace," but "the economic outlook is uncertain." Pausing rates allows the Fed to see how factors like the new administration's policies affect inflation and other economic indicators.That's good news for savers, who can still take advantage of certificate of deposit and savings account rates as high as 5% annual percentage yield, or APY."I expect CD and savings rates to hold steady where they are currently while the dust settles a bit," said Dana Menard, CFP, founder and lead financial planner at Twin Cities Wealth Strategies.Here's what you need to know about how the Fed's latest decision affects your savings -- and what you should do to maximize your money now.How the Federal Reserve influences deposit ratesThe Fed meets eight times a year to assess the health of the US economy and vote on the federal funds rate, the rate banks use to lend and borrow money. While the Fed's decision to change rates doesn't directly affect savings rates, changes in APYs typically follow. The changes can take several weeks or even months to take effect.Although some banks set their deposit account APYs according to the direction of the federal funds rate, timing and specific rates may vary. "Some big banks are swimming in deposits and they don't need to pay up to bring in more," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.As such, there may be dramatic differences in account interest rates from bank to bank. "People should shop around, and they shouldn't just shop around today; they should shop around a week from now, a month from now and three months from now," said Gary Zimmerman, CEO of MaxMyInterest.The Fed paused rates. Now what?Jordan Gilberti, certified financial planner and senior lead planner at Facet, recommends preparing for the worst-case scenario when thinking about strategies for growing your savings, whether you're setting aside cash for an emergency or building a sinking fund. Now that rates are on pause, purchasing a CD or moving your money to a high-yield savings account as soon as possible is the best way to maximize your interest earnings."For savers, it's probably a good idea to lock in a higher rate now if you're looking at longer-term CDs," said Taylor Kovar, CFP, founder and CEO of 11 Financial. "If you want more flexibility, short-term options might make sense in case rates shift again.You can also consider building a CD ladder, suggests John Buran, CEO of Flushing Financial, the parent company of Flushing Bank. This strategy allows you to take advantage of still-high interest rates in the short term but also lock in rates for the longterm in case APYs continue to drop.The best savings accounts to open nowUnderstanding the pros and cons of each deposit account type can help you make the best choice for your needs.Traditional savings accountsMost financial institutions offer traditional savings accounts. If you already have a relationship with a bank, opening a traditional savings account with it can be convenient. These accounts often pay minimal interest on your savings. The average annual percentage yield for a traditional savings account is only 0.41%, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.ProsTraditional savings accounts are widely available at most financial institutions.Your money is easily accessible when you need it.If your account is held at an FDIC- or NCUA-insured institution, it's protected up to $250,000 per person, per institution.ConsInterest rates are typically lower than the national average.Variable rates can change at any time.High-yield savings accountA high-yield savings account is an interest-earning account often offered by online banks, credit unions or other financial service institutions. The best APYs available on high-yield savings accounts go up to 5%.ProsSome high-yield savings accounts earn more than 10 times more than traditional savings accounts.Your money is easily accessible when you need it.If your account is held at an FDIC- or NCUA-insured institution, it's protected up to $250,000 per person, per institution if the institution fails.ConsAvailability can be limited. These accounts aren't offered by all banks or credit unions.Often available from online-only banks with no physical branches. You must be comfortable with a digital banking environment.Many accounts are provided by online-only banks with no physical branches. You must be comfortable with an entirely digital banking experience.Variable rates can change at any time.Certificate of depositA certificate of deposit is a deposit account that offers a fixed rate for a specific time, or term. In exchange for fixed growth, you agree not to withdraw your money before the term ends. The main benefit of a CD is that your money grows over time at a predetermined APY.Top CDs, for example, currently earn APYs as high as 4.65%.ProsA fixed rate applies to the CD's entire term.CDs are widely available at most banks or credit unions.If your account is held at an FDIC- or NCUA-insured institution, it's protected up to $250,000 per person, per institution.ConsYour money is tied up for the duration of the CD's term.Early withdrawal penalties reduce returns if you need to take out money before the term ends.No-penalty CDA no-penalty CD is a specialty CD that offers a fixed rate for a specific term, like traditional CDs. This deposit account doesn't impose an early withdrawal penalty if you need to access your money before the term ends. These CDs are generally less widely available, and the APYs are lower, but the additional flexibility can be worth a slight drop in rates.ProsA fixed rate applies to the CD's entire term.Withdrawals before the CD matures don't incur penalties.If your account is held at an FDIC- or NCUA-insured institution, it's protected up to $250,000 per person.ConsNo-penalty CDs aren't widely available at most banks or credit unions.These CDs generally earn a lower APY than a traditional CD.Tips for finding the right savings account or CDKeep in mind that larger, brand-name banks with bigger marketing budgets may not offer the most competitive rates on savings accounts and CDs. Community or regional banks, credit unions and online-only banks often offer higher rates on deposit accounts to attract new customers.The best high-yield savings accounts continue to offer APYs up to 5%, low fees and no minimum balance requirements. The best CD rates are as high as 4.65% APY.When evaluating a savings account, note any fees associated with opening or maintaining the account. CDs offer a safe, fixed rate of growth -- as long as you can leave the funds in the account until the maturity date to avoid early withdrawal penalties. Terms can last anywhere from three months to five years or more.Additionally, confirm that your deposit is insured by either the FDIC (for banks) or the National Credit Union Administration (for credit unions). This protects your money for up to $250,000 per person, per institution if the bank fails. You should also compare APYs and how easily you can access your money before making your decision.Elevated savings rates are still availableWith interest rates currently paused, there's still time to maximize your earnings with a high-yield savings account or CD. But the sooner you act, the better. Experts expect the Fed will resume rate cuts later this year.If you're not already earning a competitive interest rate on your savings, consider locking in one of today's best CD rates or moving your funds to a high-yield savings account to boost your earnings.More on the Fed's rate pause

January 29, 20253 min readTrump Asks SpaceX to Return NASAsStrandedAstronauts toEarthASAPDespite a recent request from Trump,NASAastronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmorewere alreadyscheduled to return to Earth on a Crew Dragon capsule this springBy Mike Wall & SPACE.com NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore on the International Space Station. Nasa/Imago/Alamy Stock PhotoWell, this is something of a head-scratcher.On Tuesday evening (Jan. 28), President Donald Trump announced that he has another task for SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, who is already leading a cost- and regulation-cutting effort called the Department of Governmental Efficiency."I have just asked Elon Musk and @SpaceX to 'go get' the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration. They have been waiting for many months on Space Station. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!" Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. The message was also published on X, the social media site that Musk owns.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Presumably, Trump means NASA's Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been living on the orbiting lab since June 2024.They arrived on the first crewed mission of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which was supposed to last just 10 days or so. However, Starliner suffered issues with its thrusters, and NASA extended Williams' and Wilmore's orbital stay while it and Boeing studied the problem.In August, the agency decided not to risk putting the duo on Starliner for the trip home. The capsule would return to Earth uncrewed (which it did without incident in September), and Wilmore and Williams would come home in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule the vehicle flying the company's Crew-9 mission, which launched to the ISS on Sept. 28.This decision forced some crew shuffling; NASA had to take two astronauts off the originally four-person Crew-9 launch to make room for Wilmore and Williams on the downward leg. (Both Starliner astronauts are in good health on the ISS, and there are plenty of supplies to support them through the end of their stay, NASA officials have said.)Trump didn't mention this existing homecoming plan in his post. And neither did Musk, who referenced the president's request before it was published on X."The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so. Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long," Musk wrote in an X post on Tuesday afternoon.It's unclear what "as soon as possible" means in this context. Crew-9 had originally been slated to come home in late February, but that timeline has been pushed back at least a month so that SpaceX can complete work to ready the Crew Dragon that will fly the four-person Crew-10 mission to the ISS. The Crew-10 Dragon is a brand-new (rather than flight-proven) vehicle, and the company wants a bit more time to check everything out.Does Musk mean to imply that SpaceX will work to bring Crew-9 home before Crew-10 is ready to launch? NASA probably would not be too happy with that plan, as Ars Technica's Eric Berger noted. It would leave Don Pettit as the only NASA astronaut aboard the ISS for a stretch; he'd have to perform a lot of science and operations work by himself until reinforcements arrived.Or could SpaceX switch Crew-10's Dragon, swapping it out for a flight-proven one to enable an earlier launch? After all, the company has four Crew Dragons that have carried astronauts to and from orbit before Endeavour, Endurance, Freedom and Resilience. (Freedom is flying the Crew-9 mission and is therefore already at the ISS.)It's also possible that Trump and Musk, who has apparently become quite close with the president, are mainly playing politics with the situation. Both blamed the Biden administration for Williams' and Wilmore's extended ISS stay, after all.Or maybe they're simply trolling, something that both men perhaps the two most powerful people in the world very much like to do.Copyright 2025 Space.com, a Future company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

OpinionJanuary 29, 20254 min readWhat Trumps First Days Say about Science in the New AdministrationTrump seems intent on freezing out professional scientists, especially those with strong academic research backgrounds. Instead, he is stocking the leadership of federal agencies with technologists and loyalistsBy Michael S. Lubell & Philip Rubin edited by Daniel VerganoUS President Donald Trump holds an executive order announcing the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, he just signed during the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena, in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty ImagesAlmost lost in the recent maelstrom of President Donald Trumps frenetic norm-breaking conduct is an ominous forecast for science. Just days have passed since Trump returned to the Oval Office, but his executive orders and nominations provide early clues about how the second Trump administration could shatter the remarkable science and technology engine that has driven the American economy for more than three quarters of a century.On the campaign trail, Trump promised to slash federal spending, fire agency experts he deemed rogue and take a sledgehammer to fact-based policies that didnt suit his whims. With the assistance of his Capitol Hill allies, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, and his mega financial campaign backer Elon Musk, head of the newly created advisory group known as DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), he is beginning to deliver on his pledges.Trumps nominees for many high-level administrative posts bear ample testimony to his disdain for science. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., whom he has tapped to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, is perhaps the most obvious case. A lawyer by training and an antivaccine peddler and conspiracy theorist by reputation, he would have authority over the direction of the National Institutes of Health, the nations biomedical research gem with a budget of almost $50 billion a year.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.But hes not the only one. Chris Wright, a fracking executive and Trumps choice for energy secretary, is not an outright climate change denier, but hes skeptical of the scientific consensus that a hotter planet is causing more frequent extreme weather events. While he acknowledges the impact of carbon emissions on global warming, he continues to promote increased production and use of fossil fuels. Youd have to twist yourself into a pretzel to reconcile those two viewpoints scientifically. Of course, hes echoing the centerpiece of Trumps energy policy: Drill, baby, drill.These two appointments only serve to reinforce Trumps own rejection of science. Hes falsely claimed that climate change is a hoax; hes railed against windmills, calling them, without scientific evidence, whale killers; hes blamed the recent Los Angeles wildfires on the closure of a valve on a water pipeline that doesnt exist; and, in his first term, he promoted dangerous quack medicines to combat COVID. Hes said he wants clean air and clean water, but contrary to good science, hes promoting a return to coal for producing electricity and is in the midst of hijacking Californias water management practices that carefully control salinity in the SacramentoSan Joaquin Delta.You need only look at two executive actions with international ramifications to begin to grasp the scope of Trumps war on science. On day one of his new administration, he announced Americas exit from both the Paris climate agreement and the World Health Organization. Science, which is international in character, simply doesnt have a seat at Trumps America First table.These arent the only indicators of where science is likely to be heading in the next few years under Trump. Whereas presidents in the postWorld War II era generally put a high value on scientific expertise, Trump seems intent on freezing out professional scientists, especially those with strong academic research backgrounds. Instead he is stocking the leadership of federal agencies with technologists. Admittedly some have an admiration and strong appreciation for science. For the most part, however, their credentials speak of transactional policymaking and a buy-in to the Silicon Valley culture of breaking things before fixing them.That tech bro culture, which has captured Trumps imagination, has little appetite for patiencean essential and necessary facet of the kind of fundamental research that ultimately fuels Americas science and technology engine. Musk and other members of the PayPal Mafia who are advising Trump, might deliver impressive economic returns in the here and now, but such benefits would almost certainly come at the expense of a sputtering science and technology engine in the future.A few of Trumps prospective appointments and their credentials illustrate where he places an emphasis.David Sacks who would lead the Presidents Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, better known by its acronym PCAST, is a lawyer and venture capitalist, known for his involvement with AI and cryptocurrency, which he would oversee as the administrations czar.Michael Kratsios, who would direct the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and serve as the presidents science adviser, received favorable reviews from the science community when he served as OSTPs chief technology officer and interim director in Trumps first term. But his educational background in politics and Hellenic studies is certainly out of the ordinary. He has been managing director at an AI company for the last three years, putting him in the technologists camp.Emil Michael, who would serve as undersecretary of defense for research and engineering is a former Uber executive. He is a businessman with a legal education, not the accomplished engineering one typically found in a technical Pentagon role.Dario Gil, whom Trump has tapped to be undersecretary of energy for science and innovation, is perhaps an exception, having served as chairman of the National Science Board and as IBMs director of research. His professional profile speaks to his capabilities, but by training and experience he is more of a technologist than a scientist.Leadership and policies matter, but the quality of the federal science workforce and federal science budgets are just as important. During his first week in office, Trump established a government-wide hiring freeze and took steps that would allow him to replace a class of federal workers with Trump loyalists, both threatening the continuity and freedom from overt political interference that science requires. On the funding side, science support is caught in a vise between Republican plans to reduce taxes and increase defense spending, while constraining the size of the federal debt. Thats the future. The present? All federal grants have just been suspended until grantees show that they dont run afoul of Trumps unilateral executive orders. (The grant suspension was then temporarily paused by a federal judge.)Absent greater public awareness the ominous forecast will turn into inevitability.This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Sony pulls controversial PSN account requirements for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and other games on PCAs it launches PSN in-game incentives.Image credit: Insomniac Games/Sony News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on Jan. 29, 2025 Sony is dropping its formerly mandatory PlayStation Network account requirements across a select number of its predominantly single-player titles on PC - but it's introducing in-game content "benefits" as an incentive to continue using one.Sony faced a major backlash last May when it announced it would be retroactively making PSN accounts mandatory for Helldivers 2 on PC - and while it eventually relented, that hasn't stopped it from requiring PSN accounts to play an increasing number of its PC ports since then. It's a move that's proven contentious among PC players, particularly given its original justification for PSN accounts on PC - to ensure the "safety and security" of online play - is considerably less convincing when many affected titles are single-player games.But now, Sony has announced something of a U-turn, confirming it'll be removing mandatory PSN account requirements from a number of its previously released and upcoming PC titles: God of War Ragnarok, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (which launches this week), and The Last of US Part 2 Remastered (currently due in April).To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Xbox Developer Direct - four promising games also coming to PlayStation.Watch on YouTubeHowever, while PlayStation Network accounts will become "optional" for these games, Sony is still eager enough for players to continue using them that it's announced a new in-game content unlock initiative for PSN on PC that's coming "soon" to the above games.For instance, players that sign into a PlayStation Network account for Spider-Man 2 will unlock the Spider-Man 2099 Black Suit and the Miles Morales 2099 Suit early. PSN accounts will also grant access to the Nora Valiant outfit in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered.Over in God of War Ragnarok, a PSN account lets players unlocks Kratos' Armour of the Black Bear set at the first Lost Items chest in the Realm Between Realms rather than waiting until New Game Plus, and there's also a resource bundle containing 500 Hacksilver and 250 XP.As for The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, a PSN account unlocks an Ellie skin inspired by Jordan's jack in Naughty Dog's upcoming Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, as well as 50 additional points to activate bonus features and unlock extras.Sony hasn't yet said if it'll be making PSN accounts optional for all its all future single-player focused PC releases (or if the changes mean impacted games will now go back on sale in territories without PSN), but it did confirm more PSN incentives are on the way. "Game creators at PlayStation Studios will continue to work on bringing more benefits to players who sign up for a PSN account," it wrote, "so be sure to follow studio channels for more information."

Pokmon TCG Pocket players brand trading system "a joke" and "downright greedy""As a whale, this game isn't getting another dime from me."Image credit: Pokmon News by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on Jan. 29, 2025 A new update to Pokmon TCG Pocket has added the ability for players to trade cards, but the mechanics of the system have come under intense criticism from fans. Trading require players use up valuable resources and adhere to a lengthy list of restrictions in order to acquire cards they don't already have. "Let's face it, the game does NOT want you to trade cards," is the title of one thread on the Pokmon TCG Pocket reddit, which is awash with complaints, memes and outright disbelief at how trading has been implemented.In general, trading is limited to players on your friends list, and only one trade can be conducted at a time. Currently, only cards of One, Two, Three or Four Diamond rarity can be offered for trade, alongside One Star rarity. (To be clear: you cannot trade Two or Three Star or One Crown rarity.)Beyond that, trading is subject to further rules. Firstly, you can only trade cards of the same rarity - meaning a trade for a One Diamond rarity card will mean you have to offer up another One Diamond rarity card in return, limiting the selection of cards that can be offered for trade with each other.Next, you will need to use Trade Stamina, which recharges over time or change be boosted using Trade Hourglasses. In addition to this, if you trade cards of a Three Diamond rarity or higher you'll also need to expend Trade Tokens, another consumable that can be earned in-game. Three Diamond rarity cards require 120 Tokens, One Star cards require 400 Tokens, while Four Diamond cards require 500 Trade Tokens.Want some more rules? Go on, then. Cards with a Flair can only be exchanged for cards with a Flair. And you can only currently trade cards from the game's Genetic Apex and Mythical Island booster packs. Promo cards cannot be traded.Trade Tokens can be acquired by junking other cards, but fans have complained at the amount of cards required in order to gather enough Tokens. For example, you will receive 100 Trade Tokens for junking a One Star card, but it will cost 400 Trade Tokens in total to trade for another One Star card."It's simple - the game doesn't want anyone trading cards," wrote on fan. "It's rubbish.""If (and that's a big if) they hand it out like flair dust it'll get easier," wrote another in a different reddit thread. "But right now, it's insanely expensive to trade, and I highly doubt they make trade tokens as easy to accumulate.""This trading update is an insult," wrote a player who described themselves as a whale - a heavy spender on the game - that was never the target audience for trading as they had bought so many packs already. "This just feels awful for everyone else," the continued. "It simply doesn't work. It fits such a narrow scenario of someone who is missing card X but happens to have a bunch of dupes to burn. So insanely narrow. It's just frustrating. The greed is just so excessive I can't be inclined to spend another $."They should probably remove 'Trading Card Game' from the title screen. It's just insulting to look at."If you're trying to navigate the new update, Eurogamer can help out with a guide to Pokmon TCG Pocket trading and how to trade cards, as well as a deeper dive into Pokmon TCG Pocket Trade Tokens and how to get them.Why is the trading system so prohibitive? It's likely that any mechanic that could stop players buying packs will have to be balanced by high costs to ensure the game continues to make money. Will the system get changed? While the game continues to rake in cash, it seems unlikely.