Table of ContentsTable of ContentsDreddValerian and the City of a Thousand PlanetsTime BanditsJupiter AscendingWatchmen Chapter 1Rise of the Planet of the ApesDune (1984)The MartianGodzilla x Kong: The New EmpireSpliceKate & LeopoldDune: Part TwoTerminator SalvationBill and Teds Bogus JourneyRoboCopBill and Teds Excellent AdventureDune (2021)2001: A Space OdysseyWeve got good news for Max subscribers who love sci-fi movies: Max actually added some new science-fiction films this month. Thats much better than the lack of fresh options added in January. As a bonus, both of the new additions Dredd and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets are currently among the most popular movies on Max. Hopefully, that will convince Warner Bros. Discovery to give this category some more love going forward.You can catch the rest of the best sci-fi movies on Max below, including a few films on loan from Disneys 20th Century Studios. Those titles wont be maintaining orbit around Max forever, so catch The Martian and Rise of the Planet of the Apes while you still can.Recommended VideosIn need of some more streaming recommendations? We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Max, the best shows on Max, and whats new on HBO and Maxthat are worth looking through.RelatedEntertainment Film DistributorsYear: 2012Runtime: 1 hour, 36 minutesDirector: Pete TravisIt often surprises American fans to learn that Judge Dredd is considered a comic book icon in the United Kingdom on par with Batman. Especially since the Judge Dredd comics are Britains dark vision of Americas future as Mega-City One, a place where Judges act as police and prosecutors before handing down sentences on the spot. The 1995 Judge Dredd movie starring Sylvester Stallone never captured that dystopian concept as well as the 2012 reboot did.Dredd may not have the big budget that its predecessor had, but it has fantastic action and a great duo in the lead with The Boys Karl Urban as Judge Dredd and Olivia Thirlby as a rookie Judge named Cassandra Anderson. During a training mission for Anderson, she and Dredd are locked in a towering apartment complex owned by a drug lord known as Ma-Ma Madrigal (Game of Thrones Lena Headey). And Ma-Ma has placed a price on Dredd and Andersons heads thats so high it will even attract attention from their would-be allies.Watch on MaxSTXfilmsYear: 2017Runtime: 2 hours, 17 minutesDirector: Luc BessonThe French sci-fi comic Valerian and Laureline influenced several sci-fi filmmakers, including George Lucas. In 2017, director Luc Besson attempted to make the duo movie stars, but only one got top billing in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. The films name comes from Alpha, which we call the International Space Station. Eight centuries into the future, the ISS has expanded with representatives from all across the universe and become a shining city in space.However, this city has a dark secret that haunts the dreams of Valerian (Dane DeHaan), as much as hed rather focus on trying to woo his partner, Laureline (Cara Delevingne). While investigating reports of a dangerously irradiated part of Alpha, Valerian and Laureline stumble across the information that could tear down everything humanity has poured into the station.Watch on MaxHandMade FilmsYear: 1981Runtime: 1 hour, 57 minutesDirector: Terry GilliamForget about that Time Bandits TV revival that Apple TV+ released.Terry Gilliams Time Bandits movie is dazzling and imaginative in a way that the show could never be. The story follows a young boy named Randall (David Rappaport) who joins a group of dwarves led by Fidgit (Star Wars Kenny Baker) who have a map that allows them to go anywhere in history. They subsequently become thieves and steal from various eras during their wild misadventures.In their travels, Randall and his new friends meet Robin Hood (John Cleese), Agamemnon (Sean Connery), Napoleon (Ian Holm), and more historical figures. Theyve also seriously angered the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson), and drawn the attention of Evil (Trons David Warner), who wants the map for himself.Watch on MaxWarner Bros. PicturesYear: 2015Runtime: 2 hours, 8 minutesDirector: The WachowskisThe Jupiter in Jupiter Ascendingis played by Mila Kunis, a young woman with no idea about her secret royalty in a space dynasty of humans from other worlds. For most of her life, Jupiter has simply been as ordinary as anyone else. But suddenly, Jupiter finds herself targeted by intergalactic assassins.Jupiters only protector is Caine Wise (Channing Tatum), a character with a name a bit on the nose after the reveal of his genetic history. Caines goal is to get Jupiter away from Earth and out of immediate danger. However, hes only succeeded in bringing her closer to the faction thats trying to kill her and steal her claims.Watch on MaxWarner Bros. AnimationYear: 2024Runtime: 1 hour, 24 minutesDirector: Brandon ViettiWho watches the Watchmen? Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons seminal superhero deconstruction has already been adapted into live action by director Zack Snyder. Damon Lindelof then followed with a Watchmen sequel series for the comic in 2019 on HBO. The recently released animated film Watchmen Chapter 1 is a second attempt at adapting the original story without some of the changes that Snyder made for his film.Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski, who wrote some of the Before Watchmen prequel comics, penned the new script for veteran animation director Brandon Vietti. In this alternate vision of 1985, Richard Nixon (Max Koch) is still president, and Americas supremacy is assured by the power of Doctor Manhattan (Michael Cerveris). Someone is trying to change that, and the renegade vigilante Rorschach (Titus Welliver) remains the only one who sees the signs of a conspiracy against former superheroes. Nite Owl/Dan Dreiberg (Matthew Rhys), Silk Spectre/Laurie Juspeczyk (Katee Sackhoff), and Ozymandias/Adrian Veidt (The Last of Us Troy Baker) dont take Rorschachs warning seriously. By the time that changes, it may be too late to stop what has already been set in motionWatch on Max20th Century StudiosYear: 2011Runtime: 1 hours, 45 minutesDirector: Rupert WyattThe movie may be called Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but its really the rise of Caesar (Andy Serkis), the worlds first chimpanzee with nearly human levels of intelligence. Because of the circumstances of his birth, Caesar doesnt really fit in with either apes or humans, but he spends most of his formative years as a surrogate son to Dr. Will Rodman (James Franco), a man who is using an experimental drug to treat Alzheimers patients like his father, Charles (John Lithgow).Despite Wills good intentions, his wonder drug has adverse effects, and it can also greatly enhance the intelligence of primates. When Caesar is forced out of Wills home and made to endure abuse by his new human captors, he fights back. And Caesar knows all too well how to make his new tribe of primates just as smart as he is.Watch on MaxUniversal PicturesYear: 1984Runtime: 2 hours, 17 minutesDirector: David LynchImagine trying to adapt the entirety of Frank Herberts Dune into a single movie that came out in theaters a year after the original Star Wars trilogy came to an end. The deck was stacked against director David Lynch, and his version of Duneis inferior to the two-part adaptation that followed decades later.In this condensed version of Herberts novel, Paul Atreides (Kyle MacLachlan), the last heir to his house after his father, Duke Leto (Jrgen Prochnow), is killed by the forces of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Kenneth McMillan). Paul seeks sanctuary among the Fremen of Arrakis and soon rises to become their messiah and leader. Pauls reach threatens the galactic empire because space travel is only possible through an Arrakis-produced drug called spice. The spice must flow, as they say. Paul may be holding a lot of cards, but he still has to defeat House Harkonnen and his other enemies.Watch on Max20th Century StudiosYear: 2015Runtime: 2 hours, 22 minutesDirector: Ridley ScottThe story of how author Andy Weir self-published The Martian on his website before it became a best-seller is almost as inspiring as the novel he wrote. Dont expect to see any alien Xenomorphs in this Ridley Scott film. The only hard turn into science fiction for this movie is that humanitys space shuttle technology finally allows NASA to send a manned mission to Mars.Unfortunately for Dr. Mark Watney (Matt Damon), a freak accident on the planets surface leads his crew to believe that hes perished. Left alone on Mars, Mark has to figure out how he can survive four long years before the next mission. Once Mark makes contact with Earth, the debate about whether to rescue him forces Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) and the rest of her crew to make some hard choices.Watch on MaxWarner Bros. / Warner Bros.Year: 2024Runtime: 1 hour, 55 minutesDirector: Adam WingardAfter fighting each other in Godzilla vs. Kong, the two monsters have retreated into their separate corners three years later in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Kong gets to rule down below in the Hollow Earth while Godzilla extends his dominance over his fellow Titans on the surface. Unfortunately, the good times cant last forever because theres a threat brewing that could have devastating consequences for the world. Neither Kong nor Godzilla can win this battle by themselves. But together, these two giant creatures may prove to be the salvation of the entire world if they can figure out how to get along.Watch on MaxWarner Bros. PicturesYear: 2009Runtime: 1 hour, 44 minutesDirector: Vincenzo NataliWhen scientists try to play God, they almost always get burned. Splice is no exception, as Clive Nicoli (Adrien Brody) and Elsa Kast (Sarah Polley) disregard their employers wishes by creating a human/animal hybrid whom they call Dren (Delphine Chanac). Dren may have some human characteristics, but she is far from what we would call humanity.Additionally, Clive and Elsas attempt to isolate Dren backfires, as she continuously mutates and evolves. Drens a fast study when it comes to men and women, and she has no feelings of paternal love for her creators. If shes this dangerous now, how deadly will Dren be in her final form?Watch on MaxMiramax FilmsYear: 2001Runtime: 1 hour, 59 minutesDirector: James MangoldKate & Leopold falls more on the side of rom-com than sci-fi, but it is a science fiction story. More specifically, it deals with time travel. Stuart Besser (Liev Schreiber) has discovered recurring portals that connect the present to 1876, where his ancestor, Leopold (Deadpool & Wolverines Hugh Jackman) lives. After Leopold notices Stuarts unusual characteristics, he is accidentally drawn back to the present with him.While stuck in modern day New York, Leopold meets and bonds with Kate McKay (Meg Ryan), a researcher who doesnt believe that Leopold is from the past. But one thing she does believe in is their instant connection, even though Leopolds continued presence in his future may lead to severe consequences if he doesnt go back in time to fulfill his role in history.Watch on MaxWarner Bros. PicturesYear: 2024Runtime: 2 hours, 46 minutesDirector: Denis VilleneuveBox office hits have been few and far between in 2024, but Dune: Part Two did so well that it secured a future for the third film, Dune: Messiah. Timothe Chalamet reprises his as Paul Atreides, the last living male heir of his house following the destruction of his family by House Harkonnen. Now living among the Fremen with his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), Paul quickly wins the admiration of his new tribe. And several of their number believe that Paul is a figure of prophecy who will lead them to reclaim their world.One of the few Fremen who refuses to bow to Paul is Chani (Zendaya), the young woman who loves him. Elvis Austin Butler co-stars as Feyd-Rautha, an even more ruthless member of House Harkonnen who stands in the way of Pauls ascension. Even if Paul can defeat Feyd-Rautha, his victory may have dire consequences for the entire universe.Watch on MaxWarner Bros. PicturesYear: 2009Runtime: 1 hour, 55 minutesDirector: McGNo one besides James Cameron has been able to crack the perfect Terminator sequel, but Terminator Salvation is a lot better than everything else that came after Terminator 2. Thats because this film doesnt rehash the plot of the first two movies. Instead, it places audiences in the future world that was only glimpsed in the previous films. Christian Bale stars as John Connor, a solider who is having a hard time living up to predictions that he would be the savior of mankind in the war against the machines. John is also alarmed that the A.I. known as Skynet is targeting his father, Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), as if the machines are aware of how his fate is tied with Johns.Meanwhile, Marcus Wright (Avatar 3s Sam Worthington) emerges as the wild card in the war between humanity and the machines. Marcus doesnt initially realize it, but hes been transformed into a half-Terminator hybrid. And his choices will determine which side will triumph in a key battle for the future.Watch on MaxOrion PicturesYear: 1991Runtime: 1 hour, 34 minutesDirector: Pete HewittAmericas favorite time-traveling nitwits return in Bill and Teds Bogus Journey, and theyre even funnier when theyre dead! Its true, Bill S. Preston, Esq (Alex Winter) and Ted Theodore Logan (Keanu Reeves) end up getting murdered by their exact robot duplicates from the future before being sent on a one-way trip to the afterlife.Fortunately, Death (William Sadler) turns out to be a big pushover and Bill and Ted dont stay dead for very long. But they will need some more help to defeat their evil robots and change the future, especially since their music still isnt good enough to change the world.Watch on MaxOrion Pictures / Orion PicturesYear: 1987Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutesDirector: Paul VerhoevenThe original RoboCop strikes a balance between serious sci-fi and truly hilarious satire that never veers into farce. Director Paul Verhoeven pulled that off with the help of his leading man, Peter Weller, who still manages to convey RoboCops humanity with just the lower half of face for most of the movie. In the near future, the corporation OCP is in charge of Detroits police department. When OCP Senior President Dick Jones (Ronny Cox) stumbles with his brutally lethal ED-209 law enforcement robots, his rival, Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer), sees his chance to push the RoboCop project.But for a man to become a machine, he has to die first. And its not long before Officer Alex Murphy (Weller) is murdered by one Jones criminal underlings, Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith). Upon his revival as a cyborg, Murphy is initially the perfect candidate to be RoboCop. Yet soon enough, Murphy remembers who he was and how he died. This sends Murphy on a quest for justice that he may not be able to finish by himself.Watch on MaxOrion PicturesYear: 1989Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutesDirector: Stephen HerekStrange things are indeed afoot at the Circle K as the sci-fi comedy Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure introduces Bill S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted Theodore Logan (Keanu Reeves) to their future selves, courtesy of their mentor from the future, Rufus (George Carlin). Because Bill and Ted are destined to change the world for the better, Rufus lends them his time machine to help them create a history report that they need to ace to graduate high school.However, thinking isnt necessarily Bill and Teds strong point, as the dim-witted duo causes havoc throughout the time stream while bringing several historical figures to the present, including Napoleon Bonaparte (Terry Camilleri), Billy the Kid (Dan Shor), Socrates (Tony Steedman), Sigmund Freud (Rod Loomis), Genghis Khan (Al Leong), Joan of Arc (Jane Wiedlin), Abraham Lincoln (Robert V. Barron), and Ludwig van Beethoven (Clifford David).Watch on MaxWarner Bros. PicturesYear: 2021Runtime: 2 hours, 36 minutesDirector: Denis VilleneuveImpatient viewers may have a hard time with the modern adaptation of Frank Herberts Dunebecause it really takes its time getting to a cliffhanger ending for the upcoming sequel. Unlike David Lynch, director Denis Villeneuve had the room to space things out, so to speak. The result is one of the most lavish sci-fi epics in decades.Timothe Chalamet stars as Paul Atreides, but a good deal of this film belongs to Pauls father, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac). Despite his suspicions that he was sent to Arrakis to fail, Duke Leto genuinely believes he can improve the lives of the native Fremen and bring peace to the most important planet in the universe. Unfortunately for House Atreides, their enemies have already made plans to destroy them, and Paul may be the only one who can keep his family line alive.Watch on MaxImage via Metro-Goldwyn-MayerYear: 1968Runtime: 2 hours, 23 minutesDirector: Stanley KubrickThe word masterpiece tends to get thrown around a lot in film criticism. But 2001: A Space Odyssey more than lives up to the hype even decades later. director Stanley Kubrick and writer Arthur C. Clarke crafted an unforgettable sci-fi epic that is told more through visuals than anything spoken aloud.Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood star respectively as Dr. David Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole. Together, David and Frank are part of a deep space mission to investigate a massive alien monolith that may be connected to the origins of humanity millions of years earlier. Unfortunately for David and Frank, their onboard artificial intelligence, HAL 9000, is developing some very dangerous and paranoid tendencies that may threaten more than just their mission.Watch on MaxEditors Recommendations

If youve already watched everything on your current streaming subscriptions, its time to look for more streaming deals. Why not try Peacock? It usually costs $80 per year, but with the code WINTERSAVINGS, youll only have to pay $30, for huge savings of $50. The 63% discount isnt going to last forever though as its a limited-time offer, so if you dont want to miss this bargain, we highly recommend signing up for the service right now.NBCs Peacock doesnt have as many subscribers as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, but its still among the most popular streaming services. Thats partly because its where you can watch the English Premier League in the U.S. though theres plenty of other stuff to watch and a competitive price thats even more affordable right now. Theres a strong focus on sports because of Peacocks partnership with NBC Sports, including live events such as the WWE NXT Vengeance Day on February 15.Every month, Peacock adds a health amount of new shows and movies to its service. Take a look at whats new on Peacock this month Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days for movies, and SNL50: The Anniversary Special and Suits LA for shows, just to name a few of the new entries. The best shows on Peacock include The Day of the Jackal,The Traitors, and Yellowstone, while the best movies on Peacock include Beetlejuice, Speak No Evil, and Twisters. No matter the genre you prefer, there will be something that will catch your interest on Peacock.RelatedIf you havent signed up for a Peacock subscription, nows an excellent time to finally do so with WINTERSAVINGS. The code applies a $50 discount on the usual annual fee of $80, so youll only have to pay $30 for a full year of access to the streaming service. Were not sure how much time is remaining before this offer expires though, so if you want a one-year subscription to Peacock at 63% off, you should hurry and sign up right now. If you delay the transaction to tomorrow, it may already be too late.Editors Recommendations

The Cosmopolitan is back in a big way. At a new Manhattan club, a floral spritz and other judicious additions give the blush-pink drink a major glow-up. Plus: How to make it at home.

Drone wars Drones are now launching drones to attack other drones in Ukraine Under the pressure of war, the pace of innovation is quick. Nate Anderson Feb 4, 2025 5:57 pm | 19 Screenshot Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreLast time we checked in on terrifying drone developments in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainians were dropping molten thermite along Russian trench lines and attaching surface-to-air missiles to naval drones.Possessing a far smaller population than Russia, Ukraine has pinned its hopes in significant part on drone warfare, and hundreds of companies and organizations across the country are building everything from tiny aerial attack drones to massive ground-crawling, machine gun-toting minelayers. (And this is to say nothing of all the innovation happening in Western defense companies like AeroVironment.)Here are just a few of the drone warfare innovations that have appeared in public sources over the last few months.MothershipsUkraine has, for some time, fielded large "mothership" drones that can carry and eventually deploy a set of smaller attack drones. This approach can, for example, get light and fast FPV attack drones behind the front lines before releasing them, thereby extending the attack drones' limited range.But it was only this week that I came across footage of a mothership drone launching an attack drone to take down a much larger Russian surveillance drone. In the video, the mothership gets in position above and behind the Russian drone, then launches a small quadcopter drone that races toward the Russian drone and explodes. Fragments of both drones float down as the mothership films the action.Drones launching drones to attack other droneswelcome to war in 2025. A drone with two shotgun barrels, out hunting another drone. ShotgunsSince the start of the war, the Ukrainians have been strapping everything imaginable to their drones, from grenades to mines to RPGs to thermite. Given their recoil, guns have been a bigger challenge, but this hasn't stopped drone makers from trying.Recent footage suggests that real advances have been made in stabilizing the drone platform while firing; one viral video shows not one but two shotguns mounted to a drone, which zips around blasting three Russian drones before targeting an infantry member on the ground. Given the presence of two shotguns going off simultaneously, the drone's stability is impressive.This does not appear to be in mass production, though the Kyiv Post talked to an aerial scout who thought about the weapon's utility.Grenade launchersGrenade launchers have been tested on aerial drones, but they seem more suited to a ground platform. Enter the Burya, a small tracked drone with a grenade launching turret on top. The Burya can carry up to 64 grenades and use fire control software and gyro stabilization to aim and fire a grenade up to 100 meters. According to Ukraine's military, the system has already entered mass production and is being delivered to front-line units.What's next for the system? According to the developer, a Ukrainian company called Frontline, "We are planning to combine the turrets targeting system with data from reconnaissance UAVs [that is, drones] to transmit coordinates to the target in live mode."Assault riflesThey may be harder to aim accurately and may go through ammunition more quickly, but assault rifle drones are still being worked on. In September, the Kyiv Post reported on the most recent efforts to strap an AK-74 rifle to a drone and then go attack Russian trenches. A drone begins the process of stealing another drone. Magnet/clawOne recent video claims to show something even crazier than gunsa drone with a large retractable claw or magnet (it's not quite clear which) stealing another drone. Think of arcade-style claw grabber machines and you've got the idea.Radio mastThe Ukrainian military is talking up a new ground drone called the Pliushch, which doesn't carry a weapon but instead features a folded, 10-meter (32-foot) tall radio mast. The drone has a range of 40 km (25 miles), and once in position, it can raise the radio mast, which can be used either as a communications repeater or as a mobile electronic warfare station.The future of drone combatThese examples are really just a partial listit doesn't even touch on the continually updated naval drones that Ukraine continues to deploy in the Black Seaand for every new innovation, there will shortly be a counter-innovation. Case in point: electronic warfare has now saturated front-line combat areas in Ukraine and Russia and, in some places, is so bad that fiber optic drones are now used to avoid its effects. (These drones unspool miles of ultra-thin fiber-optic cable behind them as they fly, which provides a high-quality, unjammable video and control channel to the drone.)Because fiber optic drones lack the electromagnetic transmissions that can make drones easy to pinpoint, new methods (including short-range radar systems) are now used to hunt them down, while quick-reaction units will use small attack drones to hit the fiber optic drone before it reaches its target.Given the many kinds of drone hardware available, you might wonder why more assaults don't rely on machines rather than humans. Now that ground drones are entering the fight in greater numbers, this does appear to be happening. For instance, local news reports from Ukraine in December described how the Khartia brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard attacked Russian positions using only a mix of machine gun ground drones, aerial attack drones, and mine-laying/clearing drones.Nate AndersonDeputy EditorNate AndersonDeputy Editor Nate is the deputy editor at Ars Technica. His most recent book is In Emergency, Break Glass: What Nietzsche Can Teach Us About Joyful Living in a Tech-Saturated World, which is much funnier than it sounds. 19 Comments

Eating your own dog food Irony alert: Anthropic says applicants shouldnt use LLMs We agree with Anthropic: People shouldn't use its AI to hide bad communication skills. Kyle Orland Feb 4, 2025 2:09 pm | 23 Nothing to see here, just a human applicant for a human job Credit: Getty Images Nothing to see here, just a human applicant for a human job Credit: Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreWhen you look at the "customer stories" page on Anthropic's website, you'll find plenty of corporations reportedly using Anthropic's Claude LLM to help employees communicate more effectively. When it comes to Anthropic's own employee recruitment process, though, the company politely asks users to "please ... not use AI assistants," so that Anthropic can evaluate their "non-AI-assisted communication skills."The ironic application clausewhich comes before a "Why do you want to work here?" question in most of Anthropic's current job postingswas recently noticed by AI researcher Simon Willison. But the request appears on most of Anthropic's job postings at least as far back as last May, according to Internet Archive captures."While we encourage people to use AI systems during their role to help them work faster and more effectively, please do not use AI assistants during the application process," Anthropic writes on its online job applications. "We want to understand your personal interest in Anthropic without mediation through an AI system, and we also want to evaluate your non-AI-assisted communication skills."The inherent hypocrisy here highlights the precarious doublethink corporations like Anthropic must maintain around AI's role in the workplace these days. LLMs are amazing tools that can supercharge employee productivity and help them communicate difficult concepts more effectively, Anthropic and many other tech companies argue. But also, employees who rely on AI tools might be hiding some personal deficiency that we should know about.AI for thee, not for meOn one hand, we can see why Anthropic would include this request for human-authored applications. When evaluating a job applicant's "Why do you want to work here?" statement, you want to be sure you're seeing the applicant's own thoughts, not some computer-generated pabulum from a complex network that has been called a "plagiarism machine" by some of the authors whose work was allegedly used without permission as training data. You're evaluating these applicants for their skill at getting their unique viewpoint across, not for their skill at prompting an AI to mimic that process.On the other hand, Anthropic itself is quick to sell its LLMs as a way for other companies to help employees who might have a little trouble communicating without AI assistance. At Asian AI aggregator WRTN, for instance, Anthropic highlights how Claude "helps users enhance their written communication with more natural, polished language," describing the very type of use case that would apparently get an Anthropic job application thrown out. The same tools that are helping companies like Pulpit with their writing are apparently bad for writing Anthropic job applications. Credit: Pulpit / Anthropic The same tools that are helping companies like Pulpit with their writing are apparently bad for writing Anthropic job applications. Credit: Pulpit / Anthropic There are plenty of other Anthropic-assisted communication examples across the company's customer stories pages. Brand.ai reportedly uses Claude to allow "one copywriter to manage 600 pieces of content... all while preserving the human touch that makes brands special." Otter reportedly uses Claude to help teams "engage in targeted, topic-specific discussions with both colleagues and AI, ensuring seamless and focused communication." Pulpit AI reportedly uses Claude to help pastors "communicate with and reach their congregation and local community" by "turn[ing] sermons into multiple pieces of content." We could go on.Anthropic seems to have no problem with its own employees using Claude in similar ways once they're actually hiredas the application itself says, the company "encourage[s] people to use AI systems during their role to help them work faster and more effectively." So why can't a job applicant use the same tools to more effectively convey their desire to work at the company?This is why we writeIn large part, the discrepancy has to do with the point of human-authored writing itself. More than just a utilitarian way to get information across, most pieces of writing also provide a crucial window into the author's feelings, beliefs, and thinking process. These are the things a recruiter is trying to glean from a written answer on a job application, and also the kinds of things that can be obscured by the use of homogenizing AI tools.Then again, maybe looking at resumes and written applications is simply outdated in the AI era. Anthropic's customers page also highlights AI recruitment startup Skillfully, which it says uses Claude to "identify candidates on the basis of demonstrated skills..." Please do not use our magic writing button when applying for a job with our company. Thanks! Credit: Getty Images Please do not use our magic writing button when applying for a job with our company. Thanks! Credit: Getty Images "Traditional hiring practices face a credibility crisis," Anthropic writes with no small amount of irony when discussing Skillfully. "In today's digital age, candidates can automatically generate and submit hundreds of perfectly tailored applications with the click of a button, making it hard for employers to identify genuine talent beneath punched up paper credentials.""Employers are frustrated by resume-driven hiring because applicants can use AI to rewrite their resumes en masse," Skillfully CEO Brett Waikart says in Anthropic's laudatory write-up.Wow, that does sound really frustrating! I wonder what kinds of companies are pushing the technology that enables those kinds of "punched up paper credentials" to flourish. It sure would be a shame if Anthropic's own hiring process was impacted by that technology.Trust me, Im a humanThe real problem for Anthropic and other job recruiters, as Skillfully's story highlights, is that it's almost impossible to detect which applications are augmented using AI tools and which are the product of direct human thought. Anthropic likes to play up this fact in other contexts, noting Claude's "warm, human-like tone" in an announcement or calling out the LLM's "more nuanced, richer traits" in a blog post, for instance.A company that fully understands the inevitability (and undetectability) of AI-assisted job applications might also understand that a written "Why I want to work here?" statement is no longer a useful way to effectively differentiate job applicants from one another. Such a company might resort to more personal or focused methods for gauging whether an applicant would be a good fit for a role, whether or not that employee has access to AI tools.Anthropic, on the other hand, has decided to simply resort to politely asking potential employees to please not use its premiere product (or any competitor's) when applying, if they'd be so kind. There's something about the way this applicant writes that I can't put my finger on... Credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images There's something about the way this applicant writes that I can't put my finger on... Credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images Anthropic says it engenders "an unusually high trust environment" among its workers, where they "assume good faith, disagree kindly, and prioritize honesty. We expect emotional maturity and intellectual openness." We suppose this means they trust their applicants not to use undetectable AI tools that Anthropic itself would be quick to admit can help people who struggle with their writing (Anthropic has not responded to a request for comment from Ars Technica).Still, we'd hope a company that wants to "prioritize honesty" and "intellectual openness" would be honest and open about how its own products are affecting the role and value of all sorts of written communicationincluding job applications. We're already living in the heavily AI-mediated world that companies like Anthropic have created, and it would be nice if companies like Anthropic started to act like it.Kyle OrlandSenior Gaming EditorKyle OrlandSenior Gaming Editor Kyle Orland has been the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica since 2012, writing primarily about the business, tech, and culture behind video games. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He once wrote a whole book about Minesweeper. 23 Comments

Google updated its ethical AI guidelines in a blog post on Tuesday.The post omitted a 2018 statement that Google wouldn't use AI for weapons or surveillance.The announcement follows other Silicon Valley companies seeking to partner with the US on defense tech.Google updated its ethical guidelines for artificial intelligence in a blog post on Tuesday, removing the company's previous vows to not use its technology to build weapons or surveillance tools.In 2018, the company outlined AI "applications we will not pursue." These included weapons and "technologies that gather or use information for surveillance violating internationally accepted norms," as well as "technologies that cause or are likely to cause overall harm" and "technologies whose purpose contravenes widely accepted principles of international law and human rights."The 2018 post now includes an appended note at the top of the page that says the company has updated its AI principles in a new post, which does not mention the previous guidelines against using AI for weapons and somesurveillance technologies.The company first published these AI guidelines in 2018 after thousands of Google employees protested its involvement in Project Maven, an AI project that Google and the US Department of Defense collaborated on. After over 4,000 workerssigned a petitiondemanding that Google stop working on Project Maven and promise never to again "build warfare technology," the company decided not to renew its contract to build AI tools for the Pentagon.James Manyika, Google's senior vice president for technology and society, and Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind, said in a blog post that democratic nations and companies should work together in leveraging AI that strengthens homeland security:"There's a global competition taking place for AI leadership within an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape," the executives wrote. "We believe democracies should lead in AI development, guided by core values like freedom, equality, and respect for human rights. And we believe that companies, governments, and organizations sharing these values should work together to create AI that protects people, promotes global growth, and supports national security."A spokesperson from Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Although many in Silicon Valley previously steered clear of US military contracts, this move in the backdrop of the Trump administration, rising US-China tensions, and the Russian-Ukraine war is part of a broader shift among tech companies and startups moving toward offering their proprietary technology, including artificial intelligence tools, for defense purposes.Defense tech companies and startups have been optimistic that the industry is poised for success during President Donald Trump's second term. In November of last year, Anduril cofounder Palmer Luckey said in an interview with Bloomberg TV of Trump that it is "good to have someone inbound who is deeply aligned with the idea that we need to be spending less on defense while still getting more: that we need to do a better job of procuring the defense tools that protect our country."Late last year, Palantir and Anduril, which makes autonomous vehicles for military use, held discussions with other defense companies and startups, including SpaceX, ScaleAI, and OpenAI, toform a bidding groupfor the US government's defense contracts.

Paul and Patricia Grogan, both 81, built an energy-efficient passive solar home near Dublin in the 1970s.After almost 50 years, they're listing the 4-bedroom property for $1.32 million."There'll be a lot of tears when we leave this place," Paul said.It was the early '70s, and Paul and Patricia Grogan were looking for a new home.The couple, who met in college in the '60s, lived in a cozy family house in an outer suburb of Dublin back then but dreamed of building one on their own."We suddenly thought we'd love to maybe strike out and be a bit adventurous. So we started looking for sites," Patricia, 81, a former teacher and retired special needs assistant, told Business Insider. Paul and Patricia Grogan built a passive solar house in Ireland in the '70s. Paul Grogan. They stumbled upon a stunning plot in Kilcroney, a small town about 30 minutes outside Dublin. It was slightly over an acre, with a stream running through it, and offered views of a small mountain nearby."It was a forest and there were grass and trees and weeds growing up to it. You couldn't get into it actually," Patricia said. "But it was a beautiful spot."The couple knew that they had found the perfect place to settle down. But before any construction could take place, the couple had to clear the site."We spent many happy picnics with friends out here clearing the site," she said. "And we had to take out a few trees in order to have room to build the house."Building an energy-efficient houseLiving in Ireland, where the skies are often cloudy, they wanted their house to let in as much natural light as possible. They also wanted to be able to enjoy the views of the surrounding natural landscape. The glass front meant that their house was able to absorb and retain heat. Provided by Colliers Dublin / Luxury Portfolio Their architect helped them design the"I suppose we liked the idea of being able to see things out of the house just like our previous house," Paul, 81, who does consulting work for the design and maintenance of database systems, told BI, "There was glass all around the courtyard, where we had a little garden with bamboo growing in it."The glass front turned their house into a passive solar home, which meant that it could collect and retain heat from the sun to warm its interiors, thereby reducing their energy consumption, he said. While there is a lot of interest in sustainability now, Paul said it was "unusual" at the time to think about houses in that way. Provided by Colliers Dublin / Luxury Portfolio Be it earthen homes that keep cool in the summer or resilient towns that can survive a category-four hurricane, there has been a growing interest in sustainable houses in the face of rising temperatures and the climate crisis.But in 1976, the year they built their house, it wasn't common to think about houses that way, Paul said."It was unusual at the time to have such a system, and it works pretty well. We do have to provide supplementary heat on very cold, wet days, though," he said, adding that they have a few radiators and a wood fire stove on the first floor.During the summer, when the temperatures are slightly higher, the couple opens all the sliding doors on the glass front of the house, he said.It's the only house in their neighborhood that's designed this way, he said.Paul added the house has a building energy rating of C1 which is on par with houses built in the country since the year 2000. In comparison, most houses in Ireland built before the 1980s typically achieve a low D or E in terms of energy ratings."So heating costs would be lower than most of the Irish housing stock," he said. The glass front of the house comprises windows and sliding doors that can be opened during the summer. Provided by Colliers Dublin / Luxury Portfolio It helps that the property is surrounded by trees that offer some shade during sunny days."If we feel the heat is getting too much, we can open the windows upstairs and get a draft down through that," he said.It took less than eight months for their house to be built, Patricia said.Their friends came out to help them with tasks like painting the beams, she said: "We've done nothing to them since. They've just got a nice mellow color now."The couple says they spent about 35,000 Irish pounds to build the house back then. The Irish pound was replaced by the euro in January 1999. It took less than eight months for the house to be built. Provided by Colliers Dublin / Luxury Portfolio "It wasn't a very expensive house to build. We were surprised, but that's because of probably the simplicity of the construction and the bit of work we all put in to help keep the cost down," Paul said. "But that was 1976, and things were cheaper then, too."A home filled with beautiful memoriesWhen they bought the plot of land, the couple had three kids, but by the time they moved into the house, they had four."We got a surprise pregnancy, and it was quite stressful at the time, but we did it," Patricia said.Every nook and cranny of the house is filled with beautiful memories, Paul said."It's been a very happy house for bringing up the children. They all loved the fact that there's plenty of wildlife around here and in the forest," he said. They've raised their four daughters in the home. Provided by Colliers Dublin / Luxury Portfolio They've kept dogs, cats, and hens throughout the years. At one point in time, they even had ponies, too, Patricia said.Her favorite spot in the house is her office on the second floor."Somebody came out here recently and said, 'I don't know how you managed to do any work here. Just looking out in the garden is lovely," she said.Paul's favorite spot in the house is the kitchen because "that's where everybody congregates." It overlooks the garden, and it's where they've had many "wonderful parties," he said. Patricia's office on the second floor overlooks the garden. Provided by Colliers Dublin / Luxury Portfolio When the couple first moved in, there were only two or three neighbors. But over the years, the community has expanded to include about 17 houses, each on about an acre or more of land, Paul said."And we're all in the same WhatsApp group. So if anything happens in the area, everybody's on," he said.There's a walking trail that runs along the area and into the forest that the couple and a few neighbors have cultivated and maintained over the years. The neighborhood is a close-knit community where everyone looks out for each other. Provided by Colliers Dublin / Luxury Portfolio "We encourage all the neighbors or their children to walk around the area, which means we all meet one another fairly regularly as they're passing by," Paul said.It's a close-knit community where everyone looks out for each other."In fact, we have a long drive it's about 500 meters from the house down to the road. When we leave our bins out, we have to bring them down to the end of the drive. But our next-door neighbors, when they're going for a walk, they'll pick up our bins and bring them up to the house," he said.Plans to downsizeAt the moment, only the two of them live in the house; their four daughters are all grown up, and three of them live in London. The couple's four daughters have since moved out of the house. Provided by Colliers Dublin / Luxury Portfolio "We've grown into it. We've taken over, we've spread ourselves out," Patricia said.However, maintaining a house and garden of this size takes a lot of work. As they're getting older, they've decided to list the house on the market for 1.275 million euros, or about $1.32 million."I spent a lot of time in the garden, which I really loved. But I'm just coming to the point now where I'd like to do some other things in my life besides gardening," Patricia said, with a laugh.Their plan is to move into a smaller place closer to Dublin, where it's easier to get around."We both still drive but would like to use more public transport, which is free for pensioners in Ireland," Paul saidThey'll be sad to leave their neighbors, he added. They're planning to sell the property because they're getting on in age. Provided by Colliers Dublin / Luxury Portfolio While their eldest daughter considered buying the house a few years ago, Patricia says she knows the house requires "a big commitment."The property is about 40 minutes from the Dublin airport and about 15 minutes from the coast, making it a great place to live, especially for those who can work from home like he does, he added.In fact, working from home was a major factor in his decision to continue working beyond the normal retirement age."I love my work, the mental challenges it presents, and the ongoing relationships with my clients," Paul said. "I may slow down a little, but love the stimulus of problem-solving and ongoing study of new technology my work provides." An ideal buyer would be someone who would enjoy the views and the challenge of taking care of the house and its garden. Provided by Colliers Dublin / Luxury Portfolio "The trees, we think, have kept the place, the air, and us very, very healthy," Patricia said. "We feel the trees have looked after us, and they're very big now, but definitely they've looked after us."In many ways, it's been a home that has grown with them."We were excited at the beginning about just doing something very different, but it's been a very happy place for the family," Paul said.One thing's for sure, Paul said: "There'll be a lot of tears when we leave this place."

The Logoff is a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.Welcome to The Logoff. I want to focus on the coming legal fight over Donald Trumps agenda, because the courts seem to be the largest remaining hurdle to the administrations attempt to radically expand Trumps power. Whats the latest? Two federal workers today sued over Elon Musks tech takeover at the agency that oversees the federal workforce, Wired reports. The lawsuit asks for a temporary restraining order to force Musk and his team to disconnect a server that has allowed them to directly email nearly every federal worker. FBI employees are suing to block Justice Department heads from compiling a list of employees who worked on the January 6 investigation, Politico reports. Labor federations and others on Monday sued the Treasury Department over Musks access to the federal payment system, arguing it illegally disclosed millions of Americans personal and financial data. Are other lawsuits coming? Yes, likely many, including:Experts say Trump lacks the legal authority to shutter the US Agency for International Development. The question will almost certainly fall to the courts.Critics are promising to sue over Trumps plan to house detained migrants at a Guantnamo naval base. (The first migrants were flown there today.)Why havent more suits been filed already? Legal work is often slow, as a rushed filing can doom a lawsuit in court. Additionally, the legal system generally requires someone to demonstrate theyve been harmed by an action before suing. Those factors make the legal system likely to lag behind Trumps actions, but that doesnt mean the suits arent coming.Have any lawsuits already been successful? Yes, at least temporarily. A federal judge stalled Trumps plan to end birthright citizenship, and a separate federal judge suspended the administrations attempt to freeze basically all federal spending. Both cases, however, are likely to be appealed, perhaps all the way up to the Supreme Court.And with that, its time to log off Okay! It has been a day. And so I want to preview something Ive been saving up since this newsletter started. A podcast that combines two things I enjoy: new ways of understanding human history, and (more importantly) very good dogs. So please feel free to treat yourself to this 26-minute podcast on the domestication of canines. And yes, its titled Who let the wolves in?Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

The original plan was for director Denis Villeneuve to take a break from Dune. As the filmmaker began to put the finishing touches on 2024s Dune: Part Two, he seemed pretty insistent that while he wanted to continue, and conclude, the story of Paul Atredies in Dune Messiah, he would need to take a break first. But, eventually, those feelings changed and now it seems likely Villeneuve is going to make three Dune movies in a row. What changed? Well, in a new interview, Villeneuve says its because of you. Yes, you. The person reading this. The person who, we are inferring, is a fan of Dune: Part Two. I was really moved by the way Part Two was received by cinephiles around the world, and I felt an appetite and a desire to see more and a responsibility to finish that story, Villeneuve said in an interview with Collider. You see? Fandom can be a good thing. That story, according to the writer-director, is currently very focused on the character we see last in Dune: Part Two, Chani, played by Zendaya. Chanis heart is broken, and its the beginning of the Holy War and thats where we left, so in a way, Id say its quite similar, he said. I was expecting to do something else before, but frankly, thats the inspiration that came to my mind as I took a break this summer and was going back and finishing the story. Villeneuve has been chipping away at the script for Messiah, based on Frank Herberts 1969 follow-up to Dune, for years. Hes spoken time and time again about working on it, his ideas for it, and when hes going to make it. But it wasnt until recently, when Warner Bros. set a release date for an untitled Villeneuve event film on December 18, 2026, that rumblings started about it being another Dune. And now it certainly seems like it will be. All thanks to the fans who showed up for Dune: Part Two, turned it into a massive hit, and championed it all the way to the Academy Awards. In Dune Messiah (which, yes Timothe Chalamet, has been out for over 50 years and is not really a spoiler), we follow Paul after his decision to marry Princess Irulan and rule the galaxy. Hes joined by a clone of Jason Momoas Duncan Idaho and, well, things get proper weird. All of which we may see in December 2026. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Severance is a show that pays unusual attention to detail. Fans have come to understand that no choice madebe it a seemingly offhand line of dialogue, production design tweak, or something you dont even notice at firstis by chance. Its all very deliberate and part of the quirky, sinister puzzle the Apple TV+ series is carefully assembling. While season one left us with a lot of questions, particularly after that wild cliffhanger (and the subsequent years-long wait to see what happened next), season two has wasted no time in ramping up all ofSeverances mysteries, and introducing some new ones too. With that in mind, here are the most burning questions we have about Severance season two so far. Theyre not even all the questions we have, just the most burning ones. Some of these will surely be answered soon, maybe even in this weeks fourth episode. Some of them will likely haunt us until the season finale and perhaps beyond. 1. Where is Ms. Casey? So far, its the enigma driving season two. At the end of season one, she was ushered down an ominously dark hallway to an even more ominous elevator after Ms. Cobel commanded her to be sent to the testing floor. Lumons former wellness director hasnt been seen since. Her absence is worrisome for many reasons: we dont know what happens on the testing floor, or even what her status was before she was sent there, other than the fact that the longest shes ever been awake is one single eight-hour stretch. But also, as innie Mark learned in the season one finale (and all the innies now know, too), she has another identity beyond being Ms. Casey: shes outtie Marks presumed dead wife, Gemma. 2. How did Gemma become Ms. Caseyand why? Outtie Mark believes Gemma died in a car accident, with no reason he should suspect otherwise. His sister Devon and husband Ricken, who dont work for Lumon, also think Gemma has died. Why would Lumon stage her death (including burning a body after the crash), only to spirit her away to the severed floor? Why is Lumon so interested in, and seemingly invested in, the relationship between Mark and Gemma?Image: Apple TV+ 3. What is Cold Harbor? Its the name of the project Lumon is very interested in having Mark finish, seemingly without him actually realizing it. Hes almost there. And its a big deal. But what is it, and why is it so important? 4. What is Ms. Cobels plan? She was fired from Lumon at the end of season one, and her cover was blown when outtie Mark, who knew her as his next-door neighbor Ms. Selvig, realized her true identity. When Helena Eagan tries to hire her back, ostensibly with a promotion that would keep her away from the severed floor, Ms. Cobel turns her down and heads off on a road tripbefore changing her mind and returning to Kier.I intend to finish the work that I started, Ms. Cobel says to Helena when shes making a case for Lumon to put her back in charge of the severed floor. Clearly she has some sort of grand plan that ties not just into her work on the severed floor at Lumon, but is also the driving reason behind why she kept such uncomfortably close tabs on Marks outtie. Its not a sexual interest in both versions of Mark, as Lumons obviously false explanation would have it but what is she trying to do? 5. Whats in Salt Neck? We see a road sign marking 238 miles to Salt Neck at the point where Ms. Cobel decides to turn back. Whats in Salt Neck? Does it have something to do with her deceased mother, whose breathing tube she keeps tucked into the Kier Eagan shrine in her basement? 6. Where is Kier, PE? Severances dystopian settingthe perpetually freezing company town of Kier, PEis as nebulous as Lumon itself. PE is not a state, and Remedium Hominibus (translated: A cure, for mankind) is not a slogan on any American license plate. But the shows reality does overlap with our own, with mentions of real cities and states as well as the in-world use of songs by Metallica, the Stone Roses, and others. Apple TV+ 7. Whos on the board? Never seen or heard, unless faint static through that direct-access Charlies Angels speaker counts, Lumons all-powerful board makes all the decisions and its word is final. Presumably its entirely made up of members of the Eagan family, but is there anyone else? What do their meetings look like? And are they all linked into that speaker at all times? 8. What is the deal with Natalie? Her death-ray smile and panicky eyes telegraph emotions her mouth will never speak, for 90% of what Natalie says is via her role as a spokesperson for that mysterious Lumon board. We have seen more of Natalie in season two so far through her interactions with Mr. Milchick, andin episode threeher visit to Ricken and Devons house to sweet-talk Ricken into re-writing his self-help book for innie use. But we still have no idea what her actual personality is, or if she even has a soul that can be detached from Lumons hold over her.9. Why does Lumon want Ricken to rewrite his book for innies? Theory: the company doesnt have any intention of giving a version of Rickens book to the innies, despite pretending that it now cares about innie well-being. This is just a scheme to feed Rickens ego and get him on Lumons side, and maybe Devon too, since theyre so involved in Marks life and were also fond of Gemma. (We know Lumon thinks Devon is uppity, so maybe theyre trying to keep her happy?) Image: Apple TV+ 10. Why is Miss Huang a kid? When Mark S. returns to Lumon in the season premiere, he meets a new member of the management team: Miss Huang. While the actor who plays her is 18, the character looks to be about 12 or 13. Considering her roleshes Mr. Milchicks second-in-commandshes presumably not severed employee. But why would Lumon hire a tween to fill that position? Shouldnt she be in school, maybe the same school where she was previously a crossing guard? 11. Why did Helly lie about her Overtime Contingency experience? We know who she really is. Why did she hold back on telling the rest of her innie cohorts? And why wouldnt she come up with a less suspicious cover story than one involving a night gardener? Is Helly hiding an even bigger lie? Does she even own a Save the Gorillas t-shirt? Apple TV+ 12. Who is outtie Irv talking to on pay phones? In season two, we see Irv leave his apartment under cover of night and go to a phone booth. My innie got the message, he tells someones voice mail. But we dont know who or why; presumably, its building on the detective work we knew innie Irv was doing in season one, including compiling a list of names and addresses of other severed employees. (One of whom is Burt, who we see watching Irv from afar hes making one of those phone calls.) 13. Whats up with the Exports Hall? Felicia, Burts former co-worker, catches a glimpse of one of Irvs drawingsa recreating of the near-monochromatic paintings his outtie does over and over. She identifies it as the Exports Hall, and explains thats where Optics and Design used to deliver its shipments, though now they send a guy. We also know thats the same hallway where Ms. Casey was sent at the end of season one. Whats down there? Why does outtie Irv remember it so vividly, and innie Irv have nightmares about it? Why is everything about it so haunting and ominous? 14. How will Marks reintegration go? It seems very unlikely that Mark will suffer the same fate as Petey in season onehes the main character and Severance isnt about to kill him off. But how advanced has Reghabis technique really gotten since the Petey fiasco? And how will Severance address the blending of his two minds if shes successful? 15. Are the Macrodata Refiners actually doing anything? In season one, it seemed like MDR was being tasked with meeting actual goalsquotas for completing their nebulous number-grouping work before the quarter ended, with rewards handed out to the top performers. (Two words: waffle party. Come to think of it, we still have a lot of questions about that waffle party!) But they dont really know what the data is used for, and neither does the audience. Is there a practical application, or is it all a sham to hide whatever Lumons true purpose isanother mystery Severance is definitely going to take its sweet time solving? Apple TV+ 16. The goats. Seriously. What the hell? Even after episode three took us inside the goat department, which we now know is called Mammalians Nurturable, we still have no idea why Lumon has a goat department. In fact, after meeting the people who work there, we now have infinitely more questions about the goats. New episodes of Severance worm their way into your brain Fridays on Apple TV+. Share your own burning questions below! Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.