Extended stay NASA will swap Dragon spacecraft on the ground to return Butch and Suni sooner NASA can no longer wait on the development of a new Crew Dragon vehicle. Eric Berger Feb 6, 2025 9:30 am | 49 NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, seen in their Boeing flight suits. Credit: NASA/Francisco Martin NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, seen in their Boeing flight suits. Credit: NASA/Francisco Martin Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreNASA should soon announce a new plan for the return of two of its astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, to Earth as early as March 19. This is about two weeks earlier than the existing public timeline for their flight home from the International Space Station.Bringing the two astronauts back to Earth next month will require some shuffling of spacecraft here on the ground and a delay of the privately operated Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station to later in the spring.Wilmore and Williams flew to the station on Boeing's Starliner in June 2024. The plight of "Butch and Suni," as they are often referred to, was a major story in the space community last summer after their Starliner spacecraft experienced significant propulsion issues before docking. NASA ultimately decided the safest course would be for the pair to return home on a SpaceX Dragon vehicle, and launched the Crew-9 mission last September with two empty seats. Thus, Butch and Suni's ride home has been docked to the station since last fall.Shuffling spacecraftAt that point the pair joined the Crew-9 mission, alongside NASA's Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, and were scheduled to fly home in February. However, there was a late-developing technical issue with a new Dragon vehicle SpaceX is building, C213. Its first flight was to be Crew-10, the next NASA mission to the station. These four astronauts were to relieve Crew-9, allowing Butch and Suni to fly home. In December, NASA publicly announced a delay of the Crew-10 launch to no earlier than "late March." This would bring Crew-9 home in early April.SpaceX and NASA are still working to resolve the C213 Dragon issue, which may be related to batteries on the spacecraft. NASA now believes the vehicle will not be ready for its debut launch until late April. Therefore, according to sources at the agency, NASA has decided to swap vehicles for Crew-10. The space agency has asked SpaceX to bring forward the C210 vehicle, which returned to Earth last March after completing the Crew-7 mission.Known as Endurance, the spacecraft was next due to fly the private Axiom-4 mission to the space station later this spring. Sources said SpaceX is now working toward a no-earlier-than March 12 launch date for Crew-10 on Endurance. If this flight occurs on timeand the date is not certain, as it depends on other missions on SpaceX's Falcon 9 manifestthe Crew-9 astronauts, including Wilmore and Williams, could fly home on March 19. They would have spent 286 days in space. Although not a record for a NASA human spaceflight, this would be far longer than their original mission, which was expected to last eight to 30 days.The plight of Butch and Suni has become increasingly political in the last 10 days, after Donald Trump began his second term in the White House. A little more than a week ago, Trump said, "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."Musk, the founder of SpaceX, referred to the two astronauts as "stranded" and blamed the Biden administration for leaving them in space so long.Politics versus pragmatismWith NASA now potentially advancing the return of Wilmore and Williams by about two weeks, from early April to mid-March, Trump and Musk may seek to score a political win. But the underlying facts paint a different picture, suggesting pragmatic rather than political rationale.The plan for Butch and Suni's return was finalized by NASA last August, and Musk signed off on it as chief executive of SpaceX at the time. Their original return date on Crew-9 was delayed due to a technical problem with a SpaceX vehicle. In recent months, as NASA has monitored development of the C213 vehicle, they worked on a contingency plan involving the swapping of Axiom's spacecraft. This plan was set into motion before Trump came into office. It has now been greenlit.At this point, if NASA waited for C213 to be ready to launch the Crew-10 mission, the space station program would start to approach 'redlines' on food, water, and other supplies for crew members on board the station. The agency is also juggling a lot of competing priorities in terms of cargo and crew missions to the station. The bottom line is that they really needed this crew rotation to occur sooner rather than later.Eric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 49 Comments

A new imaging device can capture 3D scans of human faces from hundreds of metres awayAongus McCarthy, Heriot-Watt UniversityFrom 325 metres away, your eyes can probably distinguish a persons head from their body and not much else. But a new laser-based device can create a three-dimensional model of their face.Aongus McCarthy at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and his colleagues built a device that can create detailed three-dimensional images, including ridges and indentations as small as 1 millimetre, from hundreds of metres away. It uses an imaging technique called lidar, emitting pulses of laser light that collide with objects then reflect back into the device. Based on how long each pulse takes to return, lidar can determine an objects shape. AdvertisementTo get to this level of detail, the team had to carefully calibrate and align many different components, says McCarthy, such as the tiny parts that direct the laser pulses inside of the device. To enable it to distinguish single particles of light, the researchers used a light-detecting sensor based on an incredibly thin piece of superconducting wire, a component that isnt common in lidar. Filtering out sunlight that could enter the detector and degrade the image was another challenge.The researchers tested their lidar system on a roof near their lab by taking detailed three-dimensional images of a team members head from 45 and 325 metres away. On a smaller scale, they captured Lego figurines from a distance of 32 metres.The imaging system could scan Lego characters from 32 metres awayAongus McCarthy, Heriot-Watt UniversityIn another test, they imaged a segment of a communication tower that was a kilometre away. That was a very tough test because of the bright background, and we had no control over what we could put in the scene [that we were imaging], says McCarthy.Feihu Xu at the University of Science and Technology of China, whose team previously used lidar for imaging from 200 kilometres away, says that McCarthy and his colleagues achieved remarkable results when it comes to the depth resolution of their device. It is the best so far, he says.Lidar is only becoming more relevant for modern technology, says Vivek Goyal at Boston University in Massachusetts. He says that being able to create detailed three-dimensional maps of surroundings will be crucial for autonomous vehicles and even some robots but the new device will have to be made smaller and more compact before it can be used for this purpose.Journal referenceOptica DOI: 10.1364/OPTICA.544877Topics:

Asteroids have the potential to cause widespread destructionmuratart/ShutterstockTelescopes around the world are currently trained on a building-sized asteroid hurtling in Earths direction, in an effort to try to understand whether it might hit us. Our current best guess is that this object, called 2024 YR4, has a 1-in-53 chance of striking in 2032, the highest risk of any known asteroid. But what does that number really mean, and when should we start panicking?Astronomers are continuously tracking thousands of asteroids as they move through our solar system. This information is then collated at the Minor Planet Center,

Gen Z's spending preferences are changing as they face high prices and increasing credit card debt.BNPL services offer financing options, but Gen Z is looking to make better money decisions.Klarna said that 18- to 25-year-olds are one of its smallest demographics.When it was time for 27-year-old Zachary Timms to propose to his girlfriend, he used Affirm for the first time to pay for her dream ring.Timms told Business Insider that he doesn't usually use Buy Now Pay Later services, but the convenience of paying off a $7,000 engagement ring led him to try it. As an elder Gen Zer, his spending choices fit in with a trend BNPL companies and retail experts have observed in young adults."I try to buy everything out of pocket if I can," Timms said.His reason? To avoid piling up debt and set himself up for future milestones, like buying a home.Although Timms' girlfriend said yes, Timms told BI that he would say no to using a BNPL service again unless he was "in a pinch."BNPL seemed to be growing in popularity with Gen Z in 2022, with its low fees and fast credit approval. It has been criticized, however, with consumers previously telling BI that it can encourage impulsive purchases and lead to racking up debt.BNPL offers people the option to pay for items like apparel, tech, and plane tickets in installments instead of paying full price all at once. The difference between BNPL and credit cards is that the full price of an order is calculated and split into a short-term financing schedule at the checkout at firms like Afterpay and Klarna.A recent survey by the University of California's Center for Public Relations and creative communications agency Day One Agency seemed to show Gen Z aren't as enamored with services like BNPL as many might expect, even as companies expand their offerings on sites like Target and Sephora.USC and D1A asked 1,022 18- to 25-year-olds across the US if they'd rather pay for something outright or in installments; only 14% said they'd opt to pay in installments.The majority, 59%, chose to pay for goods upfront and 27% of respondents fell somewhere in the middle.If Gen Zers like Timms are trying to avoid paying in installments, there are a number of factors that could contribute to that choice, Courtney Alev, consumer financial advocate at Credit Karma, said.They want to make better financial decisionsGen Z is racking up credit card debt with the rising cost of living.According to a Credit Karma survey last year, 86% of Gen Zers surveyed "left 2024 with financial regrets, their most prolific regret being overspending," Alev said.One 25-year-old Tiktoker said that services like Klarna and Afterpay have become "so normalized," particularly for people in their early 20s. She said BNPL should reserved for "essential" items."If I don't have $80 to pay up in full, then maybe I just don't need it," said the creator, who goes by the username Sparklyclever.Some, like Timms, worry about their finances being affected by owing a BNPL service. However, there's no guarantee that owing money to a company like Affirm or Klarna would impact a credit score.A recent study by FICO in partnership with Affirm found that including BNPL services on consumers' credit reports led to higher scores or no change for the majority of over 500,000 borrowers despite Gen Z's growing concerns about their financial standing.They prefer to use credit cardsGen Z may be acquiring debt at a faster rate than millennials, but Alev said credit cards are "more advantageous" than BNPL for borrowing, with rewards points that can be redeemed for travel, for example.In the Credit Karma survey, 15% of Gen Z consumers said they planned to use BNPL for holiday costs, while 28% said they'd use their credit cards."Gen Z is pretty savvy when it comes to credit cards and have figured out the power of rewards," Alev said.Gen Z isn't always BNPL's typical consumerAt Klarna, adults between the ages of 18 and 25 make up 13.7% of its shoppers, making it the second-smallest group of users (the smallest is adults 56 and up, which Klarna says is part of its fastest-growing segment). The average age of its users is 36.Affirm COO Michael Linford says that its users "skew a little bit older" than Klarna and Afterpay. Linford attributes the difference to Affirm's focus on higher-value shopping carts and underwriting expensive items for credit-worthy customers.A college student, Linford said, likely wouldn't have the income to cover the cost of a $500 barbecue grill compared to someone with an established career.They still want to have funKey financial milestones, like buying a home or retirement, are also "less top of mind in general for this generation," Alev said.Gen Z consumers typically place less importance on saving money than older generations, prioritizing near-term fun, she said.The "simplicity that comes with paying in full" can let Gen Zers off the hook for multiple payments on varying due dates. Their view of paying with cash is also a factor.Shad Smith, 25, told BI that she'd rather pay her full balance to "get it out of the way." Smith said she used BNPL once or twice in 2024 on a TV or a concert ticket."It's easier to get the buyer's remorse over with up front instead of being reminded of my impulse purchase every two weeks," she said.About one in five Gen Z consumers told Credit Karma that "paying with cash feels like free money." Money that they can spend on travel, entertainment, and self-care products, as data from Sezzle and Shopify suggests they tend to purchase.Blame it, at least in part, on their "YOLO mindset," Alev told BI.

I wasn't a fan of the Appetitos Buffalo-style chicken dip.The Appetitos Buffalo-style chicken dip had a strong onion flavor. Ted Berg Normally, I'm a fan of anything that's made Buffalo-style. However, the Appetitos Buffalo chicken dip was oddly heavy on onions which isn't a flavor I typically associate with Buffalo wings.When I pulled it from the microwave, the combination of earthiness from the onions and vinegar from the hot sauce produced an unpleasant aroma. It didn't look especially appetizing, either.There was a respectable amount of chicken, and the peppery flavor of the hot sauce was good, but the onions tasted out of place, and the whole dip was a bit too tangy for my taste.At $5 for a 12.5-ounce portion, it didn't seem like a great value relative to the other deals at Aldi.I wouldn't buy the Fusia chicken egg rolls again.I thought the Fusia chicken egg rolls had an unpleasant aftertaste. Ted Berg Unfortunately, the Fusia chicken egg rolls fell apart a bit while cooking in my air fryer. The outer crust was more dry and crumbly than the egg rolls I prefer. The stuffing was also heavy on cabbage, leaving a fairly strong aftertaste that I didn't love.At $3.40 for a package of four, I'll probably skip these next time.Mama Cozzi's pizza bagels were just OK.The sauce on Mama Cozzi's pizza bagels was a little too sweet for my liking. Ted Berg Mama Cozzi's mini pizza bagels looked exactly like the more familiar Bagel Bites brand appetizer.They tasted a lot like them, too, but to me, they didn't stack up well against the other options I tried. I found the sauce a little too sweet, the bagel a bit too dry, and the pepperoni lacking in flavor.At $7.10 for a pack of 36 bagel bites, these were less expensive than similar products I've seen at other grocery stores.I wish the Kirkwood Buffalo-style chicken wings came with the sauce on the side.The Kirkwood Buffalo-style chicken wings were spicier than I expected. Ted Berg Wings are fairly easy to prepare from fresh or frozen chicken, and unfortunately, I didn't think the Kirkwood Buffalo-style chicken wings stood up to the version I make myself.The wings came with sauce already on them, which likely prevented them from getting crispy in the air fryer. The chicken was a bit on the greasy side, but they packed more spice than I expected.I thought $5.90 was a good deal for more than a pound of wings, but I would've preferred this product if the sauce came in a separate packet.My daughter enjoyed the Fusia mini wontons.I'd buy the Fusia mini wontons again. Ted Berg I steamed the Fusia mini wontons in the microwave, and given how many of the appetizers I tried were fried, I was happy about the change of pace.The pork-and-vegetable stuffing was heavy on scallion flavor and a bit sweet.At $6.90 for a 24-ounce bag, these were on the costlier side of Aldi's appetizer offerings. However, I'd buy these again because my 4-year-old daughter loved them and she's particular about dumplings.Mama Cozzi's pepperoni pizza snacks reminded me of brand-name pizza rolls.I made Mama Cozzi's pepperoni pizza rolls in my air fryer. Ted Berg Like the pizza bagels I tried, Mama Cozzi's pepperoni pizza snacks closely resembled the brand-name product.These didn't explode in the air fryer, which is an issue I've had with similar snacks in the past, and their outer shell took on a nice, crispy texture.The $6.50 price tag seemed very reasonable for an enormous 45-ounce bag. However, I would've preferred a smaller option to keep in my freezer.The Casa Mamita stuffed beef and cheese nachos reminded me of fried ravioli.I enjoyed the Casa Mamita stuffed beef and cheese nachos. Ted Berg The Casa Mamita stuffed beef and cheese nachos looked like toasted ravioli, and the chewy-crunchy outer shell had the same texture.Inside, the stuffed nachos were reminiscent of a convenience-store microwavable burrito, which is not meant as a knock. The filling was heavier on cheese than seasoned beef, and I could've gone for a bit more of the latter.However, they had a nice peppery kick to them, and at $4, would make for a fine change of pace at a Super Bowl party.The Kirkwood chicken fries were great for dipping.The Kirkwood chicken fries had more breading than chicken. Ted Berg Aldi had a wide selection of chicken nuggets and tenders. I chose the Kirkwood chicken fries because the $5.30 24-ounce bag was the smallest and least expensive option.There wasn't much seasoning in the breading, and there was a high bread-to-chicken ratio, but they were great for dipping.The Appetitos mac-and-cheese bites tasted better when dipped in a homemade aioli.My daughter liked the Appetitos mac-and-cheese bites. Ted Berg The Appetitos mac-and-cheese bites looked exactly like chicken nuggets but were stuffed with creamy, melty cheese and pasta.They were salty but a little light on flavor and definitely tastier when dipped in a homemade cajun aioli. However, these blew my 4-year-old's mind, and she insisted on showing me that every bite had "real mac and cheese inside."I thought $3.50 seemed well worth it for the 8-ounce package.The Bremer mini corn dogs were better than I expected them to be.The Bremer mini corn dogs cooked nicely in the air fryer. Ted Berg Since I prefer beef hot dogs to chicken ones, I had reservations about Bremer's mini corn dogs.However, they cooked up nicely in the air fryer, with a nice crispness to the honey-tinged cornmeal crusts. The franks inside didn't taste like much, but they didn't detract from the snack, either.Like most corn dogs, these were much better with mustard or ketchup. A huge 26.8-ounce box cost me $6.50.The SeaPak wild-caught clam strips crisped up nicely in the air fryer.I enjoyed the SeaPak wild-caught clam strips. Ted Berg I didn't realize it at the time, but the SeaPak wild-caught clam strips were the only appetizer I found at Aldi that didn't come from one of the supermarket's house brands.The clam strips, which cost $5 for an 8-ounce box, took on a great crunch from my air fryer and packed a nice, mildly briny seafood flavor.The Appetitos jalapeo poppers made a decent appetizer.The Appetitos jalapeo poppers weren't super spicy. Ted Berg The Appetitos jalapeo poppers did not disappoint. At $2.90 for an 11-ounce package, they were the least expensive starters I found.There wasn't a ton of kick from the jalapeos, but they were a nice, tender complement to the crunchy breading and molten cream cheese.They weren't the best jalapeo poppers I've ever had, but if I paid for them at a local bar, I wouldn't complain.The Season's Choice Buffalo cauliflower bites were a pleasant surprise.I don't typically like cauliflower, but I enjoyed the Season's Choice Buffalo cauliflower bites. Ted Berg Cauliflower is one of my least-favorite vegetables, but after eating so many breaded, fried, cheese-stuffed things, I was excited about a breaded, fried vegetable-stuffed thing.Unlike the Buffalo wings I tried, the Season's Choice Buffalo cauliflower bites came with the sauce in a separate packet. Even after I tossed them in the sauce, they maintained a nice crunch, and the cauliflower had a nice, hearty texture.I also thought $3.50 for a 13-ounce bag seemed like a good deal.My whole family enjoyed the Appetitos breaded cheese curds.The Appetitos breaded cheese curds were great. Ted Berg The Appetitos breaded cheese curds, which cost $4.40 for a 15-ounce package, were an absolute hit with my whole family. They had a winning combination of hot, molten cheese and crunchy, salty breading.The Appetitos loaded potato skins were my wife's favorite.I was surprised by how much I liked the Appetitos loaded potato skins. Ted Berg I don't normally love potato skins or baked potatoes, so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Aldi's cheddar-and-bacon-topped potato skins.They were hardly "skins" at all more like baked potato halves.When cooked, they had more potato flavor than I expected, a smoother texture than I would've imagined possible from a frozen baked potato, and nice bits of salty crunch from the bacon.They cost $3.50 for a package of four and were my wife's favorite of the appetizers we tried.I wish there were more cream-cheese wontons in the package.The Appetitos cream-cheese wontons were delicious. Ted Berg The Appetitos cream-cheese wontons had a crispy, flaky crust that I really enjoyed. They weren't overwhelmingly greasy, and the cream cheese inside was smooth and rich.I tried them with a few different dips, but I liked them best on their own. However, there were only six wontons in the $3.70 package, so I'd need to buy multiple boxes if I were to serve them to guests.I'll definitely purchase the Appetitos cheese-stuffed pretzels again.I'm glad the Appetitos cheese-stuffed pretzels didn't have an overwhelming amount of salt on them. Ted Berg Appetitos' cheese-stuffed pretzels were another family favorite. The warm, sweet, soft pretzels provided a great vehicle for the hot, creamy cheddar cheese inside.I especially liked that they weren't overwhelmingly salty. A few of them lost some cheese in the cooking process, but I trust that I can make the necessary adjustments moving forward.At $3 for a 10-ounce box, I'll absolutely buy these again.The Fremont shrimp queso bites were my favorite.I'd buy the Fremont shrimp queso bites again. Ted Berg Most of Aldi's cheese-stuffed appetizers were good, but in my opinion, the Fremont shrimp queso bites were the best.At $5 for an 11-ounce bag, they were on the expensive side by Aldi standards. There was definitely a lot more queso than shrimp inside the golden-brown puffs, but I could definitely taste the seafood.The cheese also had a sharp, peppery spice. Of the 18 appetizers I tried, these were a narrow favorite.

In the world of reality TV, there are (basically) two types of shows: competitive reality shows where everyones after a cash prize, with the hope of being asked back for future seasons, and candid reality shows full of personal drama (and probably outfits), where being asked back for future seasons is the prize. The ultimate distinction might be the democratic process: Unlike Big Brother contestants, Vanderpump Rules and even Bachelorette co-stars arent technically allowed to vote one another out of the show.On the Peacock streaming service, theres a show where the two meet. Its called The Traitors. Situated in a Scottish castle and hosted by Alan Cumming in full razzle-dazzle regalia, The Traitors pits Real Housewives against Survivors; Bachelor himbos against aggro Challenge veterans; and extremely beautiful real estate agents like Chrishell Stause from Selling Sunset against somewhat less beautiful royals like British Lord Ivar Mountbatten. Like competitive reality TV, the goal at the end of Traitors is a cash prize. But like candid reality shows, the secret goal of everyone in the game is to get a little bit more famous, parlaying their Traitors stint into more projects, and maybe even future appearances on this or other shows! For reality TV fans, The Traitors is essentially an all-star game, the best of both worlds of reality TV. But as with so many of the reality shows, from Love Is Blind to The Bachelor, the more the players know about the show, the less organic and more alien it becomes. Now in its third season, The Traitors is still as entertaining as ever, but in an unexpected, crash out kind of way. The worst part of The Traitors are gamers figuring out the gameDespite all of Alan Cummings outfits, The Traitors is ultimately a game about elimination, where players vote one another out. There are 23 players this season, and from those their host has selected a few to play as Traitors. The traitors job is to eliminate their fellow contestants, known as Faithfuls. Each night, theres a roundtable vote where Faithfuls try to vote out Traitors. And after each vote (called a banishment), the Traitors secretly meet and vote out a Faithful (called a murder). Faithfuls hope that they can vote out all the Traitors by the end of the season and split a cash prize, and Traitors hope to sow enough discord and doubt to make it to the end and keep the money for themselves. Whats made The Traitors a breakout hit through its first three seasons are the players.Look, its the gamers! Boo. Tomato. Tomato. Boo. Euan Cherry/PeacockThe shows ingenious casting department plucked some of the best reality television stars Housewives, Survivors, Bachelors, et al. from across networks and types of shows. In doing so, theyve created a fun dynamic where, as in the second season, you get a cutthroat gameplayer like Parvati Shallow, one of the most ruthless Survivors ever, teaming up with Real Housewife Phaedra Parks, one of the canniest candid reality stars in the Bravoverse to betray the rest of the castle then you set them against someone like Pilot Pete Weber, an earnest if self-righteous former Bachelor. Whats emerged this season, and seems certain to continue with each future installment, is that the competitive reality show contestants (or, as they call themselves, the gamers) go into the game with soft alliances with other fellow gamers, and the implicit understanding to vote out non-gamers. These are people who went very far on Survivor, Big Brother, and The Challenge. Theyre accustomed to and practiced at the backstabbing and mind games that come when your fellow cast members explicitly have the power to get rid of you. Its natural that they would try to figure out how to increase their odds on Traitors, and that banding together to vote out fellow players regardless of Traitor or Faithful status would certainly do that. Once they weed out the amateurs, the thinking seems to go, they can set their sights on each other. The problem is that as gamers continue to figure out the game, it doesnt necessarily make for fun television. It even cuts short some arcs that could have made for really great TV. Two of the initial Traitors Big Brothers Danielle Reyes and Survivors Carolyn Wiger this season are gamers. After the first episode, three more gamers were added to the show with one of them Survivor mainstay Boston Rob Mariano is secretly selected as another Traitor, with former Drag Race star Bob the Drag Queen rounding out the four. (Drag Race is a competition show, but RuPaul not the other queens ultimately decides who, shantay, gets to stay.) The gamers are inescapable. And much has already been made of the fact that two of the first three eliminations this season were Real Housewives, and seven of the first 10 eliminations were non-gamers. By voting players like the Housewives off only New Jerseys Dolores Catania remains of the original four that were cast the gamers have increased their odds of winning, but theyve also robbed us of Dorinda Medley being messy at the roundtable. Medley, the first player to be murdered, is sort of like Marvels Incredible Hulk; anger, inevitably preceded by a lot of alcohol, transforms her from a mild-mannered, rich widow who lives in the Berkshires into a rage-filled, slurring, bleach-blonde barbarian who says things like, eagles dont fly with pigeons and face of an angel, mouth of a serpent. Where Survivor and Big Brother alums are strategy savants, Medley and the other non-gamer reality show stars, like Chrishell from Selling Sunset and Gabby Windey from The Bachelor, are good at making sudsy, silly television. They know how to fight for the cameras, turning molehills into mountains. Theyre the pinnacle of reality TV personality hires. Getting rid of so many of them Real Housewives of Dubais Chanel Ayan! Potomacs Robyn Dixon! Dorinda! before they can make good TV is no doubt a producers nightmare, especially when you consider that the show airs on Peacock, the streaming home of every Real Housewife fight thats ever aired. OMG! Is that Selling Sunsets Chrishell in a beautiful outfit? And questioning peoples motives? Yay! Euan Cherry/PeacockIf one wanted to watch a show thats all strategy and littered with pre-made alliances, theyd likely already be tuning into The Challenge, one of the few television programs that airs during the rare hour when MTV isnt playing reruns of Ridiculousness. The Challenge began as an all-star competition for Real World and Road Rules alumni, and now its a farm team for competitive reality Challenge stalwarts Trishelle and CT won Traitors last year. Its now aired 40 seasons, largely composed of people whose entire adult careers are going on The Challenge. They go into each new game with already-made cliques and pacts against first-timers, and almost every season is dictated by an alliance, which tamps down the predictability of the game. Its become a boring question of whether the dominant coalition of players will or wont win the game. That said, The Traitors may have some guardrails as to what the gamers can accomplish with their take-no-prisoners-bad-TV strategy. For starters, the gamers dont really know what to do with Tom Sandoval, a.k.a. the doofus at the center of the Bravo adultery controversy known as Scandoval. Sandoval, perpetually sweaty and always sauntering around the castle like a surprised possum, has no real concept of who may or may not be Traitors, but that doesnt keep him from sharing every theory that enters his mind with anyone in his vicinity. The gamers cannot decipher if Sandoval is an idiot, a genius, a Faithful or a Traitor. It gives me some hope that even the most seasoned gaming veterans cannot fully comprehend the confusing layers of idiocy that some candid reality TV stars possess. The saving grace this season? The Traitors are pretty bad.While the aforementioned gamer creep threatens to rob us of silly confrontational television, theres been one thing stopping them and making season three entertaining: the Traitors picked this season are dysfunctional clowns. Bob the Drag Queen, before his elimination in episode four, (thankfully) seemed more infatuated with the idea of making good television fighting with Zac Efrons brother Dylan, being shady to some contestants while making all the girlies loyal to him, giving biting confessionals than employing a winning strategy. Danielle, a mastermind on Big Brother, is a portrait of delusion. She believes shes turning in a superb acting performance and fooling the rest of the players. Everyone around her thinks whatever is happening with Danielle is bizarre. Her performative appearances at breakfast when the assembled Faithful and unsurprised Traitors learn who was murdered the night before evoke the worst community theater youve seen. If you ever find yourself needing to hide a body, Danielle is not the friend you call. Danielle unconvincingly telling Zac Efrons brother that shes definitely not a Traitor. Euan Cherry/PeacockBoston Rob, a Survivor winner, keeps drawing attention to himself by pointing fingers at whoever he perceives as a threat, including his fellow Traitor Bob. Rob also carries himself with the serious air of a mafioso, so even if youre not as savvy as a gamer, one might think that the man with an accent straight out of The Town talking about the game as if he were the target of actual mob hits could be a little suspect. While his machinations have won out over the last few episodes, Robs over-aggressive, excessively Masshole play has put a giant target on his back. The only Traitor playing a decent game is Carolyn, but thats because no one takes her seriously, not even her fellow Traitors. With intense vocal fry, she bemoans every murder, rightfully recognizing that keeping the less sharp Faithfuls around ultimately benefits the Traitors. But her fellow Traitors all seem intent on creating chaos instead of listening to Carolyns sound strategy. Part of that may be due to delivery; like a pterodactyl, Carolyn has a penchant for squawking and groaning when excited, or even at rest. Heading into episode seven, Danielle has tried to eliminate Carolyn, because in her brilliant thespian mind, she needs to recruit a new Traitor to defeat Boston Rob. Danielle could have easily and more discreetly played along with a vocal segment of Faithfuls who dont trust Rob, but then how would she get to exercise her acting chops? Meanwhile, Carolyn is now going after Danielle in return, which has ruined Carolyns under the radar gameplay. And everyone in Cummings castle seemingly suspects Boston Rob but he cant do anything because his two traitorous teammates are so desperately horny to get each other eliminated. For all the worry about too much strategy, The Traitors has, for now, become a thrilling comedy of failures. The only fitting end would be that no one wins the cash prize. I know that the rules in place ensure someone always wins, but I also wouldnt put it past this gaggle of fools to figure out a way to make this happen. Ill be watching every second, rooting against them all.See More:

If there's one thing EA is scared of, it's GTA 6, and the publisher has hinted that not even its juggernaut Battlefield franchise will go toe-to-toe with Rockstar GamesTech14:55, 06 Feb 2025Rockstar could headline one of the best years in gaming(Image: Rockstar)We reported back in December about how publishers were scared to put dates on games for fear of GTA 6 taking all of players' time and money, and it appears EA is one such company.While Rockstar has been quiet for 14 months now, EA finally confirmed its plans to revive Battlefield earlier this week. The multiplayer shooter, helmed by four studios in collaboration with a hefty community-focused playtesting effort, has been in development for some time but could see a delay.Why? Because "some things happening in the year" might mean it's not "a great window", CEO Andrew Wilson explained.As we mentioned when discussing the leaked Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater release date, 2025 is shaping up to be a colossal year for gaming.Between Switch 2, GTA 6, Monster Hunter Wilds and Xbox finally getting its ducks in a row with Fable, Avowed, DOOM The Dark Ages, plus PlayStation's Ghost of Yotei, and Death Stranding 2, and Borderlands 4 and Mafia The Old Country, it's a stacked year.That's to say nothing of the elephant in the room with GTA, plus huge releases that are out already like Civilization 7 and Kingdom Come Deliverance 2."I do believe that this year might be a nuanced year relative to competition," Wilson said on EA's earnings call."There may be some things happening in the year that may cause us to think differently about our launch timing."Still, that's not to say he's shrinking from an honest challenge. In fact, Wilson confirmed "this Battlefield" (which remains untitled) will be "the biggest Battlefield we've ever made".The game is expected to be released before April 2026, but Wilson said they may change that."If we got close to that timeframe and believed that this wasn't going to be a great window for us, then we would take a look at what an alternate window might be that would give us the appropriate time, energy, and player acquisition opportunity for this Battlefield to be all that it needed to be."Sounds like Wilson and his team will have one ear on Take-Two's earnings report later today, which could reveal when GTA 6 is likely to land.Article continues belowFor more on GTA 6, be sure to check out why it could be best played on PS5 Pro, and a potential overhaul for the classic 'Wanted Stars' system.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

Metal Gear Solid Delta is one of the year's most hotly-anticipated games, but a new leak from PlayStation may have inadvertently revealed the Snake Eater's release dateTech14:51, 06 Feb 2025Updated 15:05, 06 Feb 2025We could be playing as Snake come August(Image: KONAMI)Metal Gear Solid is a series all about unexpected twists and turns, so it's perhaps fitting that the next game's release date should leak in such a surprising way on a random Thursday in February.Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a ground-up remake of one of the most well-regarded games of the PS2 era, and while we've been hearing about it for quite some time, its release date has remained a mystery until now.While the store page has been updated to remove the date, the PlayStation Store briefly revealed when we'll be able to play it.Get ready to go through the emotional wringer again(Image: KONAMI)As spotted over at Resetera, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is seemingly launching on August 28. It's not quite a placeholder date, so it seems likely to be the real deal especially since the store page has returned to just featuring a nice vague '2025' release year.The game is also listed as PS5 Pro enhanced, but no further information about additional features for Sony's most powerful console were revealed.It seems someone jumped the gun, and while it's not clear how this happened, it's not the only thing of note that leaked.Another trailer for the stealth action title has leaked via the store page, packed with classic moments and a revised version of the score, so it'll be interesting to see if Konami decides to release it anyway. The trailer ends with the same release date.Perhaps most surprising is the appearance of one of the Apes from Ape Escape at the end, suggesting the Snake vs Monkey minigame will return.As exciting as it is, it's still a little sad when something like this leaks because it stops everyone being able to experience the reveal together. Speculation had suggested Sony would hold a State of Play event in the coming weeks, and one would imagine that Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater would have been a big title for it.Still, between Switch 2, GTA 6, Monster Hunter Wilds and this, 2025 could become one of the greatest years in gaming history.Article continues belowFor the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

Storage is always a hot commodity. People who work with large files sizes like photographers and videographers know that better than anyone, which is why is always great news for us to come across a deal like this one. For a limited time, Amazon has the Samsung T7 Shield with 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB all on sale, with discounts ranging all the way up to 45% off. You can save as much as $233 on a reliable and durable Samsung external SSD.See at AmazonSamsung has made an external solid state drive designed for creators. Whether you are a photographer filing all your photos, a video editor in need of a place to save your raw footage, or a writer looking to back up all your blogs, the T7 SSD can handle it. The drive brings you fast read speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s and write speeds of up to 1,000 MB/s, twice as fast as the Samsung T5. Thats also up to 9.5 times faster an an external HDD. This will let your transfer your files or open projects in almost no time at all.For videographers, the Samsung T7 SSD lets you record in ultra high resolution in 4K at 60 fps directly onto the drive via your favorite camera or even mobile device. Its compatible with the iPhone 15 Pro at its full 4K and 60 fps.Go the DistanceAs a portable drive, the T7 SSD is strong and sturdy. The Shield model is designed to be able to take on on the elements with its IP65 rating for water and dust resistance. Its rubberized exterior and solid aluminum body allows it to be able to withstand fall of up to 9.8 feet. Plus, it easily fits into your pocket, making it convenient to take anywhere.The Samsung T7 Shield portable SSD comes in three colors. Choose between either titan black, beige, or blue. This is a great option for a savvy user in need of multiple SSDs. This way you can easily identify them from one another at just a glance.Right now, the 2 TB version of the Samsung T7 Shield portable SSD is on sale for 45% off, bringing it down to just $158. Likewise, the 1 TB is down 36%, bringing the price down from $170 to just $108 and the 4 TB is down 45%, bringing the price down from $500 to $277. No telling when the deal will expire so hop in now if youre curious enough to check it out while saving some cash.See at Amazon

By Isaac Schultz Published February 6, 2025 | Comments (2) | An artist's concept of the largest radio jet ever found in the early universe. Illustration: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M. Garlick Astronomers have spotted a massive radio jet in the early universe, which they say is the largest known from that era. The jet is at least 200,000 light-years long, making it twice the width of the Milky Way. It formed when the universe was less than 10% its current age of roughly 13.77 billion years. Though the jet is not the largest in the universes known history, its size and remarkable age raises questions about the source of these jetssome of the most exotic objects in the universe. The teams research describing the jet is published today inThe Astrophysical Journal Letters. There is this idea that maybe the most powerful jets are created from the most massive black holes or black holes that are heavily accreting material near the theoretical limit, said Anniek Gloudemans, an astronomer at NOIRLab and lead author of the research, in an email to Gizmodo. Therefore we were maybe expecting this newly discovered jet to host an extra-ordinary black hole, but this wasnt the case. Radio jets are familiar objects in our nearby universe, but are much rareror at least less-knownin the early universe. The recently studied jet spews out from a quasar, or an energetic galactic core, dubbed J1601+3102. Astronomers first identified the jet in Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) Telescope data, and details of the jet and its source quasar were collected via observations with the Gemini Near-Infrared Spectrograph (GNIRS) and the Hobby Eberly Telescope. The jet is seen below spewing from its quasar, a reddish splotch, when the universe was less than 1.2 billion years old. The quasar in question is relatively smalljust 450 million times the mass of our Sun. Thus, the extremity of the jet is a surprise compared to its relatively modest host.The quasar jet. Image: LOFAR/DECaLS/DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys/LBNL/DOE/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURAImage processing: M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab) According to a NOIRLab release, the scarcity of large radio jets so far back in time may be due to radiation from the cosmic microwave background, whose noise drowns out radio light. The only reason the team was able to see this particular jet is that it is huge for its age. The largest known jets, which together form a megastructure called Porphyrion, were discovered last year and are 23 million light-years long. Thats more than ten times the size of J1601+3102s jet. If Porphyrions jets were only as wide as our planet, the black hole that powers them would be the size of an amoeba.However, Gloudemans team can only see J1601+3102s jet as it appears at this moment in the early universe.We observed this jet as it was 12.4 billion years ago, so over time it will have grown larger. Porphyrion is an extremely large giant at a distance of about 7.5 billion light years, Gloudemans said. Our newly discovered jet doesnt come close to the 23 million light year size of Porphyrion, however, it does provide evidence of large radio jets already in place earlier in the history of the Universe. An artists impression of the gigantic black hole jet system extending through the cosmos. Illustration: E. Wernquist / D. Nelson (IllustrisTNG Collaboration) / M. Oei The researchers who studied Porphyrion posited that such large jets likely affect the growth of their host galaxies and others nearby. Plenty of questions remain, including how jets are formed by their environments and in turn shape them. The jurys also out on what massive objects produce what kinds of jets, and just how big the jets can grow. As astronomers collect more observationsnew instruments like the Square Kilometer Array will help them in their searchthe incredible diversity of these extreme objects and their origins may become clear.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Margherita Bassi Published January 23, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published January 18, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published January 15, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published January 13, 2025 Isaac Schultz and Passant Rabie Published January 4, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published December 24, 2024