Theres a very specific niche of Greek mythology geeks who think about the gods and goddesses at least once a day. Yes, its our Roman Empire, and with the news that Christopher Nolan (Interstellar) is going to meticulously assemble the grand myth of The Odyssey for the big screen with quite the epic cast, were so ready for it to be our time. Most recently, weve gotten a smattering of adaptations here and therebig swings resulting in misses, like Netflixs Kaos starring Jeff Goldblum as Zeus (which was ahead of its time), and little swings that have catapulted new visions of the Persephone and Hades myth to great heights, as seen in Rachel Smythes Lore Olympus and the Hades video games. Many of the tales original texts have been revisited and reinterpreted from the patriarchal-leaning translations; theres also a trend of turning to other versions of the myths that have long existed but havent been as widely told, bringing new foundations to the stories we thought we knew. For one, Persephone having more agency as the Queen of the Underworld by choice has been a popularly embraced take on her lore. And were ready see it happen more often along with other favorites. Hades and Persephone Revisiting the tale of Hades, the ruler of the Underworld, and his Queen Persephone, goddess of Spring, has become a popular favorite in the YA romantic literature crowd. It garnered Lore Olympus a huge following both in digital downloads on Webtoon and in physical print. Really its all thanks to its creator Rachel Smythes gorgeously artful comic, which retold the couples courtship as a meet-cute through Persephones lens as she fell in love with Hades, welcoming her fate willingly. And theres of course the gaming crowd, who are obsessed with their heroic kids: son Zagreus (the main character in Supergiant Games first Hades release) and daughter Melinoe (who leads Hades II). Both properties draw from unearthed texts that give different interpretations of Hades and Persephones stories about their marriage and the children they had that contradict the stories as theyve long been told. You know the one, where he stole her from her mother, and lets her come back to earth in the spring. We prefer a Persephone with agency and would love to see her story on screen as she gets her king and has her super-powered kids. For now we wait on the Jim Henson Companys animated adaption of Lore Olympus, but the tease Webtoon did with Sydney Sweeney (Immaculate) makes us wish for a live-action movie too.Orpheus and Eurydice Most recently seen in Netflixs Kaos as the uniting core story in the affairs between the gods and mortals, the song of Orpheus and Eurydice is a tragic one if you recall. The streamers attempt at a modern day re-telling of the myths of Mount Olympus gave it a satisfying change, but the nature of the real storys lesson is what outlasts all other attempts at updating it.Thats why we hope that the stage musical adaptation Hadestown (there he is again, the scoundrel king) is the next big musical to hit movie screens. Anas Mitchells concept album got the Broadway treatment by show director Rachel Chavkin, and it debuted at a time that could not be more timely for the myths themes of survival, division, and sacrifice. It also starred Penny Dreadfuls Reeve Carney and breakthrough performer Eva Noblezada (Yellow Rose), who could still star in a big screen version of this if it got fast-tracked. Their performances as Orpheus and Eurydice are so beloved, they and the original cast are reprising their roles in an upcoming West End run, which will allegedly be filmed. So at least theres that! On the indie radar Stranger Things star Sadie Sink is starring in a post-apocalyptic, gender-bent take on the myth called Odessa for Hulu. Hercules The first thing I breathed a sigh of relief about when the Russo Brothers went back to Marvel involved Disneys upcoming live-action adaptation of Herculeswith the hope that Guy Ritchie drops out of it too. If the studio can strike now before its too late, it would be smart to nab a two for one with Wickeds Jon M. Chu as director and Ariana Grande as Megara. Wed be seated and ready just as long as that is done correctly, along with casting the best triple-threat Black actresses and singers for the muses.Now I know youre wondering why Im specifically talking about Disneys Hercules and not Hercules and his 10 tasks ordered by the gods. Well, do you remember Hercules starring Dwayne Johnson? Or The Legend of Hercules starring Twilights Kellan Lutz? Nope? Exactly. I do remember the songs of the Disney classic, and with Chus hand, more of Hunk-ules legend could be used to expand the story, just like the director did with Wicked. Eros and Psyche Webtoon The Greek myth of Eros (Cupid) and Psyche is pretty much the blueprint for all versions of the Beauty and the Beast story archetypes. Beautiful girl is sent by family or townsfolk to take care of a scary monster who ends up treating her better than they did, and they get jealous; curiosity gets the best of her and the monster is revealed to be god-tier hot or, you know, a real god. The real myth has more tragedyand again, we loved the layers it was presented with in Lore Olympus, which encouraged Psyches heroism as a major factor in her role. Wed like to see this myth taken back to its roots as a core love story for a new series; think Bridgerton but make it Greek myths in the ancient times with detailed costuming.Medusa Netflix Justice for Medusa! For whatever reason, Medusa keeps getting featured in adaptations such as Kaos as a small side character or antagonist, which thankfully was remedied in favor of her being depicted with more complexity in Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+. Her story as a mere monster to kill on some other mans quest needs the Wicked treatment; she doesnt have to be a victim of circumstance but a powerful figure who can stone the patriarchy. And she needs to have her tale re-told. 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.

The MAGA movement, which has sought to align itself with the principle of freedom of speech, sure isnt too happy about criticism of its newly unelected bureaucrat, Elon Musk. Indeed, a federal attorney in Washington D.C., who was recently appointed by Trump, has launched a new initiative designed to prosecute those who threaten Musk and other public employees. This week, interim US Attorney Ed Martin announced Operation Whirlwind, which is a new initiative to prosecute threats against public officials, the Washington Post writes. The name of the initiative appears to reference a comment made by Chuck Schumer in 2020 (close to half a decade ago) when, amidst the Supreme Courts deliberation over whether to ditch womens constitutional right to an abortion, Schumer said that the federal justices had released the whirlwind and would pay the price. Schumer subsequently apologized for the harsh rhetoric which, all things considered, is really not that bad next to a lot of the stuff Trump has said. Martins Whirlwind was also apparently inspired by him having learned of threats against those working with the Department of Government Efficiency, the government demolition effort being led by Trumps first buddy, Elon Musk. We are the DC US Attorneys office; we are the guardians of federal workers, Martin wrote in a note circulated throughout his office. You and I must do whatever possible to assure government work is safe for all involved. We must protect our cops, our prosecutors, our DOGE workers, the President, and all other government employees from threats against our nation. To hear a Trump-aligned prosecutor talk about being the guardian of federal workers is somewhat hilarious, given the fact that Trump and DOGE are currently decimating the federal workforce and laying siege to the very notion of public sector work. Martin is probing top elected officials over their hostile rhetoric against conservative figures. Martin recently sent letters to elected Democrats over their criticism of Musk, DOGE, and the Supreme Court. Those letters were sent to Rep. Robert Garcia (D-California) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York), the Post reports.A portion of one letter, sent to Rep. Garcia, and provided by the Washington Post, reads as follows: At this time, I respectfully request that you clarify your comments from February 12, 2025. During a live interview with CNN, when asked how Democrats can stop Elon Musk, you spoke clearly: What the American public wants is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar fight. This is an actual fight for democracy. This sounds to some like a threat to Mr. Musk an appointed representative of President Donald Trump who you call a dick and government staff who work for him. Their concerns have led to this inquiry. We take threats against public officials very seriously. I look forward to your cooperation with my letter of inquiry after request. Thank you in advance for your assistance. Please respond by February 24, 2025. First off, calling Elon Musk a dick is a no-brainer. In fact, dick is a rather tame descriptor for what Musk is. Others have found much more colorful ways to describe his essence.Secondly, it would appear that Martin doesnt understand freedom of speech, is being disingenuous, or did not pass high school English. Indeed, Martin should knowas most viewers of that interview dothat Garcia was not literally talking about weapons, just as he was not literally suggesting that members of Congress are in a bar fight with the President. Instead, the bar fight and the weapons were both what speakers of the English language call metaphors sophisticated rhetorical constructions in which, as Merriam-Webster has put it, a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them. Garcia, in a statement to the Post, said he had not received a copy of the letter: No reasonable person would view these comments as a threat, and its interesting that the letter was sent to The Washington Post, yet we have not received it. We are living in a dangerous time, and elected members of Congress must have the right to forcefully oppose the Trump Administration. By the afternoon, Garcia posted the full letter on social media. Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor and University of Michigan law professor who was interviewed by the Post, noted that it was a fair inference that these letters are designed more to chill free speech than to seek clarification, as they purport to do. The surge in threats against public workers and lawmakers is real, although its somewhat bizarre to see MAGA attempting to reframe itself as the standard-bearer on this issue. The current President has notably referred to his political enemies as vermin and scum and has repeatedly threatened to jail or destroy them. Threats against members of Congress are reportedly at an all-time high. The homes of six Democratic lawmakers were reportedly targeted with bomb threats this past Thanksgiving, and others have been subjected to swatting attacks, mailed threats, and other intimidation efforts that, unlike Garcias recent remarks, were literal, not metaphorical.

Nature, Published online: 19 February 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08602-1Deterministic generation of a continuous-variable eight-mode entanglement on an integrated optical chip is reported.

Nature, Published online: 19 February 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08776-8Publisher Correction: Skin autonomous antibody production regulates hostmicrobiota interactions

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Following its recent launch, the mobile Epic Games Store is continuing to roll out free games on Android worldwide and iOS in the European Union. Two new arrivals are particularly good ones worth picking up.From now until March 20, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Knights of the Old Republic II are available for free through the mobile version of the Epic Games Store. Both were console heavy hitters 20 years ago and defined what a Star Wars RPG would look and feel like. Characters like Darth Revan and Bastilla Shan have been fan favorites ever since, with the latter coming close to actual canonization. Last month, the Epic Games Store added nearly 20 third-party games. There will be new games offered each month until Epic moves to a weekly schedule later this year.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Nvidia's lineup of GeForce RTX 50-Series Graphics Cards expanded this week with the arrival of the 5070 Ti, which joins the higher-end 5080 and 5090 models that launched late last month. Just like those two GPUs, the 5070 Ti is hard to find in stock at Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg, and other retailers. We'd recommend checking the links below, as restocks tend to be sporadic and rather unpredictable. The standard 5070 GPU is expected to release before the end of February, too.Nvidia RTX 50-Series Restock TrackerCheck stock at Best BuyCheck stock at AmazonCheck stock at WalmartCheck stock at NeweggCheck stock at AntonlineThe flagship card, the RTX 5090, is priced at $2,000, and Nvidia claims it's twice as powerful as the RTX 4090 but requires a 1,000-watt power supply--a huge leap from the RTX 4090's 450W baseline power draw. Despite its power demands, the RTX 5090 is more compact than its predecessor, fitting into smaller PC builds.The slimmer size and higher performance are true of all the cards in the lineup, with Nvidia claiming the $1,000 RTX 5080 to be twice as fast as the RTX 4080. The budget-priced $550 RTX 5070 offers performance comparable to the RTX 4090, at nearly a third of the price. The 5070 Ti, meanwhile, sits between the 5070 and 5080 in terms of price ($750) and performance.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Despite being released back in 2011,Portal 2 still has an amazingly dedicated community. Thanks in part to the strong modding support that Valve has made a consistent feature across its releases, Portal 2 is still seeing community maps and mods developed to this day. Most of the mods and user-generated content for Portal 2 can be found directly via the Steam workshop.

When you begin a new school in Mind Over Magic, you will get the opportunity to choose two or three staff members to help you get everything going. You get a choose a lot of different things about your staff, including their elements, their strengths, and even their appearance.

The Asus ROG Ally X is one of the most powerful handheld PCs available, but is still limited to just 1 TB of internal storage. While you can expand the real estate of this handheld with a variety of budget-friendly microSD cards, sub-par transfer speeds put a considerable bottleneck on how fast you can download and update your games. If youd like to double the internal storage of your device with an option that has more respect for your time, good news: you can pick up the 2 TB version of the WD_Black SN770 SSD for just $109.9 at Walmart. Thats down from $149.99.This is the lowest price weve seen yet for this particular SSD, and is a great investment for anyone doing a considerable amount of gaming on their handheld PC. Swapping the SSD in your ROG Ally is a little more involved than slotting in a microSD card but is easily accomplished with a little patience and elbow grease. While the SN770 is a great option for the ROG Ally X, you can also install this M.2 SSD in your PC or PlayStation 5, as long as you provide your own heatsink.Unfortunately, the M.2 socket for handhelds like the original ROG Ally and Steam Deck OLED arent compatible with the standard SN770. But you can currently find both the 1 TB and 2 TB models of the WD_Black SN770M on sale, and is a great option for either handheld.