TOPSHOT - A person looks on as SpaceX's huge Super Heavy-Starship is unstacked from the booster as ... [+] it sits on the launchpad at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on November 16, 2023, ahead of its second test flight posponed to November 18. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on November 15, 2023 authorized SpaceX to carry out its second launch of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, after a first attempt in April ended in a spectacular explosion. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesElon Musks rocket company will open a one-hour launch window Monday for the eighth flight of the SpaceX Starship from Starbase in south Texas.Blastoff could occur as soon as 6:30 p.m. ET on March 3 after being delayed from Feb. 28. The massive rocket will again conduct a suborbital flight test, with the Super Heavy booster separating shortly after liftoff for a return to the launch tower and the Starship spacecraft continuing on its journey before attempting a splashdown in the Indian Ocean.The attempt comes on the heels of a seventh flight in January that ended early and abruptly in what the company jokingly refers to as a rapid unscheduled disassembly or RUD, better known to laypeople as an explosion. The Starship upper stage broke up shortly after the Super Heavy booster was successfully caught back at the launch pad for the first time by the SpaceX chop sticks mechanism.Fireworks are Part of the ProcessFor over two decades, the company has pushed an aggressive cycle of technology development and iteration as part of Musks vision to drive down the cost of space access and exploration by making as many components reusable as possible.Legacy space programs run by state-funded agencies like NASA typically designed rockets to be single-use, with the spent boosters usually falling into the ocean. Components that make it to space might remain there or eventually burn up on re-entry into Earths atmosphere.The Space Shuttle represented a move towards reusability, but was relatively limited in its range, never making it far beyond orbit.SpaceX and Musk, by contrast, have grand ambitions of sending thousands of people to establish a presence on Mars and perhaps elsewhere in the solar system. Such a grandiose vision requires numerous trips between Earth and other worlds, driving the desire for reusability.But dialing in such reusable space exploration systems has been difficult and generated the spectacle of many RUDs or explosions in the development process. SpaceX has often celebrated such incidents, which the FAA characterizes as mishaps, as a part of the process that may not be desired, but is not totally unexpected either.Developmental testing by definition is unpredictable, the company said in a statement. But by putting flight hardware in a flight environment as frequently as possible, were able to quickly learn and execute design changes as we seek to bring Starship online as a fully and rapidly reusable vehicle.How to WatchThe launch will be livestreamed via the SpaceX X.com feed below.During the flight, SpaceX plans to test Starships ability to deploy payloads by simulating the deployment of Starlink satellites with what amount essentially to four dummy satellites.The team is also hoping to gather data on how Starships upper stage responds to certain stressors that will enable it to return to the launch site following the completion of a future mission.

Find the links between the words to win today's game of Connections.gettyLooking for Mondays Connections hints and answers instead? You can find them here:Hey, folks! I hope your weeks off to a great start.Since I opened yesterdays column with a brass band cover of Get Lucky by Daft Punk, I thought Id bring you a couple more versions to help kickstart your Tuesday.First of all, lets remind ourselves just how fantastic the original song is:Any time Im sad about Daft Punk splitting up, I just listen to some of their music and that fixes me instantly.Wilcos live cover of Get Lucky is a ton of fun too:Get Lucky is one of the best songs of this century so far in my book. I dont know anyone who dislikes it, and I would be highly suspicious of anyone who did.Theres really no other reason for me to include these daily recommendations other than because its fun. I hope they help you find something new or interesting, or rediscover something you havent thought about it a while.Before we begin, Ive set up a discussion group for Connections and this column on Discord. We have a great little community over there and we chat about more than NYT games. Everyone who has joined has been lovely. Its a fun hangout spot.Its also the best way to give me any feedback about the column, especially on the rare(!) occasions that I mess something up.Todays NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, March 4, are coming right up.How To Play ConnectionsConnections is a free, popular New York Times daily word game. You get a new puzzle at midnight every day. You can play on the Youre presented with a grid of 16 words. Your task is to arrange them into four groups of four by figuring out the links between them. The groups could be things like items you can click, names for research study participants or words preceded by a body part.Theres only one solution for each puzzle, and youll need to be careful when it comes to words that might fit into more than one category. You can shuffle the words to perhaps help you see links between them.Each group is color coded. The yellow group is usually the easiest to figure out, blue and green fall in the middle, and the purple group is usually the most difficult one. The purple group often involves wordplay.Select four words you think go together and press Submit. If you make a guess and youre incorrect, youll lose a life. If youre close to having a correct group, you might see a message telling you that youre one word away from getting it right, but youll still need to figure out which one to swap.If you make four mistakes, its game over. Lets make sure that doesnt happen with the help of some hints, and, if youre really struggling, todays Connections answers. As with Wordle and other similar games, its easy to share results with your friends on social media and group chats.If you have an NYT All Access or Games subscription, you can access the publications Connections archive. This includes every previous game of Connections, so you can go back and play any of those that you have missed.Aside from the first 60 games or so, you should be able to find my hints for each grid via Google if you need them! Just click here and add the date of the game for which you need clues or the answers to the search query.What Are Todays Connections Hints?Scroll slowly! Just after the hints for each of todays Connections groups, Ill reveal what the groups are without immediately telling you which words go into them.Todays 16 words are...FRESHDAISYBUCKETMOPSCROOGEFOODTWISTDEWYTANGLEMOUNTAINTHATCHPIPSMOOTHSUPPLYGLOWINGMATAnd the hints for todays Connections groups are:Yellow group lookin good!Green group comb through itBlue group like Tiny Tim and UriahPurple group only as strong as the weakest partWhat Are Todays Connections Groups?Need some extra help?Be warned: were starting to get into spoiler territory.Todays Connections groups are...Yellow group adjectives for nice skinGreen group mess of hairBlue group Dickens charactersPurple group ____ chainWhat Are Todays Connections Answers?Spoiler alert! Dont scroll any further down the page until youre ready to find out todays Connections answers.This is your final warning!Todays Connections answers are...Yellow group adjectives for nice skin (DEWY, FRESH, GLOWING, SMOOTH)Green group mess of hair (MAT, MOP, TANGLE, THATCH)Blue group Dickens characters (BUCKET, PIP, SCROOGE, TWIST)Purple group ____ chain (DAISY, FOOD, MOUNTAIN, SUPPLY)My second straight perfect game brings me up to seven wins in a row. Here's how I fared: My initial gut feeling was that SCROOGE, DAISY and DEWY would form a group of cartoon or Disney ducks, but I didn't see a fourth out of the gate.In any case, MOP and TANGLE led me toward the greens. I took a small gamble here, since I've never heard THATCH in that context. The yellows were up next. I didn't quite figure out that connection but they were all adjectives.Since my "Disney ducks" goose was cooked, there was really only one way to go with SCROOGE. So I clocked the blues as a result. I submitted the purples first, though, after figuring out that connection as well.The blues refer to Inspector BUCKET (Bleak House), Philip "PIP" Pirrip (Great Expectations), Ebenezer SCROOGE (A Christmas Carol) and Oliver TWIST.Thats all there is to it for todays Connections clues and answers. Be sure to check my blog tomorrow for hints and the solution for Wednesdays game if you need them.P.S. Since we had the theme song from The Flintstones yesterday and a Scrooge McDuck reference today, I wonder where my mind will take me for today's recommendation...Its "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac! Nah, just kidding, even though that's a great song. It has to be the DuckTales theme. Another all-time great TV show theme. I know what I'm watching later:Have a great day! Stay hydrated! Call someone you love!If youre so inclined, please follow my blog for more coverage of Connections and other word games and even some video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot! Also, follow me on Bluesky! Its fun there.

In a nutshell: Texas is solidifying its position as a major tech hub, with Apple's recent announcement of a new 250,000-square-foot AI server production facility in Houston serving as the latest testament to the state's growing tech industry. This development is part of a broader trend of technology investments reshaping the Lone Star State's economy, often fueled by California-based companies seeking lower taxes and a more business-friendly regulatory environment. The influx of tech giants into Texas is reshaping the state's economic landscape. Apple already maintains its second-largest employee base outside Cupertino in Austin, while Samsung continues expanding its semiconductor operations in the state. Meta has relocated its trust and safety teams to Texas and other US locations, and companies like Realtor.com, Tesla, and Hewlett Packard have moved their headquarters there.John Diamond, an economist at Rice University in Houston, explains the appeal: "In the end, it's all about the cost of doing business, and the cost of doing business is just lower in Texas," he told the Wall Street Journal.The tech sector's growth in Texas has been remarkable. In the decade leading up to early 2024, high-tech jobs in the state grew at an average annual rate of 4.7 percent, outpacing overall job growth of 2.1 percent, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. This influx of tech talent is transforming urban centers like Austin.Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at consulting firm RSM, notes that dining in downtown Austin "is like being in Silicon Valley circa 2005" due to the concentration of young, educated tech workers.The tech boom isn't limited to large corporations. Startups like Graze Robotics are also finding Texas an attractive destination.Graze CEO Logan Fahey Franz cites several incentives for moving to Plano, including relocation support, tax rebates, and the city's openness to product testing in public spaces."Compared with California tech hot spots, 'it's gotten to the point where you can recruit, retain, and your cost is, I think we like to say, about 30 percent cheaper,' because of lower costs for labor and regulations," Franz said. // Related StoriesThe state is also introducing new tools and services to attract businesses, including a specialized business court for complex commercial litigation directly challenging Delaware's long-standing dominance in this area.Despite the overall positive trend, Texas faces some challenges. While tech job growth remains above the national average, its pace has recently slowed. Additionally, manufacturing activity declined in February, with some computer and electronics manufacturers expressing concerns about potential tariffs affecting customer demand.The state's restrictive abortion laws have also raised concerns among some companies considering relocation. However, David Yim, chief investment officer at USAA in San Antonio, suggests that business pragmatism often outweighs political considerations. "Politics certainly matters, and policy certainly matters. Pragmatism really for business and public companies is probably a bigger factor."

In brief: Xiaomi has introduced its latest smartphone at Mobile World Congress. The Chinese tech company is billing the Xiaomi 15 Ultra as the ultimate professional imagery flagship and indeed, it certainly looks more like a photography tool than a mobile phone especially with the optional camera kit attached. The high-end handset features a 6.73-inch AMOLED display (3,200 x 1,440 pixels, 522 PPI, 1-120Hz dynamic refresh rate) encased in a CNC-crafted aluminum chassis that's driven by a Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, 16GB of LPDDR5X memory, and up to 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage.Around back, you'll find a quad camera array akin to something you'd see in an optometrist's office. The main camera, a 50-megapixel shooter with an f/1.63 aperture, utilizes a Sony LYT-900 image sensor. The 50MP floating telephoto camera, meanwhile, leans on an IMX858 image sensor and a 70mm lens while the 200-megapixel periscope lens (100mm equivalent focal length) taps an HP9 image sensor.Last but not least, the 14mm 50MP ultra-wide employs a JN5 image sensor. All utilize Leica glass and can capture 4K video at up to 120 frames per second or 8K video at 30fps.Up front, a 32-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture and a 90-degree field of view handles self-portraits and video calls.Elsewhere, you get a host of high-end smartphone bells and whistles including an ultrasonic fingerprint reader, a 5,140mAh battery that supports 90W wired or 80W wireless charging, and the peace of mind of an IP68 water and dust resistance rating. // Related StoriesLaunching alongside the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is a legend edition photography kit, an accessory bundle that includes a case for the new phone, a detachable grip, thumb support, and shutter button, a decorative metal ring, a wrist strap, and a 67mm filter adapter ring. The grip features an integrated 2,000mAh battery to extend the phone's effective runtime.The Xiaomi 15 Ultra will be offered in black, white, or silver chrome finishes with pricing starting at 1,499 euro (roughly $1,573). The photography kit is sold separately and will set you back 199 euro, or about $209.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsEverything new on Hulu in MarchWhats leaving Hulu in March 2025In the streaming realm, sometimes its better to be lucky than anything else. Hulu may have had trouble streaming the Oscars, but its going to be the home for this years Best Picture winner, Anora, starting on March 17. Thats the kind of promotion thats impossible to buy, and it may ultimately get more people to see the movie on Hulu than those who saw Anora in theaters.Although Hulu removed the Alien and Predator franchises just a few months ago, theyre already back on the platform as of the first of the month. Hulu has also added many great films, including Fight Club, The Prestige, Notes on a Scandal, The Wrestler, The Truman Show, and Life of Pi. Any streamer would kill to have that kind of powerhouse lineup.Recommended VideosIn one strange piece of business for the month, Hulu is adding the first five seasons of The Conners to go with the sixth season, which is already on the streamer. The eighth season of The Conners will premiere on ABC and stream on Hulu on March 27. But somehow, season 7 was left out of that arrangement.RelatedKeep reading for our guide to everything coming to Hulu in March 2025 and whats leaving at the end of the month. Our picks for March are in bold.Make sure to read our guides for the best shows on Hulu and movies on Hulu. Cant find anything you like on Hulu? Weve also curated guides to the best new shows to stream, the best shows on Netflix, and the best shows on Peacock.Since youre a Hulu fan, be sure to check out the Disney Bundle, which will get you Disney+, ESPN+, and a basic Hulu subscription for just $17 a month. Youre basically getting three streaming services for the price of two its tough to turn that down. And if you want an even better deal on live TV, youll need to make a decision between YouTube TV and Hulu With Live TV.Need more suggestions?March 1Akeelah And The Bee (2006)Alien (1979)Alien 3 (1992)Alien Resurrection (1997)Alien Vs. Predator (2004)Alien: Covenant (2017)Aliens (1986)Aliens Vs. Predator Requiem (2007)The Amateur (1982)American Hustle En Espaol (2013)American Hustle (2013)The Angry Birds Movie (2016)Anger Management (2003)Big (1988)Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) (2014)Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)Brooklyn (2015)Couples Retreat (2009)Crazy Heart (2010)Dangerous Beauty (1998)Firehouse Dog (2007)Good Will Hunting (1997)High Fidelity (2000)Jojo Rabbit (2019)L.A. Confidential (1997)The Last King Of Scotland (2006)The Legend of Zorro (2005)Life Of Pi (2012)Lincoln (2012)My Cousin Vinny (1992)The Other Guys (2010)The Other Guys En Espaol (2010)Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)Predator (1987)Predator 2 (1990)Predators (2010)The Predator (2018)The Princess Bride (1987)Prometheus (2012)Pulp Fiction (1994)Sideways (2004)The Social Network (2010)The Wrestler (2008)Think Like A Man Too En Espaol (2014)Think Like a Man Too (2014)The Truman Show (1998)3:10 to Yuma (2007)True Grit (2010)The Ugly Truth En Espaol (2009)The Ugly Truth (2009)Unbreakable (2000)Wadjda (2013)War Horse (2011)Welcome To The Rileys (2010)Whatever Works En Espaol (2009)Whatever Works (2009)Wild Target (2010)March 2The Oscars: Special PremiereLove Again (2023)Love Again En Espaol (2023)March 3Sensory OverloadMarch 4The Gutter (2024)March 6Deli Boys: Complete Season 1March 7The Banger Sisters (2002)Classified (2024)Confessions Of A Shopaholic (2009)Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024)The Inner Portrait (2025)Notes On A Scandal (2006)March 8Babylon (2022)Babylon En Espaol (2022)March 10American Idol: Season 8 PremiereThe $100,000 Pyramid: Season 8 PremiereThe Benefactor (2015)Ca$h (2010)Hesher (2010)March 11Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna: Documentary PremiereNew Life (2023)March 12Murai In Love: Complete Season 1 (DUBBED)Am I Being Unreasonable?: Complete Season 2The Conners: Complete Seasons 1-5March 13Control Freak: Film PremiereAfter the First 48: Season 9BAmerican Godfathers: The Five Families: Complete Season 1Brigham Young: Architect Of Faith: Complete Season 1Lifetime Presents Women Making History: Complete Season 1Parents Gone Wild: Complete Season 1Pawn Stars: Best Of: Complete Season 5Sentenced to Life: Teen Killers: Complete Season 1The First 48: Complete Season 26The Boston StranglerThe First 48: Critical MinutesMonster Hunter (2020)Stepmom from HellMarch 14Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years: Special PremiereFight Club (1999)Force of Nature: The Dry 2 (2024)The Last Of The Mohicans (1992)The Prestige (2006)True Lies (1994)March 15Premonition (2007)Premonition En Espaol (2007)The Roundup: No Way Out (2024)The Roundup: Punishment (2024)March 17The Sabrina Soto Show: Complete Season 1Anora (2024)March 18Carol (2015)Exhibiting Forgiveness (2024)March 19Gannibal: Season 2 PremiereGood American Family: Series PremiereHyper Knife: Series Premiere (SUBBED & DUBBED)Tokyo Revengers: Complete Season 2B (DUBBED)Magi: Compete Seasons 1-2 (DUBBED)Rega Crimson: Complete Season 1 (SUBBED & DUBBED)March 20ODessa: Film PremiereMy Strange Arrest: Complete Season 2Ol Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys: Complete Season 1The Proof Is Out There: Alien Edition: Complete Season 1Rachael Ray in Tuscany: Complete Season 1Trapped in the Rocky MountainsMarch 21The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy: Complete Season 1 (SUBBED & DUBBED)Ive Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills: Complete Season 1 (SUBBED & DUBBED)March 22The Jesus Music (2021)March 23The Machine (2023)The Machine En Espaol (2023)March 24Wildflower (2022)March 25Big Boys: Complete Season 3Dandelion (2024)March 26The Conners: Complete Season 6March 27The Conners: Season 8 PremiereAlone: Complete Season 11Biography: WWE Legends: Complete Season 4Find My Country House: Complete Season 1March 28Chosen Family (2024)The Line (2023)March 31The Fable: Complete Season 1 (DUBBED)Alex Cross (2012)Bachelorette (2012)March 1Rubikon (2022)March 2Simulant (2023)March 3Benedetta (2021)March 4Lanterns Lane (2021)March 5Mark, Mary & Some Other People (2021)March 697 Minutes (2023)Rabbit Academy: Mission Eggpossible (2022)March 7India Sweets and Spices (2021)March 11Multiverse (2022)March 14Bad Therapy (2020)Bayou Caviar (2018)Changeland (2019)Flux Gourmet (2022)Wetlands (2017)You Cant Kill Meme (2021)You Laugh But Its True (2011)March 15Official Competition (2021)March 16Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (2021)March 18Captains of Zaatari (2021)Manifest West (2022)March 22Section 8 (2022)March 24Arts, Beats & LyricsMarch 25American Siege (2022)Mass (2021)March 31Insomnium (2017)Night Raiders (2021)Snakehead (2021)Editors Recommendations

Microsofts latest Windows 11 24H2 (KB5050094 and KB5051987) updates are causing some serious performance issues, especially for Intel Core Ultra 9 285K users, as Neowin reports. The updates interfere with CPU speeds when a user minimizes a program or the app is out of focus. However, older Intel processors remain unaffected.Its reported that apps are massively throttled, causing the CPUs clock rate to drop significantly and deteriorating overall performance. Some users have resorted to using beta BIOS or changing power settings to preserve CPU performance during background processes. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K slowdown is causing some major headaches as the issues occur across various apps, including Prime95 and 7Zip. This suggests that the 24H2 performance issues are not limited to one app but are linked to KB 5050094 and KB5051987 updates.Recommended VideosA Windows 11 user claims the performance in 7Zips benchmark was cut in half when the user minimized the program. Even though the user distributed the workload across all 24 Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor cores, the performance issues continued. However, users with older processors, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and the Intel Core i9-12900K, did not experience these problems. As a result, there is a possibility that the latest Windows 11 update bugs could be limited to Intels latest LGA 1851 platform. So far, there is no indication that this is a widespread update problem, despite reports of software crashes and incompatibilities. What makes the Windows 11 performance issues even more interesting is that the Intel Ultra 9 285K processor is on Microsofts CPU support list for Windows 11. Clearly, the affected processor is not among the best Intel processors, but that doesnt mean Microsoft can delay fixing the issue. Speaking of a fix, Microsoft has not announced a fix yet, but hopefully, the software giant will release a solution soon.Editors Recommendations

Money talks TSMC to invest $100B as Trump demands more US-made chips, report says Trump's threat of semiconductor tariffs may have spooked the chipmaker. Ashley Belanger Mar 3, 2025 2:49 pm | 37 Signage outside the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. facility under construction in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2022. Credit: Bloomberg / Contributor | Bloomberg Signage outside the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. facility under construction in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2022. Credit: Bloomberg / Contributor | Bloomberg Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreStriking a four-year deal with President Donald Trump, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) plans to invest $100 billion in chip manufacturing plants in the US, sources told The Wall Street Journal.According to "people familiar with the matter," Trump will officially announce the deal later today. While still unconfirmed, TSMC's supposed investment comes after OpenAI and Apple announced similarly vague plans to each invest $500 billion into the US in apparent efforts to get on Trump's good side. It's hard to tell if these plans are actually new or if companies had already planned to invest heavily without outside pressure, WSJ noted.It's undeniable that expanding TSMC's US presence has long been a goal for the US. TSMC announced its first fab in 2020, initially committing $12 billion over 10 years. Since then, TSMC's investments over time have expanded, reaching $40 billion by 2022. Last year, its investments notched up again when TSMC was awarded $6.6 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS Actto "support the companys planned investment of more than $65 billion in three greenfield leading-edge fabs in Phoenix, Arizona," the Commerce Department press release said. At that time, Joe Biden had promised those fabs would "manufacture the most advanced chips in the world," putting the US "on track to produce 20 percent of the worlds leading-edge semiconductors by 2030."Now, TSMC is seemingly prepared to invest even more to build out cutting-edge fabs that Trump envisions will help re-establish the US as a semiconductor manufacturing leader after decades of ceding that power to mostly Asian countries, the WSJ noted.Last year, production began at TSMC's first Arizona fab, where Apple is a primary customer after years of importing chips from Taiwan. At that time, TSMC Arizona Chairman Rick Cassidy told CNBC that the Arizona fab was producing chips "on par" with fabs in Taiwan. If all goes to plan, TSMC's second fab should be operational by 2028, and the third could be up and running by 2030. Customers are expected to include companies already doing business with TSMC, like AMD, Apple, Nvidia, and Qualcomm.Currently, TSMC only builds its most advanced chips in Taiwan. But when the most advanced US fabs are operational, they'll be prepared to manufacture "tens of millions of leading-edge chips" to "power products like 5G/6G smartphones, autonomous vehicles, and AI datacenter servers," the Commerce Department said in 2024.TSMC has not confirmed the WSJ's report but provided a statement: "Were pleased to have an opportunity to meet with the President and look forward to discussing our shared vision for innovation and growth in the semiconductor industry, as well as exploring ways to bolster the technology sector along with our customers."Trump threat of semiconductor tariffs still loomsAdvanced chips are regarded as critical for AI innovation, which Trump has prioritized, as well as for national security.Without a steady supply, the US risks substantial technological and economic losses as well as potential weakening of its military.To avert that, Trump campaigned on imposing tariffs that he claimed would drive more semiconductor manufacturing into the US, while criticizing the CHIPS Act for costing the US billions. Following through on that promise, in February, he threatened a "25 percent or more tariff" on all semiconductor imports, the WSJ reported. According to CNBC, Trump suggested those tariffs could be in effect by April 2."We have to have chips made in this country," Trump said last month. "Right now, everything is made in Taiwan, practically, almost all of it, a little bit in South Korea, but everythingalmost all of it is made in Taiwan. And we want it to be madewe want those companies to come to our country, in all due respect."While it's unclear if Trump plans to overtly kill the CHIPS Act, his government funding cuts could trigger a future where the CHIPS Act dies with no workers left to certify that companies meet requirements for ongoing award disbursements, a semiconductor industry consultant group, Semiconductor Advisors, warned in a statement last month."If I were running a chip company, I would not count on CHIPS Act funding, even if I had a signed contract," SA's statement said.Ashley BelangerSenior Policy ReporterAshley BelangerSenior Policy Reporter Ashley is a senior policy reporter for Ars Technica, dedicated to tracking social impacts of emerging policies and new technologies. She is a Chicago-based journalist with 20 years of experience. 37 Comments

Rage with the machines Netflix drops trailer for the Russo brothers The Electric State "We have a chance to tear their whole sick system down. Humans and bots fighting against the real enemy." Jennifer Ouellette Mar 3, 2025 2:21 pm | 29 Credit: Netflix Credit: Netflix Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn more Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt star in the Netflix original film The Electric State. Anthony and Joe Russo have their hands full these days with the Marvel films Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret War, slated for 2026 and 2027 releases, respectively. But we'll get a chance to see another, smaller film from the directors this month on Netflix: The Electric State, adapted from the graphic novel by Swedish artist/designer SimonStlenhag.Stlenhag's stunningly surreal neofuturistic artfeatured in his narrative art books, 2014's Tales from the Loop and 2016's Things From the Floodinspired the 2020 eight-episode series Tales From the Loop, in which residents of a rural town find themselves grappling with strange occurrences thanks to the presence of an underground particle accelerator. That adaptation captured the mood and tone of the art that inspired it and received Emmy nominations for cinematography and special visual effects.The Electric State was Stlenhag's third such book, published in 2018 and set in a similar dystopian, ravaged landscape. Paragraphs of text, accompanied by larger artworks, tell the story of a teen girl named Michelle who must travel across the country with her robot companion to find her long-lost brother, while being pursued by a federal agent. The Russo brothers acquired the rights early on and initially intended to make the film with Universal, but when the studio decided it would not be giving the film a theatrical release, Netflix bought the distribution rights.It's worth noting that the Russo brothers have made several major plot changes from the source material, a decision that did not please Stlenhag's many fans, particularly since the first-look images revealed that the directors were also adopting more of a colorful 1990s aesthetic than the haunting art that originally inspired their film. Per the official premise:Millie Bobby Brown stars as Michelle, an orphaned teenager navigating life in a society where sentient robots resembling cartoons and mascots, who once served peacefully among humans, now live in exile following a failed uprising. Everything Michelle thinks she knows about the world is upended one night when shes visited by Cosmo, a sweet, mysterious robot who appears to be controlled by ChristopherMichelles genius younger brother whom she thought was dead. Determined to find the beloved sibling she thought she had lost, Michelle sets out across the American Southwest with Cosmo and soon finds herself reluctantly joining forces with Keats, a low-rent smuggler, and his wisecracking robot sidekick, Herman. As they venture into the Exclusion Zone, a walled-off corner in the desert where robots now exist on their own, Keats and Michelle find a strange, colorful group of new animatronic allies and begin to learn that the forces behind Christophers disappearance are more sinister than they ever expected.In addition to Brown and Chris Pratt, the cast includes Woody Norman as Christopher; Ke Huy Quan as Dr. Amherst (who replaced Michelle Yeoh after she had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts); Stanley Tucci as Ethan Skate; Giancarlo Esposito as Colonel Marshall Bradbury; Alan Tudyk, voicing Cosmo; and Anthony Mackie voicing Herman. Also providing voices for various robots are Jason Alexander, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Billy Bob Thornton, Hank Azaria, Colman Domingo, Rob Gronkowski, and Billy Gardell.The Electric State premieres on Netflix on March 14, 2025. Credit: Netflix Jennifer OuelletteSenior WriterJennifer OuelletteSenior Writer Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series. Jennifer lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban. 29 Comments

PtShortly after my 54th birthday, I received a package. The enclosed instructions told me that next time I emptied my bowels, I should scrape a bit of the stool into a small sample bottle, seal it in a pre-paid envelope and drop it into the post. I did the deed and, a few weeks later, was invited to hospital. My sample contained blood; a colonoscopy was ordered to rule out colorectal cancer.I dont, thankfully, have colorectal cancer, and a colonoscopy at 54 is a classic initiation into middle age. But in the coming years, this particular rite of passage might start happening much earlier. While rates of this cancer among people in my age group have been declining thanks to screening programmes like these, the story for the under-50s is far more troubling.From being virtually unheard of in the 20th century, early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC), as it is called in people under 50, now accounts for around 10 per cent of all new cases worldwide. That number is predicted to more than double by 2030, and by then, EOCRC is expected to be the most common form of fatal cancer in Americans aged 20 to 49.The reason why is uncertain, but an ambitious new project is exploring potential causes as well as the idea that EOCRC may be a distinct and more aggressive form of the disease. Meanwhile, as routine screening is extended to younger groups in January, England lowered its screening age to 50 and new, less-invasive tests

The moon has turned to cheese in John Scalzis new sci-fi novelMadeleine Steinbach / Alamy Stock PhotoMy only complaint about the science fiction due to be published in March is: how in the world are we meant to find the time to read all these great novels? There are so many must-reads out this month, whether its the latest from Nicholas Binge, Silvia Parks tale of a lost robot sibling or Laila Lalamis vision of a future where our dreams are policed for what we might be going to do (sounds quite Minority Report a very good thing in my view). All I can say is, I think its time to step away from the computer and get reading, if we want to keep upWhen the Moon Hits Your Eye by John ScalziSadly for humanity, in this latest slice of comic sci-fi from the excellent John Scalzi, the moon has turned to cheese and they have to work out what to do about it. This sounds like a lot of fun, but Im primarily planning to read it to find out what type of cheese the moon has become. Im hoping its a nice gooey chunk of taleggioDissolution by Nicholas BingeOur sci-fi columnist Emily H. Wilson heartily approves of Binges latest, writing that this time travel tale is well-deserving of its upcoming big-screen treatment. It tells the story of Maggie, the carer for her husband Stanley, who is losing his memory. But then a mysterious stranger, Hassan, turns up and tells her that it isnt that Stanley is losing his memories, but that someone is taking them and Maggie can go into his mind and get them back. Ive not read any Binge yet, but I am keen to try out this one and his previous novel, Ascension.AdvertisementNicholas Binges new time travel novel Dissolution is being adapted into a filmShutterstock / New AfricaLuminous by Silvia ParkI have heard a lot about this debut novel and it is sitting in my vast pile of books, ready to be picked up when I get a second. It sounds wonderful. In a future unified Korea, three estranged siblings (two human, one robot) reunite after 11-year-old Ruijie discovers the body of a robot boy in a junkyard.The Dream Hotel by Laila LalamiThis speculative mystery sounds just my kind of disturbing. Sara is on her way home from a work trip when agents from the Risk Assessment Administration grab her at the airport. Theyve used data from her dreams and discovered she is at imminent risk of harming her husband. She must therefore be remanded to a detention centre, for his safety, for 21 days. But once there, alongside the other dangerous dreamers, she finds it might be harder to get out than she thoughtJoin us in reading and discussing the best new science and science fiction booksSign up to newsletterThe Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip FracassiI am a huge fan of a previous Fracassi novel, A Child Alone With Strangers which is like Stephen King at his scary-but-warm-hearted best. So I was delighted to learn that he has turned to sci-fi with this time travel novel, in which the titular third rule is that the traveller is unable to interact with the past, only observe it. But then scientist Beth Darlow, who builds the machine that enables this trip to the past to happen, discovers that even her observations are causing her timeline to warp. I am really looking forward to this one.Rose/House by Arkady MartineThe Hugo-winning Martine wrote a stunning sci-fi short story for New Scientist a few years back. Shes brilliant! And to top that off, her latest is being compared to the best scary novel ever written: Shirley Jacksons The Haunting of Hill House. In Martines twist, a house (Rose House) infused with an artificial intelligence has been locked up since the death of its architect. The only person allowed to visit is the architects protg, once a year. But now there is a dead person there and Rose House isnt communicating any further. Creepy!A Thousand Blues by Cheon Seon-ran (translated by Chi-Young Kim)Winner of the 4th Korea Sci-fi Literature Award, this novel is set in 2035, when two sisters learn their beloved racehorse is being sent to the knackers yard and hatch a plan to save her. They will get her to run one last race to remind her of happier times, but will train her to run the slowest race of her life.A new colony is being established on Mars in Mary Robinette Kowals latest novelShutterstock / GorodenkoffThe Martian Contingency by Mary Robinette KowalThis is the fourth in Kowals Lady Astronaut series and is set years after an extinction-level global warming event on Earth, triggered by a meteorite strike. The survivors are now out to establish a new home on Mars and Elma York, the Lady Astronaut, arrives on the Red Planet to prepare. But something seems offSpace Brooms! by A. G. RodriguezThis comic homage to all things sci-fi follows Johnny Gomez, the custodian or space broom of a far-flung space station, who discovers a stolen data chip and sets out to make his fortune. Im never quite sure about so-called comic novels (the only ones I have ever genuinely roared with laughter at are Andy Stantons Mr Gum series, which I really recommend if you have a child in primary school), but this does sound fun.A Palace Near the Wind by Ai JiangThis is described as science-fantasy it follows Liu Lufeng, a princess of the Feng royal family, who have bark faces, branch arms and needle hair. She is due to be the next bride of a human king, but her people, who live within nature, are under constant threat from human expansion. Lufeng decides she will kill the king on her wedding day and put an end to future marriages for her people.Who Wants to Live Forever by Hanna Thomas UoseYuki and Sam are soulmates, but when Sam decides to take a new miracle drug that can extend a humans lifespan indefinitely, what will happen to their romance?The Sea Eternal by Emery RobinThis is the sequel to Robins The Stars Undying and sees Anita on a quest for revenge after the death of Commander Matheus Ceirran. When she travels into a neighbouring empire, however, she discovers a secret that could threaten the galaxy.Topics: