The Talos Principle: Reawakened is a great remaster of the classic 2014 puzzle game, and not just because of the Unreal Engine 5 boost it gave the graphics. It added a whole new expansion on top of the original game and the Road to Gehenna DLC, a prequel to the game's story called In the Beginning. In the Beginning includes 18 new puzzles for players to solve, and what makes it and The Talos Principle: Reawakened particularly special is that 16 of these 18 puzzles were designed in collaboration with members of the game's community, people who had been making puzzles themselves for the last decade because they loved the game and its mechanics. Which also explains why these puzzles are some of the most difficult ones to solve across the entire Talos Principle series. This guide will show you how to solve the Conundrum Cascade puzzle. However, if you just want a hint before reading the full solution, then what I'll say is, don't forget to use the ladders. I think if I said anything more, I'd give away too much. If you want me to give more away, read on for the full solution. The Talos Principle: Reawakened - In the Beginning - Conundrum Cascade Puzzle Guide Phase One - Get the hexahedron and both connectors To start solving this puzzle, you need to get the hexahedron that's behind a shield on the right side of the puzzle area. Pick up the fan that is on the ground and in front of a pressure switch right in the middle of the puzzle area. Place it on the pressure switch on the right side of the puzzle area to deactivate the shield blocking the path to the hexahedron. Grab the hexahedron and place it on the pressure switch in the middle of the puzzle area when you walk into the puzzle. Place the fan back on the vent in front of the hexahedron, and use it to fly up into the air to grab the first connector (C1). Drop back down to the ground with C1 in hand. Connect C1 to the red laser generator in the middle and the red node on the left side of the puzzle area. Pick up the fan and place it on the vent that was sitting behind the shield that is now deactivated by C1. Grab the hexahedron and let the fan launch you into the air onto the platform in the middle of the puzzle. Place the hexahedron on the left-most pressure switch to activate the vent and fan next to it. Launch yourself to a smaller platform where you'll find a switch that will keep the shields blocking your path to the ladders permanently deactivated. Flip the switch, and jump down to the ground. For this next part, you can either use the fan to launch yourself back up to the taller platform in the middle of the puzzle area, or climb the ladder, but the point is you need to get back up there, and drop the hexahedron and the fan that was already up there down to the ground. Collect the hexahedron, both fans, and C1 together. Place one fan on the vent, then place the hexahedron on top of that fan, with C1 on top of the hexahedron. Place the other fan down on the pressure switch so the hexahedron and C1 are flying in the air. Use the ladder to climb up to the top of the platform and grab C1 and the hexahedron. Place the hexahedron next to the window on the right side of the platform, and then connect C1 to the red laser generator and the red node that will deactivate the shield blocking the path to the second connector (C2). Jump back down to the ground and use either of the fans to deactivate the first shield with the pressure switch on the right side of the puzzle area, and grab C2. Bring C2 into the middle of the puzzle area before you put it down. Now you've acquired all the tools you need to actually go ahead and solve the puzzle. Phase Two - Go for the solve Pick up C2 and connect it to the red laser generator and the red node on the left side of the puzzle area. Grab one of the fans and place it on the vent. Grab the other fan and launch yourself and the fan back up to the platform in the middle of the puzzle area. Place the fan back on the vent at the top of the middle platform. Grab C1 and place it on the left-most pressure switch to activate the fan. Pick up the hexahedron to launch yourself and the hexahedron to the smaller platform on the left side of the puzzle area. Place the hexahedron on the pressure switch, and jump back down to the ground. Grab C2 and connect it to the red node on the opposite side of the wall that's on the left side of the puzzle area. Use the ladder, or use the fan to launch yourself back up to the middle platform. Grab the fan off the vent, and drop down to the ground, and place it on top of the vent that's on the ground in the middle of the puzzle area. Grab the other fan and place it down next to the pressure switch on the ground in the middle of the puzzle area. Use the ladder leading up to the smaller platform, and grab the hexahedron. Place it on fan overtop the vent and then place the other fan on the pressure switch to have it flying through the air. Head up the ladder to put the hexahedron back on the middle platform. Grab C1 and connect it to the red laser generator and C2, then place it on top of the hexahedron like you did earlier. Jump back down to the ground and use the ladder leading to the shorter platform to step on the pressure switch, so the laser can pass through and hit C2. Once C2 activates the node behind the wall, you can step off the switch with the shield deactivated. Grab one of the fans and place it on the vent next to C2. Grab the other fan and launch yourself, with the second fan, up to the middle platform. Place the fan on either of the two pressure switches to the right of the pressure switch that activates the fan. Jump back down to the ground and stand next to C2. Pick it up, and for the final time, launch yourself to the middle platform. Connect C2 to C1, and to the red node that will deactivate the shield blocking the path to the tetromino. Place it down on the pressure switch next to the switch you placed the fan on. The fan and C2 standing on their pressure switches will deactivate the shield at the top of the middle platform, allowing the laser to pass through and hit the node to deactivate the shield blocking the path to the tetromino. Jump down to walk over to the tetromino and claim your prize. That's how to solve the Conundrum Cascade in the new In the Beginning expansion that came with The Talos Principle: Reawakened. Deal of the Day Source: https://wccftech.com/how-to/the-talos-principle-reawakened-in-the-beginning-conundrum-cascade-puzzle-guide/ #the #talos #principle #reawakened #beginning #conundrum #cascade #puzzle #guide

Try, try again SpaceX test-fires Starship for an all-important next flight A notice to mariners suggests SpaceX's next Starship test flight could launch as soon as May 21. Stephen Clark – May 13, 2025 6:33 pm | 0 Starship's six Raptor engines fired for about 60 seconds Monday on a test stand in South Texas. Credit: SpaceX Starship's six Raptor engines fired for about 60 seconds Monday on a test stand in South Texas. Credit: SpaceX Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more SpaceX fired six Raptor engines on the company's next Starship rocket Monday, clearing a major hurdle on the path to launch later this month on a high-stakes test flight to get the private rocket program back on track. Starship ignited its Raptor engines Monday morning on a test stand near SpaceX's Starbase launch facility in South Texas. The engine ran for approximately 60 seconds, and SpaceX confirmed the test-firing in a post on X: "Starship completed a long duration six-engine static fire and is undergoing final preparations for the ninth flight test." SpaceX hasn't officially announced a target launch date, but maritime warnings along Starship's flight path over the Gulf of Mexico suggest the launch might happen as soon as next Wednesday, May 21. The launch window would open at 6:30 pm local time (7:30 pm EDT; 23:30 UTC). If everything goes according to plan, Starship is expected to soar into space and fly halfway around the world, targeting a reentry and controlled splashdown into the Indian Ocean. After Monday's successful static fire test, SpaceX is in the final stretch of preparations for Starship's ninth full-scale test flight. Last month, SpaceX test-fired the rocket's massive booster stage, known as Super Heavy. The Super Heavy booster assigned to the next Starship launch will become the first that SpaceX will reuse from a previous test flight. This, alone, is a significant step for the Starship program. SpaceX wants the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage to become rapidly reusable, eventually operating more like an airplane than a legacy rocket. The booster slated to launch on Flight 9 made its first flight in January, when it soared to the edge of space, released SpaceX's Starship upper stage, and returned to the launch pad, where it was caught in mid-air by heavy-duty mechanical arms. SpaceX will again try to catch the Super Heavy booster on Flight 9. Righting the ship While reusing the first stage is a noteworthy milestone, the next flight is important for another reason. SpaceX's last two Starship test flights ended prematurely when the rocket's upper stage lost power and spun out of control, dropping debris into the sea near the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. With Flight 9, SpaceX hopes to get the Starship program back on track. The company aimed for as many as 25 Starship test flights this year, but will now likely fall short of that number. Near-term goals beyond Flight 9 include returning Starship from low-Earth orbit to the launch site, with a tower catch similar to the one SpaceX used to recover the Super Heavy booster. Then, SpaceX will begin flight experiments with an in-space refueling system to transfer super-cold liquid propellants between two Starships in orbit. This is an important milestone for NASA, which has a contract with SpaceX worth more than $4 billion to develop a version of Starship for landing humans on the Moon. To do that, SpaceX must launch around 10 Starship refueling tankers—the exact number remains unclear—to gas up the Moon-bound Starship lander before it can depart low-Earth orbit. SpaceX founder Elon Musk also wants Starship to fly to Mars, which will, likewise, require a mastery of in-space refueling. NASA may also soon rely on Starship and other massive commercial rockets to launch astronauts from Earth. The Trump administration has proposed canceling NASA's Space Launch System rocket after two more flights in favor of lower-cost commercial options. Starship's black heat shield tiles are visible here during the rocket's static fire test on Monday morning. Before any of this becomes possible, SpaceX must prove it has overcome the setbacks encountered on the two previous test flights. Both flights failed at roughly the same time—approximately eight minutes after liftoff—near the end of the ship's engine firing. SpaceX investigators, working under the oversight of the Federal Aviation Administration, determined the Starship test flight in January failed after propellant leaks led to fires in the rocket's aft compartment, or attic. This led to the early shutdown of the rocket's engines and eventual breakup. Engineers concluded the leaks were most likely caused by vibrations during the ship's climb into space. The vibrations were in resonance with the vehicle's natural frequency, intensifying the shaking beyond the levels SpaceX predicted. For the next test flight on March 6, SpaceX made changes to the ship's feed lines routing fuel to its Raptor engines, made adjustments to propellant temperatures, and flew the engines at a new throttle setting. But that didn't solve the problem. Once again, Starship's engines cut off too early, and the rocket broke apart before falling to Earth. SpaceX said "an energetic event" in the aft portion of Starship resulted in the loss of several Raptor engines, followed by a loss of attitude control and a loss of communications with the ship. The similarities between the two failures suggest a likely design issue with the upgraded "Block 2" version of Starship, which debuted in January and flew again in March. Starship Block 2 is slightly taller than the ship SpaceX used on the rocket's first six flights, with redesigned flaps, improved batteries and avionics, and notably, a new fuel feed line system for the ship's Raptor vacuum engines. SpaceX has not released the results of the investigation into the Flight 8 failure, and the FAA hasn't yet issued a launch license for Flight 9. Likewise, SpaceX hasn't released any information on the changes it made to Starship for next week's flight. What we do know about the Starship vehicle for Flight 9—designated Ship 35—is that it took a few tries to complete a full-duration test-firing. SpaceX completed a single-engine static fire on April 30, simulating the restart of a Raptor engine in space. Then, on May 1, SpaceX aborted a six-engine test-firing before reaching its planned 60-second duration. Videos captured by media observing the test showed a flash in the engine plume, and at least one piece of debris was seen careening out of the flame trench below the ship. SpaceX ground crews returned Ship 35 to the production site a couple of miles away, perhaps to replace a damaged engine, before rolling Starship back to the test stand over the weekend for Monday's successful engine firing. Now, the ship will head back to the Starbase build site, where technicians will make final preparations for Flight 9. These final tasks may include loading mock-up Starlink broadband satellites into the ship's payload bay and touchups to the rocket's heat shield. These are two elements of Starship that SpaceX engineers are eager to demonstrate on Flight 9, beyond just fixing the problems from the last two missions. Those failures prevented Starship from testing its satellite deployer and an upgraded heat shield designed to better withstand scorching temperatures up to 2,600° Fahrenheit (1,430° Celsius) during reentry. Stephen Clark Space Reporter Stephen Clark Space Reporter Stephen Clark is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the world’s space agencies. Stephen writes about the nexus of technology, science, policy, and business on and off the planet. 0 Comments Source: https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/05/spacex-test-fires-starship-for-an-all-important-next-flight/ #spacex #testfires #starship #for #allimportant #next #flight

There is no place more joyous than a garden center in May. The shelves are full of annuals, vegetables, and perennials ready to go home with you. Gardeners everywhere are waiting with bated breath, trying to find the perfect day to get plants in the ground. Pops of color are emerging as tulips, irises, peonies, and lilacs fill yards. What you do this month will determine how successful your summer garden is, so strap into your overalls, grab your sunhat and spade, and get outside. Let's install a summer garden. I'll go over the maintenance tasks you should tackle first, then get into the details on what you should plant and how to do it.Perform a few garden maintenance tasks firstYour watering systems may have taken a hit during winter, so it's vital to check each line before you turn on irrigation for the summer. Often, I've found that I am the problem, having nicked lines while weeding or digging around in spring. Ensure that the controller is working by standing outside, testing each zone and walking around to check each end point. You can usually hear a leak, so keep an ear out for loud gushing or hissing while also scanning visually. If you use a hose bib setup, check that as well. We've had a hot spell early on the west coast, meaning my irrigation went on earlier than ever this year. (For plants growing in full sun, water in the morning and aim for 1 to 2 inches of water per week.) Credit: Amanda Blum Your established beds can benefit from a layer of compost, which will act as a general fertilizer, as well as create volume back in your beds if they’ve experienced erosion during the winter. Follow the compost with a layer of mulch. Spending this time spreading the compost and mulch will give you the opportunity to size up each part of your garden, so take notes as you go for which areas need weeding, are experiencing pests, or have plants that look like they might not have survived the winter. Shrubs, trees, and vinesA number of shrubs go through blooming cycles in spring, like lilac and forsythia. Once they’ve bloomed, you can prune them back, and in some cases, like lilac, this may trigger a second bloom later in the season. In either case, it will take one fall task off your list and keep the garden looking tidier.  Lilac in bloom. Credit: Amanda Blum This is a good time to plant new woody shrubs and trees—the weather is mild and the ground should be soft from the rains. For your existing trees, make sure you feed them with a fertilizer that is appropriate for them this month. Your garden center can help identify which fertilizer is best for the trees you have. Each of these trees will be creating shoots this month, and you should prune them back as necessary to maintain the shape of the tree and to keep fruit to an amount the tree can reasonably support. Ensure you are only using clean pruners or loppers—carry diluted bleach or Lysol with you in a spray bottle while outside. Cleaning your tools in between plants ensures that you do not transmit virus, fungus or disease between plants. Clematis plant climbing the wall. Credit: Amanda Blum Finally, climbing perennial vines like clematis, roses, and honeysuckle should be coming out of their slumber at this point, and you’ll want to ensure you’re supporting them by tying them loosely to their trellises as they climb. Annual flowers Annuals at the nursery. Credit: Amanda Blum It is finally time to put some annuals in the ground, which provide pops of color and can last all summer if you treat them right. Garden centers should be full of annuals at this point of the year, including petunias, lobelia, marigolds, and begonias. Annuals are a bit more tender than perennials, so you want to wait until you are past the risk of freezing to plant. Annuals can fill an area with color in the space and time between perennials blooming, and are ideal for window boxes and planters, where it might be hard for annuals to survive the winter. Most hanging baskets have annuals for the same reason—they’re too exposed for perennials or anything else to survive winter. Make sure that the beds you're planting into have a slow release fertilizer like Osmacote in them, and that they will get regularly watered. Perennial flowersMost people will have tulips in bloom or just completed at this point—remember not to cut them down after bloom. Tulips need their leaves in order to come back next year, so let them compost in place. Once the foliage has yellowed, it’s OK to divide or move the bulbs. Once the tulip has bloomed, it’s a great time for a bulb fertilizer, so they’ll be strong next year. You can also plant summer bulbs like dahlias and cannas now, if the risk of frost is gone. You can divide irises now. Credit: Amanda Blum If you didn’t get new perennials planted in April, you can still do so now, or divide the perennials you have. The ground should be very workable now, and you may be noticing which plants are ready to be divided as you move about the garden. If you’d like them to bloom this summer, you’ll want to get this task done in May. As you plant, ensure you’re using slow release fertilizer in the ground where you plant. This time of year, be vigilant in checking your garden center, grocer, and anywhere else that has a "sad plant shelf" (SPS). Stores will discount these plants that don't look especially happy at 50% off or more, and because they're perennials, that's a deal. Plant them as you would any other, and while they might not come back this year, they will next year. Delphiniums and agastache are my favorite SPS finds. Your roses need a spring fertilizer and might need some shaping at this point or help attaching to the trellis. Look for signs of stress or pests and ensure you’re treating them with appropriate treatments. Your garden center can help. VegetablesOnto the main event! Gardeners across the country wait for the precise moment to put their tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants into the ground, and sometime this month, that day will arrive. Here on the west coast, it's usually Mother's Day, but what you're actually waiting for is steady overnight temps over 50 degrees. If in doubt, join a local gardening group, because this will be the main topic of conversation this time of year. That means it's time to begin hardening off vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants as appropriate. Credit: Amanda Blum Perennial vegetables like asparagus and artichokes should be active now. Remember to harvest asparagus daily, taking only spears that are larger than your pinky. Once spears become thinner, it’s time to leave the plant alone for next year. Watch your artichoke plants for ants or aphid infestations, which may be sprayed off, but will return without further treatment like neem oil or nearby trap flowers like nasturtiums. Both asparagus beds and artichokes will benefit from a spring fertilizer.  Nasturtiums are excellent trap plants. Credit: Amanda Blum By mid to late May, almost all regions should be planting their warm weather crops. Tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, but also beans, corn, cucumbers, and everything else. Your beans and corn can be direct seeded, as can melon, pumpkin, and both winter and summer squash, but using starts will give you a leg up for the summer. If you planted potatoes in the spring, it’s likely time to hill up earth around the sprouts.  Strawberry plants that need to be thinned. Credit: Amanda Blum Thin out your strawberry beds of runners and give your strawberry beds a dusting of fertilizer. Strawberry plants can either focus their energy on producing these runners or on fruit, but aren’t very good at doing both. Each spring the beds must be thinned to create better and larger fruit. You can give away the runners or plant them elsewhere. Pest controlReduce snail and slug populations by putting out traps and going on regular evening hunts. Doing this now, as the rains cease, will greatly reduce problems later this summer. Hang pheromone traps in your fruit trees now, which will control pests this summer and protect your fruit.  Source: https://lifehacker.com/home/gardening-tasks-may?utm_medium=RSS #all #the #gardening #tasks #tackling #may