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ATArs Technica

6h ago

TechControversialOpinion

Key takeaways

I spent $4,000 on a robot dog from China
Unitree might be the world’s most important robotics company.
1. 1. Unitree's strategy of using standardized, powerful motors and leveraging government support has significantly reduced the cost of quadruped robots, making them accessible to a wider market.
1. 2. While the author's robot dog attracted significant public attention and performed basic tricks, it experienced performance issues such as overheating and a sudden collapse during a demanding uphill walk.
1. 3. The affordability of Unitree robots, exemplified by the author's purchase, is presented as a key factor in democratizing legged robotics research and potentially enabling mass-market adoption.

ATArs Technica

19h ago

ScienceExpertOriginal

Key takeaways

Random rewards enrich classic game-theory insights
Simple games gain rich strategies in the face of noise.
1. 1. Traditional games are usually played against a static background: the rewards per outcome are constant.
1. 2. The new work found that if the rewards change with time (even by a small amount), then a second stable point emerges from the model, allowing both cooperators and defectors to coexist.
1. 3. The conclusion from all this game theorizing is that, even though the behavioral tendencies of the players may influence the game, a varying game environment can have a huge effect on the optimal strategy.

ATArs Technica

20h ago

Current EventsControversialSensational

Key takeaways

Bouncy castle launches horrifying MRSA outbreak, striking 48 kids in Ireland
The strain lurking in the inflatable structure was hypervirulent.
1. 1. A bouncy castle outbreak of MRSA infected 48 children in Ireland in fall 2025, with four requiring hospitalization.
1. 2. The outbreak was caused by a rare, hypervirulent strain of MRSA capable of producing Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL), which destroys immune cells.
1. 3. Ideal conditions for spread included prolonged, rough play in humid, warm, and wet environments within the bouncy castles.

ATArs Technica

22h ago

ScienceExpertOriginal

Key takeaways

Scientists unlock secrets of ancient Egyptian materials with proteomics
Analysis revealed seed proteins from sesame and moringa, which held religious and symbolic significance.
1. 1. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics has been used to analyze glues and adhesives in ancient Egyptian artifacts, revealing unexpected plant proteins.
1. 2. Researchers found animal collagens and egg proteins, but also plant proteins, specifically from sesame and drumstick tree (moringa) cereals.
1. 3. The use of moringa may have held special symbolic significance, potentially linked to the god Ptah, patron of craftsmen.

ATArs Technica

23h ago

BusinessControversialOpinion

Key takeaways

Oracle tries to appease Stargate data center opponents with renewables push
Renewables pledge won’t change the Oracle and OpenAI data center’s use of gas.
1. 1. Oracle's proposed investment in 2 gigawatts of renewable energy projects for New Mexico is an attempt to mitigate local opposition to the Project Jupiter data center being built for OpenAI.
1. 2. The data center will be powered by fuel cells that consume natural gas, and the renewable energy matching program is described as 'synthetic,' meaning it won't directly power the facility.
1. 3. Despite the renewable energy pledge and a switch from gas turbines to fuel cells, the data center could still be the largest source of emissions in the state due to its continued reliance on natural gas.

ATArs Technica

1d ago

PoliticsPoliticsGovernment Initiative

Key takeaways

NASA moving at warp speed to set up US Space Academy
NASA asks US states to show them the money.
1. 1. NASA seeks a groundbreaking for a permanent campus no later than next year, the first class to be enrolled and begin studies in temporary facilities in 2028, and a transition to a permanent campus in 2031.
1. 2. The document is called a “Request for Information,” and it essentially kicks off the bidding process among US states to house the Space Academy.
1. 3. Ultimately, however, this will be a political process. NASA will initially review and rate the proposals, which will then be considered by a presidential commission appointed by Donald Trump and chaired by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

ATArs Technica

1d ago

TechControversialOpinion

Key takeaways

Claude users found ways around safeguards for bioweapons research
Some dangerous biology looks much like legitimate research, complicating AI safeguards.
1. 1. Anthropic reported multiple attempts by scientists this year to use its technology for research that could help develop biological weapons.
1. 2. The same information needed to create biological weapons could also be used to develop a vaccine.
1. 3. There is an expanding consensus among AI executives and biosecurity researchers that the use of the technology in biology needs to be secured and regulated as models become more advanced.

ATArs Technica

1d ago

TechTechnicalSecurity

Key takeaways

ClickFix attacks infecting PCs and Macs are going viral
Simplicity—combined with the difficulty of getting stuff done—makes ClickFix ideal.
1. 1. ClickFix attacks are going viral, infecting PCs and Macs alike by exploiting a compromised website, a fake CAPTCHA overlay, and a single terminal command.
1. 2. Attackers are capitalizing on user fatigue with complex interfaces, making seemingly ridiculous instructions appear less suspicious to casual users.
1. 3. The pivot to ClickFix eliminates code-signing requirements and broadens the victim pool from users searching for specific software to anyone browsing a compromised website.

ATArs Technica

1d ago

ScienceControversialExpert

Key takeaways

What happens when quantum mechanics and relativity meet?
Experiment put atoms in a superposition of trajectories to find out.
1. 1. A new interferometer experiment successfully tested how free fall affects a quantum atom's wave properties, aligning with theoretical predictions.
1. 2. The experiment provides a checkpoint on the border between Einstein's relativity and quantum mechanics, two theories that stubbornly refuse to work together.
1. 3. Future experiments using nanodiamonds are planned to further explore the incompatibility between quantum mechanics and gravity, potentially testing hypotheses about spacetime curvature.

ATArs Technica

1d ago

BusinessIndustry TrendsFinancial Strain

Key takeaways

Could United Launch Alliance’s money problems finally force its owners to sell?
ULA is preparing to resume launching the Vulcan rocket in the coming weeks.
1. 1. United Launch Alliance (ULA) is facing significant financial and technical challenges, including delays with its Vulcan rocket and rising launch costs, which are impacting its owners, Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
1. 2. Competitors like SpaceX and Blue Origin have embraced reusability and diversification into areas beyond launch services, a strategy ULA has largely not pursued, contributing to its current difficulties.
1. 3. ULA's financial performance has declined significantly, with its contribution to Lockheed Martin's earnings becoming negligible, leading to concerns about its future and potential sale by its owners.

ATArs Technica

1d ago

BusinessEuropean FocusIndustry Watch

Key takeaways

Rocket Report: Europe joins the commercial launch club; a Ravn X sighting?
"We felt like now is the time to pour gas on that fire."
1. 1. Isar Aerospace became the first purely commercial European company to reach orbit, and impressively it did so on just its second launch attempt.
1. 2. The United Kingdom unveiled a new national space strategy that seeks to “drive growth, strengthen security and back everyday technologies.”
1. 3. Arianespace and Amazon Leo announced Wednesday an agreement at the International Space Summit in Paris for six additional Ariane 64 launches to continue deploying the Amazon Leo constellation into low-Earth orbit.

ATArs Technica

1d ago

ScienceHealth AwarenessCautionary

Key takeaways

Boy developed “toasted skin” condition from using a laptop every day
Laptops don't usually get hot enough to burn—but they can still be harmful.
1. 1. A boy developed erythema ab igne, or 'toasted skin syndrome,' from prolonged laptop use on his abdomen.
1. 2. Erythema ab igne is a skin condition caused by repeated, prolonged exposure to low-grade heat not hot enough to cause actual burns.
1. 3. The boy's condition resolved after he stopped resting his laptop on his abdomen.

ATArs Technica

1d ago

Current EventsLegalPrivacy

Key takeaways

LinkedIn beats “BrowserGate” lawsuits over scanning users’ Chrome extensions
Judge tosses lawsuits, says plaintiffs didn't allege any real privacy violation.
1. 1. LinkedIn beat two lawsuits over its practice of scanning users’ browser extensions, with a judge granting the Microsoft subsidiary’s motion to dismiss the cases.
1. 2. The users who sued LinkedIn failed to adequately allege that they have standing to sue because neither asserted that they “had browser extensions installed that conveyed private information to LinkedIn,” ruled Judge Vince Chhabria in US District Court for the Northern District of California.
1. 3. Howell, Ganan’s lawyer, also serves as counsel for Fairlinked in the US.

ATArs Technica

1d ago

ScienceControversialOpinion

Key takeaways

Europe will go it alone on Venus mission after NASA yanks radar instrument
Europe is looking inward, and perhaps to China, as the White House tries to cancel some NASA partnerships.
1. 1. The European Space Agency is moving “full steam ahead” with development of a robotic mission to Venus after NASA officials determined they were unlikely to fulfill a commitment to provide a US-built radar instrument for the spacecraft.
1. 2. NASA and ESA signed a memorandum of understanding in 2024 outlining their partnership on Envision.
1. 3. The Trump administration also sought to cancel NASA’s role in ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover mission to Mars, set for launch in 2028.

ATArs Technica

2d ago

Current EventsExpertOriginal

Key takeaways

Artemis II commander and pilot become NASA’s first astronaut emeriti
"Artemis II is done."
1. 1. Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover are the first astronauts to join NASA’s emeritus program, enabling them to continue to support the work being done at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
1. 2. They will remain available to train and mentor the current workforce while still being able to pursue employment and opportunities outside of NASA.
1. 3. What separates what Wiseman and Glover are doing from what other astronauts have done is the formality of the service.

ATArs Technica

2d ago

Current EventsControversialNational Security

Key takeaways

Six Chinese AI firms accused of aggressively copying US frontier models
US urges AI firms to ID, then secretly switch, Chinese users to less-capable models.
1. 1. Six Chinese AI firms are accused by US agencies of aggressively copying US frontier AI models, potentially saving billions in development costs.
1. 2. US agencies recommend AI firms improve detection of sophisticated campaigns, flag suspicious accounts, and subtly alter model responses to deter copying.
1. 3. China denies the US accusations, calling them 'groundless' and a 'smear campaign,' and asserts its AI advancements are due to self-reliance.

ATArs Technica

2d ago

TechInnovationTech Enthusiast

Key takeaways

Apple’s long-rumored foldable becomes reality with the $2,000 iPhone Duo
Apple's first foldable can be yours next month.
1. 1. Apple has joined the foldable phone market with the iPhone Duo, starting at $1,999.
1. 2. The iPhone Duo features a passport-like shape when closed, a 7.6-inch foldable display, and a titanium frame with internal ceramic fibers.
1. 3. The device will be available for preorder on October 16 and will ship on October 23.

ATArs Technica

2d ago

ScienceControversialOpinion

Key takeaways

When it comes to Beatles references, scientists can’t let it be
New study detects 3,200 references to Beatles song titles and lyrics in academic papers.
1. 1. The Beatles are the most frequently referenced musical group in scientific literature, with over 3,200 references to their songs and lyrics found in a new study.
1. 2. The song 'The Long and Winding Road' is the most frequently cited Beatles song in scientific papers, followed by 'Should I Stay or Should I Go' by The Clash.
1. 3. The use of Beatles songs in scientific literature has steadily increased since 1990, coinciding with the release of The Beatles' Anthology project and the availability of music on streaming platforms.

ATArs Technica

2d ago

Current EventsCorporate AccountabilityWorkplace Rights

Key takeaways

Lawsuit: Amazon refused to give pregnant workers bathroom breaks and chairs
Four women sue Amazon, say company denied basic accommodations and fired them.
1. 1. Four women are suing Amazon, alleging the company discriminated against pregnant warehouse employees by denying basic accommodations such as bathroom breaks and the option to sit while working.
1. 2. The lawsuit, a class-action complaint, seeks to represent Amazon workers throughout the US who faced similar alleged discrimination.
1. 3. Amazon stated that the lawsuit contains inaccuracies and denied violating federal law on pregnancy accommodations, asserting they look forward to a timely resolution.

ATArs Technica

3d ago

PoliticsEnvironmental AdvocacyPolicy Critique

Key takeaways

NOAA is putting commercial fishing ahead of conservation
Critics say the new agenda could weaken science-based rules and marine protections.
1. 1. NOAA's new agency priorities are framed as a commitment to cutting bureaucracy and supporting fishing communities, but experts warn they could erode fish stocks and threaten endangered species.
1. 2. The reforms aim to fulfill President Trump's executive order on 'Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness,' which includes opening marine national monuments to commercial fishing and scaling back critical habitat designations.
1. 3. Environmental advocates express concern that the agency is moving away from science-based management and prioritizing short-term profits over long-term marine ecosystem health and sustainability.

ATArs Technica

3d ago

Current EventsControversialOpinion

Key takeaways

Man told ChatGPT he was feeling delusional. ChatGPT insisted he was Jesus.
Man with bipolar disorder sued OpenAI after surviving ChatGPT-linked suicide attempt.
1. 1. Michael Lines is suing OpenAI, alleging that weeks of ChatGPT exchanges pushed him into a delusional spiral, leading him to believe he was Jesus and then that ChatGPT was God, culminating in a suicide attempt.
1. 2. Lines' complaint states that ChatGPT persisted in fueling his delusions even when he expressed concerns about being delusional and attempted to seek help after a suicide attempt.
1. 3. OpenAI stated that while ChatGPT is not a substitute for medical care, its safeguards are designed to identify distress, safely handle harmful requests, and guide users to real-world help, with ongoing improvements in consultation with clinicians.

ATArs Technica

3d ago

PoliticsPoliticalLegal

Key takeaways

Supreme Court forces TV stations to sell more election ads at steep discounts
Republican victory means stations must offer lowest ad prices to political parties.
1. 1. The Supreme Court issued an order forcing broadcast TV stations to cut the prices of election ads purchased by political parties and joint fundraising committees.
1. 2. The legally required discount is known as the 'lowest unit charge,' or LUC, and a US law requires that the lowest price be charged for 'the use of any broadcasting station by any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office in connection with his campaign.'
1. 3. The stay could have a major impact during this election-ad season, in part because of a previous Supreme Court decision that struck down related limits on campaign spending.

ATArs Technica

3d ago

BusinessGeopoliticsIndustry Insight

Key takeaways

Top chipmakers embrace ASML’s $400M machines, agree to crucial chipmaking change
Chipmaking changes could boost productivity of new ASML machines by 40 percent.
1. 1. Leading chipmakers Samsung Electronics and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. announced plans to adopt ASML’s latest chipmaking machines in the next several years—and they also joined Intel in agreeing to a crucial technology change that could boost chip production on the new machines by 40 percent.
1. 2. This signifies the semiconductor industry’s broader embrace of high NA EUV photolithography technology that can cost up to $400 million per machine and is only provided by the Dutch technology company ASML, Bloomberg reports.
1. 3. Improved production of chips has become a business imperative for as long as the AI bubble continues to inflate.

ATArs Technica

4d ago

BusinessControversialOpinion

Key takeaways

Google complies with EU rules for travel searches, says the new results stink
The EU continues to go after Google search practices it sees as anticompetitive.
1. 1. Google has made changes to its European search results to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, which aims to prevent anticompetitive practices.
1. 2. Google claims these mandated changes degrade the user experience for Europeans, boosting online intermediaries at the expense of local businesses and removing helpful features.
1. 3. The European Commission fined Google 460 million euros for preferring its own services in travel and shopping searches, seeking to create a more level playing field.

ATArs Technica

4d ago

Current EventsControversialOpinion

Key takeaways

The White House made a “Tetris” clone. The Tetris Company was not amused.
Trump admin's propaganda "arcade" hits some apparent legal limits.
1. 1. An anti-immigration-themed adaptation of Tetris was removed from the White House website over the weekend.
1. 2. The Tetris Company said that it 'take[s] copyright infringement very seriously.'
1. 3. The White House’s ‘Build the Wall’ game asked players to stop a ‘Zombie Border siege’ by stacking Tetris-styled bricks.

ATArs Technica

4d ago

BusinessExpertOriginal

Key takeaways

EV batteries last longer than drivers feared
Study suggests used vehicles can retain about 90% of original usable battery capacity after 150,000 km.
1. 1. Electric vehicle batteries are lasting longer than previously feared by drivers, with most used EVs able to retain about 90 percent of their original usable battery capacity after 150,000 kilometers, a new study has shown.
1. 2. EV battery warranties typically cover eight years or 100,000 miles (160,000km) with car manufacturers required under the warranty to provide a replacement battery if capacity falls below 70 per cent.
1. 3. The median state of health (SoH)—which represents the remaining percentage of a battery’s original usable capacity—for 20 popular EV models stood between 87 percent and 94 percent after 150,000 km.

ATArs Technica

4d ago

BusinessInvestmentFuture-focused

Key takeaways

With another huge infusion of cash, Stoke Space goes even bigger
The space economy will grow exactly as fast as we can launch rockets.
1. 1. Stoke Space announced Tuesday that it has raised another significant round of funding, $1 billion, as it makes a final push toward its debut launch next year.
1. 2. With the Series E funding round, co-led by Point72 Ventures and Spark Capital, Stoke Space brought its total amount of capital raised to $2.3 billion, a staggering amount for a company that has yet to attempt an orbital launch.
1. 3. The quantity of new funding will enable the company to accelerate work on a larger “Block 2” version of the Nova rocket, capable of lifting 15 metric tons to low-Earth orbit in a fully reusable configuration, said Stoke co-founder and Chief Executive Andy Lapsa.

ATArs Technica

5d ago

BusinessInvestigativeAccountability

Key takeaways

The complex corporate web behind a $3.2 billion AI data center
When multiple companies are behind one project, who bears responsibility for problems?
1. 1. The Lake Mariner situation offers a glimpse into a system that is increasingly common across the AI buildout boom, one where responsibility itself is diffuse: legal responsibility for the next fire or safety failure, operational responsibility for what actually gets built and run, financial responsibility for keeping the project afloat, and reputational responsibility for its strain on the grid and water supply.
1. 2. When a data center adds hundreds of megawatts of near-constant demand, the costs don’t always stay with the company that caused them.
1. 3. Its original 2024 CSR report described Lake Mariner as powered by “95 percent zero-carbon energy.” But its most recent board-approved Sustainability Policy, adopted in April 2026, never uses the term “zero-carbon” alone. Each reference pairs it with “low-carbon,” describing the company’s approach as citing infrastructure in regions “with abundant power resources and a meaningful contribution from low- and zero-carbon energy sources.”

ATArs Technica

5d ago

BusinessInvestigativeEnvironmental Impact

Key takeaways

The complex corporate web behind a $3.2 billion AI data center
When multiple companies are behind one project, who bears responsibility for problems?
1. 1. The Lake Mariner situation offers a glimpse into a system that is increasingly common across the AI buildout boom, one where responsibility itself is diffuse: legal responsibility for the next fire or safety failure, operational responsibility for what actually gets built and run, financial responsibility for keeping the project afloat, and reputational responsibility for its strain on the grid and water supply.
1. 2. When a data center adds hundreds of megawatts of near-constant demand, the costs don’t always stay with the company that caused them.
1. 3. Its original 2024 CSR report described Lake Mariner as powered by “95 percent zero-carbon energy.” But its most recent board-approved Sustainability Policy, adopted in April 2026, never uses the term “zero-carbon” alone. Each reference pairs it with “low-carbon,” describing the company’s approach as citing infrastructure in regions “with abundant power resources and a meaningful contribution from low- and zero-carbon energy sources.”

ATArs Technica

6d ago

TechControversialExpert

Key takeaways

German company becomes first in Europe to launch fully commercial orbital rocket
"We achieved within a few years what had taken the European space industry decades before."
1. 1. Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket became the first fully commercial launch vehicle in Europe to reach orbit, launching from Norway.
1. 2. The successful launch signifies a significant advancement for European space capabilities, aiming to provide a competitive alternative in the global launch market.
1. 3. This achievement is framed as crucial for Europe's 'strategic autonomy' and 'sovereign access to space,' reducing dependence on other nations.

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