Author: Elon Mark

Startup Valar Atomics said on Monday that it achieved criticality—an essential nuclear milestone—with the help of one of the country’s top nuclear laboratories. The El Segundo, California-based startup, which last week announced it had secured a $130 million funding round with backing from Palmer Luckey and Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar, claims that it is the first nuclear startup to create a critical fission reaction.It’s also, more specifically, the first company in a special Department of Energy pilot program aiming to get at least three startups to criticality by July 4 of next year to announce it had achieved this reaction.…

Compare Our Top Pick Action CamerasThe B-RollDJI Osmo Action 4 Courtesy of DJISome of our previous picks remain good cameras, though their features lag behind more recent releases.DJI’s Osmo Action 4 Camera for $225: The Action 4 is a fantastic action camera. The magnetic mounting system is the best we’ve tried, the menu system makes switching between modes a snap, and the resulting photos and video are great. The Action 5 trumps it in a number of ways, but if you’re on a budget, this is an awesome camera and it integrates well into the DJI ecosystem.All those cheap cameras…

Organic bedding brand Coyuchi recently launched its own organic mattress, combining cotton, wool, and Dunlop latex atop individually wrapped coils. While Coyuchi’s linen sheets are excellent, I was a little nervous to try the company’s first mattress effort. Bedding is not a mattress, after all, and expertise does not always transfer across endeavors. In this case, though, it did. Coyuchi’s organic Natural REM Mattress is wonderfully firm without being too firm and perfect for those of us who lack a sleeping style and tend to sleep every which way—side, back, stomach. I was never uncomfortable.The design starts with encased coils…

Compare Top 5 Lip BalmsHonorable MentionsPhotograph: Boutayna ChokraneEos 24H Moisture Super Balm for $6: I’ve been a fan of Eos’s egg-shaped balms since middle school. The 24H Moisture Super Balm feels like the grown-up version. There are some solid ingredients like shea butter, avocado oil, and castor seed oil. It’s also free of parabens, phthalates, silicones, and synthetic dyes. It’s glossy, cushiony, and comes in delicious scents like Coconut Milk, Mango Melonade, and Watermelon Frosé. The one catch is that it’s not fragrance-free, so those with sensitive lips may not love it. The texture is also sticky, meaning your hair…

Shopping for a PC gamer is a perilous endeavor. What might look like a great sale on a GPU or gaming keyboard can turn out to be a bad deal because of some arcane spec that only the most die-hard forum-dwellers understand. If you’re shopping for the gamer in your life who lives that nerd life, we have a simple, accessible guide to what they might like.Be sure to check out our many other gaming guides, including Best Gaming Laptops, Best Gaming Headsets, Best Keyboards, Best Gaming Mice, and Best Game Controllers. If your giftee is more of a console…

October 2025 marked a clear shift in oil market sentiment. After months of weakness, crude and product prices rebounded as new US and EU sanctions tightened Russian oil flows, and seasonal heating demand began to build. The combination of geopolitical shocks, shifting trade routes, and refinery maintenance across Northwest Europe (NWE) reshaped market fundamentals—presenting both challenges and opportunities for tank terminal operators, especially in the ARA region. 1. Crude Market Recovery Fueled by New Sanctions Brent crude rebounded from a five-month low in early October to trade near $66–68/bbl by mid-month, driven by new US sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil…

You may be familiar with the various memes detailing the fact that once you reach middle age, you’re automatically sorted, Harry Potter hat–style, into one of a handful of hobbies, such as sourdough bread making, gardening, or bird-watching. I can’t contradict this, since I’m a middle-aged person who got sorted into bird-watching. But I do know that enjoying birds and their various activities is fun for all ages. Birds are beautiful, interesting, and unpredictable, and it’s fascinating to keep a running life list of all the birds you’ve seen and hope to see in your lifetime.Whether someone you know is…

The first full week of November on the Rhine was marked by flat freight rates, low trading intensity, and increasing uncertainty driven by volatile oil prices and changing water levels. Despite a few active trading sessions early in the week, freight levels remained largely unchanged, as most freighters were already fully booked and charterers waited for clearer signals from both energy markets and hydrological forecasts. 1. Freight Rates: Minimal Movement Across All Routes Freight rates remained broadly stable across the Rhine corridor: 3 November: Rates declined slightly across all destinations—Basel dropped by €1.12, Strasbourg by €1.00, and Karlsruhe by €0.50—as…

As scam compounds in Southeast Asia continue to rake in billions of dollars in stolen funds from victims around the world, United States law enforcement aims to cut scammers off at the source by issuing seizure warrants for Starlink satellite internet terminals that provide cybercriminals with connectivity. Two US warrants and affidavits seen by WIRED detail how Starlink devices are allegedly being used by cybercriminals running scam compounds in Myanmar.One warrant, issued on Wednesday by US magistrate judge G. Michael Harvey, authorized the seizure of nine Starlink terminals and two Starlink accounts allegedly used in scam compounds in Payathonzu, near…

The first full week of November in the ARA clean petroleum product (CPP) barge market was defined by low trading activity, tight barge availability, and high volatility in product prices. Despite steady demand, ongoing terminal delays and limited vessel turnover restrained spot trading, while freight rates drifted modestly lower across middle distillates and fluctuated for light ends. 1. Freight Rates: Small Corrections Across the Board Freight rates showed modest downward movement through the week, with isolated rebounds late in the period: On 3 November, rates increased slightly across most routes in the light ends segment. Rotterdam–Antwerp/Amsterdam rose to around €3.83/ton…