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Apple TV has stumbled into some massive success stories in the sci-fi genre in recent years, but the show that topped all others was Pluribus . Hailing from iconic TV scribe Vince Gilligan , famed for his work penning Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul , Pluribus shattered records on its way to becoming the most-watched Apple TV sci-fi show of all time. Apple TV also has another sci-fi thriller dominating streaming right now in Silo , the dystopian series led by Rebecca Ferguson returning for its third season. Fans have little to worry about regarding the future of Silo , too, as the show has not only been picked up for Season 4, but the fourth and final season was shot back-to-back with the third. This should eliminate another two-year gap between seasons, all but assuring that Silo Season 4 will air in 2027 .

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Supercritical CO₂ could eliminate some of rocketry's most expensive infrastructure requirements

Cold launches avoid exposing launch pads to destructive exhaust temperatures exceeding 3,000°C

Engine ignition occurs only after the rocket clears the launch platform safely

Chinese aerospace startup Z-Trak Space is exploring an unusual launch system using carbon dioxide (CO₂) commonly associated with fizzy drinks rather than rocket exhaust.

The proposal centres on supercritical CO₂, a state achieved when the gas remains above specific temperature and pressure thresholds simultaneously.

Developers believe the approach could lower infrastructure requirements while supporting faster launch schedules for China's expanding commercial space sector.

A cold launch system could reduce dependence on expensive ground facilities

The technology ejects rockets using rapidly expanding high-pressure gas before igniting engines only after reaching a predetermined altitude overhead.

That sequence differs sharply from conventional hot launches where engines ignite directly on launch pads before the vehicle begins climbing skyward.

Because combustion occurs later in flight, scorching exhaust gases never strike the launch platform or surrounding support infrastructure below.

Traditional launch facilities require extensive protection systems because exhaust streams exceeding 3,000°C can damage structures rapidly during operations.

Launch towers and deep flame trenches therefore require substantial repairs and maintenance after missions involving repeated exposure to extreme temperatures.

According to the company, those requirements increase costs and slow launch frequencies whenever operators pursue swift response commercial missions.

“In commercial space launch scenarios requiring high frequency and rapid response, this incurs high time and financial costs, directly affecting launch pacing and response speed,” the company said.

Z-Trak Space believes eliminating those burdens could increase launch pacing while reducing dependence upon permanent launch infrastructure considerably over time.

China's commercial sector sees cold launch technology as a possible advantage

The initiative combines efforts from Hunan based Zhiyu Aerospace Technology and Chiyang Space Power Technology Company through a recent collaboration agreement.

Z-Trak Space founder Zhang Zihan, who studied aerospace engineering at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, described the concept as potentially transformative.

Zhang said the method would "fundamentally change the model for small liquid-fuel launch vehicles" if implemented successfully at commercial scale.

The company also argued that supercritical CO₂ launches could reduce fuel use during lower altitude portions of flight operations.

Because supercritical CO₂ is non-toxic, developers also claim launches would avoid generating harmful emissions near ground facilities locally.

Z-Trak described the system as offering "high safety, low costs, clean environmental performance and low ablation" during launch procedures.

China's commercial space industry recorded 50 launches during the previous year, representing more than half of national missions completed overall.

Whether CO₂ launches become commercially practical remains uncertain, although the proposal reflects experimentation occurring throughout China's rapidly changing space industry.

Via SCMP

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A Tasmanian adventurer is funding a new Prado entirely with river gold.

His target is a base Land Cruiser Prado priced near AU$80,000.

One canyon dive on his best day pulled 22 grams worth thousands of dollars.

Instead of wrestling with high interest rates or a trade-in negotiation, Tasmanian content creator and adventurer Rob Parsons is trying to fund his next vehicle the hard way, using nothing but ancient prospecting techniques to get there. He wants a brand-new off-roader, and his plan is to pull the money out of the ground one riverbed at a time.

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The explorer, known for his navigation skills and solo expeditions, has launched a multi-day challenge to gather enough gold from remote waterways to cover the keys to that new truck. It sounds like a gimmick, and yet the math works.

More: Aussie Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Gets A Weird Grille Option

The target of this wilderness operation is the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. The rugged SUV runs the mild-hybrid 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine and comes standard with 4WD. From his video it is understood that Parsons wants to buy the entry-level GX trim in Midnight Alloy shade, which carries a driveaway price of AU$ 79,545 (US$ 54,800) in Hobart, Tasmania.

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Parsons documents the journey through short videos posted to his Facebook page . Those will likely be stitched into a longer YouTube clip once the challenge wraps up.

More: This Land Cruiser Camper Sleeps Four And Hides A Shower Cubicle

Across the first 13 days of the experiment he has gathered AU$ 25,501 (US$ 17,600) worth of gold, which works out to an average of AU$ 1,960 (US$ 1,350) per day. Not every dive plays out the same way, though, and scavenging instinct matters more here than physical labor.

His best stint so far was Day 12, which produced a massive 21.71 grams of gold valued at AU$ 4,072.34 (US$ 2,800), pulled from a deep canyon pool with the help of a portable dive compressor setup. The low point came on Day 8, bringing in just 0.80 grams worth AU$ 151.98 (US$ 105) before a hardware failure in his satellite communication forced him to abort the mission early.

While Parsons still needs another AU$ 54,000 (US$ 37,200) to reach his ultimate purchase target, his early yield proves that old-school grit might just beat modern financing if you have the right skills and experience. Hopefully, he will soon be able to buy his dream Toyota using it to reach new locations in the Tasmanian wilderness.

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The 'women in tech' discourse has, over time, shifted from general awareness around key issues to instigating meaningful and systemic reform. Each year, there are thousands of events, panels, initiatives and policies devoted to equalizing the experience between men and women – with remuneration a key part of this.

Mind the gap

Speaking at the 2014 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, the then newly appointed Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella clumsily commented on how women should approach the question of unequal pay in the workplace.

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People immediately pushed back against his remarks, with widespread and universal condemnation. For example, the interviewer, computer scientist Maria Klawe, immediately pushed back, giving women the opposite advice.

You should, she advised, do your homework on fair salaries and actively practice negotiating. This was followed by media reports and social media commentary ridiculing the comments — drawing a swift apology from the Microsoft CEO.

Bridging the divide

Nadella addressed the controversy in an internal memo, as reported by GeekWire , and reaffirmed Microsoft's commitment to positive action.

In the years that have followed, there's been a mixture of changes across the tech industry – for better and worse. There is, for example, a higher proportion of women in tech now than more than ten years ago. But female leadership is declining .

There are also concerns that the pay gap is widening , and that women have disproportionately comprised over 45% of total job losses despite making up roughly 30% of the workforce. Despite a huge and very vocal push, the reality remains that progress on better representation, equal pay, and equal opportunity is patchy at best.

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A giant petrel found on the New South Wales coast at Hawks Nest, north of Newcastle, has been confirmed as the state’s first case of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.

The positive test is the sixth confirmed case.

The NSW Government has been preparing for a positive result for some time and there is a clear plan in place to support industry and the community.

At this stage the result is limited to a single migratory seabird and has not impacted our poultry sector or domestic wildlife.

In all the conversations I’ve had and the interviews and press conferences I’ve held, no one has argued that the housing market was working fine the way it was. No one has been able to say that the status quo was fair or reasonable or sustainable for the future.

And once you get to that point, once everyone acknowledges that the system is broken. Then the choice for a party of government is very clear. If you don’t have the ticker, you can kick the can down the road and leave the problem to a future generation. Or you can do the hard thing, the right thing – and fix it. That is the choice we have made.

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