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You could hardly say Netflix is a business in trouble, but it does have a problem: for a lot of its shows, viewing figures are declining sharply after the first season. According to Bloomberg , Beef lost more than 70% of its viewers going into its second season, while The Night Agent lost 50% of its audience in season two.

This seems to be a pattern repeated over many Netflix shows, including some that rack up impressive viewing figures in their first season. The streaming platform relies on subscribers sticking around, and these stats are apparently "a major source of concern" for the executives at Netflix.

So what's going on? While I'm not privy to the internal discussions at Netflix or the statistics that its executives are available to them, I am a Netflix subscriber of many years standing — and I have a few ideas about what's going on.

Viewing fatigue

There's a lot to get through these days, isn't there? Tens of millions of songs on music streaming platforms, more movies than you'll ever have time to watch in ten lifetimes, and of course the entire history of TV — with new shows appearing weekly. It's perhaps no surprise that we're all finding it hard to stick with successive series when there's so much more out there to watch and listen to.

The way that Netflix's stats work, is that a drop-off in viewing numbers for a second season also includes those who abandoned the show somewhere along the way during the first run of episodes. And if you're not getting grabbed episode after episode by the plot and the characters, it's all too tempting to click away.

That's a shame for slow burn shows and those that need time to get going, and perhaps we all need to learn to be a bit more patient. However, it goes some way to explaining why Netflix shows can shed a lot of viewers after the initial pull of the first few episodes — there's an awful lot competing for our attention.

The binge model

For the most part, Netflix continues to drop its shows all at once, so as soon as they're live you can binge watch an entire season. Sometimes it's great to be able to burn through a bunch of episodes, but it also means you can be done with an entire season very quickly.

This exacerbates the problem of gaps between series (of which more in a moment), but it also means shows can be quickly forgotten in the rush of everything else that's going on. Some of my favorite TV shows are those that come out week by week: I watch the episode, then I catch up on the recap podcasts.

It means shows last longer — not in terms of the actual running time, but in terms of how many days and weeks it takes to get through a season. I actually quite like being able to binge shows sometimes, but it does mean they can be quickly forgotten.

Stranger Things lasted almost 10 years from start to finish (Image credit: Netflix) Season-to-season gaps

This isn't something that only affects Netflix, but we're still seeing huge gaps between seasons of shows — and unless the viewing experience is very special, that's likely to lead to waning enthusiasm from audiences as the months and years drag on.

Silo isn't a Netflix show, but the point is the same: as I was settling down to watch the third season a few days ago, even the initial recap montage had me confused (there was a mere 18 months between the end of season two and the start of season three). There were parts I didn't remember, and I had to head over to Wikipedia to get caught up.

Stranger Things is a Netflix show, and while I did manage to drag myself through it in its entirety, it was a struggle towards the end. The show lasted for just shy of a decade, and there are huge swathes of it that are no longer in my memory banks. It's not easy to produce television shows quickly, but the slow rollouts aren't helping their chances.

A trust issue

I've seen Netflix's regular cancellation of shows floated as a reason for second-series-syndrome, and I think this is an issue for program makers as well as audiences. If you don't know whether or not you're getting a second or third season, then you have to throw everything into the first one, and think more about wrapping it up neatly than extending it.

The Night Agent is one of the Netflix shows I've found it hard to stay with: the original rookie-on-the-run premise worked well and the first season was propulsive entertainment, but as it's continued, it's become more of a by-the-numbers action thriller. It's almost like they're making it up as they go.

Compare that with something like Bridgerton , which is a Netflix show I have managed to keep up with. It is of course based on a series of books (as is Apple TV's Slow Horses by the way), and that helps to ensure variety from season-to-season, with the focus switching between different characters and plotlines.

I'm not sure exactly how Netflix can fix the problem of viewing numbers declining in season two — I'm not a highly paid TV executive after all — but those are a few thoughts about why it's happening.

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Deputy crashed a patrol cruiser while driving 92 mph without an emergency.

The $73,000 police SUV was totaled, but both deputy and K-9 survived.

Sheriff plans new speed-tracking measures to curb unauthorized speeding.

He was “driving like an idiot.” Those are the words of Sheriff Mike Chitwood of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office after one of his deputies crashed a cruiser into a pond. Reports indicate that the officer wasn’t responding to a call, but he was going over 90 mph when the wreck happened. In the end, he cost taxpayers approximately $73,000. On top of all that, the department is now going to begin tracking deputies’ speeds as a result.

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According to the Sheriff, the deputy lost control of his patrol SUV while driving down a highway ramp near Interstate 95 before plunging into a retention pond. Dashcam footage captured from nearby shows the cruiser entering the water after leaving the roadway. The sheriff’s office said the deputy was traveling 92 mph at the time of the crash despite not responding to a call. When asked by FOX 35 what the deputy had been responding to, Chitwood’s answer was blunt: “Nothing.”

Everyone Walked, The Cruiser Didn’t

Fortunately, neither the deputy nor his K-9 partner suffered serious injuries. The patrol vehicle, however, wasn’t nearly as lucky. Officials say it was declared a total loss. Chitwood was unusually direct when discussing the incident, saying the deputy’s actions could easily have ended in tragedy. “You caused $73,000 worth of damage,” Chitwood said. “You could have killed yourself. You could have killed your partner. You could have killed anybody that was out there on the roadway.”

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More: Two Police Officers Arrested After Crashing Marked Patrol Cars While Driving Drunk

The deputy has since been removed from his specialized assignments, including the SWAT and K-9 units, while the internal investigation continues. Additional disciplinary action remains possible. Public criticism of police driving often focuses on pursuits or emergency responses that end badly. This case stands out because, according to the sheriff himself, there wasn’t any emergency to justify the speed in the first place.

Tracking Deputies Instead Of Everyone Else

The crash is also prompting a policy change that may prove more significant than the disciplinary action against a single deputy. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is developing a reporting system that will regularly track deputies’ driving speeds and provide that information to supervisors.

If a deputy is found speeding without a legitimate emergency or other valid justification, they’ll be expected to explain their actions. If they can’t, disciplinary measures will follow. “It’s unfortunate that we have to do this with professionals,” Chitwood said. “But, if you don’t act professional, then I’m going to have to make you act professional.”

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Police agencies have increasingly embraced technology that tracks the public, from automated license plate readers to connected surveillance systems. Those tools have often sparked debates over privacy and oversight. Tracking government employees operating publicly funded vehicles on public roads, however, is a very different proposition.

One of the most common complaints directed at law enforcement is the perception that some officers behave as though traffic laws apply to everyone except themselves. A system that verifies whether deputies are speeding, and whether they actually have a lawful reason to do so, could help reinforce the idea that the people enforcing the rules are expected to follow them too.

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Lead Image Credit: Volusia County Sheriff

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NASA Pushes New Wing Design to Find Structural Limits

The 15-foot Structural Wing Experiment Evaluating Truss-bracing test article is fully installed in the Flight Loads Laboratory at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The model is part of NASA’s research to develop technologies for future ultra-efficient aircraft.

Credits:

NASA/Carla Escamilla

NASA researchers recently put a new wing design, appearing long and thin with a lightweight structural design, through a series of grueling tests to find its structural limits. What they found left them encouraged about the wing’s potential, even when they pushed it past its intended limits.

The 15-foot Structural Wing Experiment Evaluating Truss-bracing (SWEET-15) test article is part of NASA’s research to develop future ultra-efficient aircraft. The design incorporates a long wing supported by an aerodynamic strut, based on NASA’s earlier Transonic Truss‑Braced Wing concept.

The research team is working to understand whether SWEET-15’s design and its new lightweight structural designs could help commercial airliners save fuel. But first, they need to understand how it behaves under the kinds of force wings experience in flight.

Lab technicians Phil Tofts, Chris McLain, and Jeff Howell and NASA engineers Erin Anderson and Richard Larson prepare the 15-foot Structural Wing Experiment Evaluating Truss-bracing model in the Flight Loads Laboratory at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. The model is part of NASA’s research to develop technologies for future ultra-efficient aircraft.

NASA/Christopher LC Clark

The SWEET-15 design originated with combining five different advanced composite manufacturing and assembly technologies that enabled the novel structural design. The 15-foot-long test article was then designed and fabricated at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, before traveling to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, for testing.

Over several months, NASA engineers intentionally bent the test wing in the Flight Loads Laboratory at NASA Armstrong. Numerous strain and load sensors, including fiber-optic strain sensors, were placed throughout the structure to track how the wing responded as forces increased.

The data from the sensors confirmed the predictions made by NASA’s computer models. According to initial findings, the wing withstood the anticipated in-flight forces without issue. The results provided the team with confidence in the new manufacturing approaches and methods for connecting wing parts used in SWEET-15, which could support future efficient aircraft designs. The manufacturing approach, developed at NASA Langley used the Integrated Structural Assembly of Advanced Composites robot, aims to produce lighter and stronger composite structures for aerospace vehicles.

Lab technicians Jeff Howell, left and Chris Mount install the 15-foot Structural Wing Experiment Evaluating Truss-bracing model in the Flight Loads Lab at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, Wednesday, February 11, 2026. The model is part of NASA’s research to develop technologies for future ultra-efficient aircraft.

NASA/Christopher LC Clark

The test concluded with a deliberate test-to-failure, where engineers increased loads beyond the wing’s design limits to determine how and where it would fail. The structure ultimately failed at roughly 127% of its design limit load, with visible damage appearing near the back edge of the wing and in the upper wing cover. This element of testing provided valuable insight into how the joints connecting the wing to its main strut and a secondary one, called a jury strut, behave under forces beyond the expected flight envelope.

This marks the first time a representative composite truss-braced wing configuration has undergone this type of structural evaluation. It was made possible only through NASA collaboration across centers and projects, with researchers utilizing agency resources such as the Fiber Optic Sensing System developed to gather data on both aircraft and spacecraft.

NASA research engineer Walter Hargis regulates the 15-foot Structural Wing Experiment Evaluating Truss-bracing model in the Flight Loads Laboratory at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The model is part of NASA’s research to develop technologies for future ultra-efficient aircraft.

NASA/Ryan Kline

To prepare for the testing, engineers at NASA Langley designed, analyzed, and manufactured the wing and completed safety preparations and lab setup.

Researchers will now analyze the data collected during testing to inform future airframe designs and support NASA’s ongoing efforts to develop more efficient aviation technologies.

The work is being conducted through NASA’s Subsonic Flight Demonstrator project in the agency’s Research Technology Mission Directorate. The successful testing of multiple innovative components marks a milestone in NASA’s aeronautics research.

To learn more, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/

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Last Updated

Jul 17, 2026

Editor

Dede Dinius

Contact

Sarah Mann

sarah.mann@nasa.gov

Location

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Related Terms

Armstrong Flight Research Center

Advanced Air Vehicles Program

Aeronautics

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

Langley Research Center

Subsonic Flight Demonstrator

Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools

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Even a few months after it launched, we still haven't gotten tired of seeing the wild stuff you come up with in Crimson Desert's sprawling sandbox. That's why our latest monthly winner of PC Gamer Clips is yet another great Crimson Desert video—and that's why the person who sent us that clip just won $500 in Amazon gift cards.

If this is the first you're hearing about PC Gamer Clips, it's a snap: just record yourself playing a PC game, send us the clip, and each month we'll pick our favorite and award its creator a $500 prize. Visit our PC Gamer Clips page to find the submission form and prize restrictions (you need to be a US or UK citizen to be eligible).

Below you can check out our most recent winner demonstrating a pretty slick way to swap a horse for a wyvern:

Pretty smooth moves… though I would have liked to have seen the dragonrider make a dive to catch the unfortunate horse they just leapt off. Did it just go splat at the bottom of the cliff? Ah, well, these things happen.

That's not the only Crimson Desert clip we've received. Here, check out some more of our favorites:

And we'd love to see clips from any of the great PC games you're playing these days: Marathon, Counter-Strike 2, GTA 5, Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynched… as long as your clips are funny, exciting, surprising, or a showcase of your impressive gaming skills, please send 'em our way.

Need some inspiration? Just visit PC Gamer Clips to watch all the great videos our readers have sent in so far.

2026 games : All the upcoming games

Best PC games : Our all-time favorites

Free PC games : Freebie fest

Best FPS games : Finest gunplay

Best RPGs : Grand adventures

Best co-op games : Better together

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BMW has launched a configurator for ChatGTP.

It enables users to build and compare models.

ChatGTP told us no such BMW plugin exists.

Car configurators have come a long way as they’ve transformed from a basic list of options to an interactive experience that shows realistic images of your ideal vehicle. Given the explosion of artificial intelligence, it was only a matter of time until automakers embraced the technology.

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BMW is now dipping their toes into the water with a new plugin for ChatGPT . It will enable users to “engage in a natural conversation to configure their dream car.” As an example, shoppers could tell the AI something along the lines of ‘configure a red 3-Series with 19-inch wheels.’

More: Rivian’s R2 Configurator Is Live And A Spare Tire Costs $755

The automaker said the plugin combines the natural language capabilities of generative AI with their “product and configuration knowledge base.” This means ChatGPT should be able to configure your ideal vehicle and ensure it’s a ‘real’ product.

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More interestingly, users don’t have to know that much about BMWs as they can describe what they want – using characteristics such as size, ground clearance, or powertrain – to get useful suggestions on what to configure. BMW also said users can compare running costs as well as factor in things such as driving dynamics or the availability of all-wheel drive.

Unfortunately, getting to the configurator isn’t easy. The multistep process requires users to go to ChatGPT.com , access the Plugins menu, and then search for BMW.

When I tried on mobile and desktop, ChatGPT told me “No plugins match that search right now.” That’s not a great start as the automaker said the service is “available on both mobile devices and desktop computers.” However, it remains unclear if the plugin is available globally or is limited to certain markets such as Germany.

Regardless, BMW isn’t the first automotive company to offer ChatGPT plugins as I came across offerings for Autotrader, Cars, CarMax, Carfax, and Edmunds.

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Anyone who wanders to the very end of City Island Avenue will reach a small seating area looking out over the waters of Long Island Sound, from which portions of Queens and Nassau County can be seen. Only rows of rotting wooden pilings hint at this spot’s former life as a summer resort and amusement park.

In the 1860s financier William Belden was a controversial figure, having conspired with Jay Gould and Jim Fisk to inflate the price of gold, a plot that eventually caused a stock market panic. After years of investigations, he still had enough money to purchase a mansion at the southern tip of City Island in 1885 and develop it and the surrounding area into a summer resort, with the mansion itself becoming a French restaurant. The resort was a big hit, leading Belden to further develop it with features like a bowling alley and a billiard hall. Visitors could easily reach the area via steamboat, which ran to City Island frequently.

Unfortunately, the good times could not last; Belden had cheated his mentally ill brother and was now expected to pay damages as a result, while one of Belden’s many other creditors had obtained a lien on the resort property. Belden would sell the land to railroad magnate Collis P. Huntington, who died just a few short years later. Belden was never able to get the land back and without it, he died in impoverished obscurity.

The mansion itself would continue to stand for over 100 years as part of the City Island Athletic Club, but it would eventually burn to the ground in 2006. As for the former dock at the end of the street, it lay in ruins, with access to the waterfront blocked off by a chain link fence and the shore often used for illegal dumping. Eventually the city stepped in and renovated the area, building a small park with benches where people can now look over the water in tranquil peace after enjoying a hearty meal at one of the many seafood restaurants lining City Island Avenue.

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Survey inds 69% of Americans support Bernie Sanders’ policy of requiring AI firms to transfer 50% of their stock to a public fund

Respondents are also overwhelmingly in favor of giving the federal government the power to block new AI services deemed “risky”

Support does appear to drop when Sanders' name is mentioned

AI is developing an image problem, and respondents to a new survey have made their feelings clear: Bernie Sanders’ demand that AI firms contribute stock to a massive public fund is widely supported.

Conducted during June 2026 by the nonpartisan survey research company Verasight, the survey consisted of 17 questions sent to 1,690 adults (18 and above), finding over two-thirds (69%) supporting Sanders’ policy – a figure that only drops to 64% once it is revealed which politician the idea is associated with.

The bad news for the AI industry doesn’t end there, as respondents demonstrated a notable distrust for how AI companies conduct themselves, with nearly half (43%) believing that the regulations proposed by the AI companies are designed to benefit those same companies. Incredibly, 30% of respondents trust the US federal government more than companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.

How does AI wealth distribution work?

(Image credit: Getty Images / Tasos Katopodis) Senator Bernie Sanders’ plan gives the public a direct stake in America’s largest AI companies, with a one-off tax paid not in cash, but in stock. "Since AI is built on the collective knowledge of humanity, the wealth it generated must benefit humanity," he said, announcing his planned Act on social media.

This would, according to Sanders’ proposal, deliver an annual $1000 check to U.S. citizens, and fund healthcare and education.

"The findings from our latest survey demonstrate a rare instance of bipartisan agreement," noted Ben Leff, CEO and Co-Founder of Verasight.

"There is an undeniable desire among Americans of both parties for federal oversight, absolute transparency, and accountability to ensure AI safety and to enable all Americans to participate in the economic benefits of AI."

Even with a polarizing figure like Bernie Sanders attached, the wealth fund idea retains support, which suggests that while people are happy to use AI to answer questions, streamline processes, and make tasks quicker, they’re less comfortable with the industry’s wider impact.

A poor public perception

While AI companies are becoming increasingly unpopular, it isn’t all bad news. The survey quizzed subjects about their feelings on other industries, including tobacco, pharmaceuticals, and casinos, along with social media. If the tide is turning against AI, it still isn’t regarded as poorly as casinos or tobacco.

Feelings about AI companies are also notably more positive than social media. Given the concerns expressed about federal oversight and public wealth funds, there could be an avenue for OpenAI, Google Gemini, Anthropic, Microsoft, and others to improve the general feeling about AI: accepting a degree of social responsibility.