Technology

Most gamers agree that physical buttons are better than virtual ones. I've felt this way for a long time, but I'm starting to see that maybe I was wrong—or at the very least, touch controls aren't inherently bad. Here's why I've changed my tune.

Smart lights offer a range of benefits: convenience, mood-setting, security, and more. But with more options than ever before, how do you set about making the right choices for your home?

After more or less using Windows exclusively for nearly two decades, I switched to macOS. My current work-from-home machine is a tiny M4 Mac Mini, and I love it. Here's why I'll never work on Windows again.

Meta has shut down its AI character accounts after backlash, NBC News and others have reported.

While Meta launched these characters in 2023, along with AI personas with celebrity avatars, many online (re)discovered them this week following a recent Financial Times interview with Meta's VP of product for generative AI, Connor Hayes. Hayes mentioned AI characters on Instagram and Facebook, saying, "We expect these AIs to actually, over time, exist on our platforms, kind of in the same way that accounts do."

SEE ALSO: Three AI products that flopped in 2024

"They'll have bios and profile pictures and be able to generate and share content powered by AI on the platform ...that’s where we see all of this going," he continued.

Meta shut down its celebrity AI avatars last year, but noncelebrity AI profiles continued — though many stopped posting in 2024, 404 Media reported. The Financial Times interview, however, caused people to look for these profiles. What they discovered were offensive depictions of marginalized groups. One example is Meta's AI character profile "Liv," who was described as a "Proud Black queer momma of 2 & truth-teller":

Tweet may have been deleted

Liv told Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah in chats that its creators "admitted they lacked diverse references," later stating that no Black people were involved in its creation.

In addition to Liv, Meta also created profiles like "Grandpa Brian," a Black retired businessman, and "Carter," a dating coach. The discovery of these profiles led to an outroar on X, Bluesky, and Meta-owned Threads, NBC News reported, and as of publication Meta has deleted all 28 AI profiles it announced back in September 2023 — both the celebrity and non-celebrity ones.

A Meta spokesperson told NBC News and 404 Media that these profiles were deleted due to a "bug" in users' ability to block the profiles:

There is confusion: the recent Financial Times article was about our vision for AI characters existing on our platforms over time, not announcing any new product...The accounts referenced are from a test we launched at Connect in 2023. These were managed by humans and were part of an early experiment we did with AI characters. We identified the bug that was impacting the ability for people to block those AIs and are removing those accounts to fix the issue.

You can automatically download your health records to the Health app on your iPhone and iPad for easy viewing and understanding. Here is how to set it up and why it may be better than your medical network’s native app.

Waymo, the ride-hailing app that operates driverless cars and is owned by Google parent company Alphabet, stopped a man from driving off in one of its electric Jaguars on Thursday, CBS News and others reported.

LAPD responded to a report of an attempted auto theft shortly after midnight on Thursday morning, according to the Los Angeles Times, where they found a man sitting in the driver's seat of a Waymo vehicle. The man, who may have been under the influence, had reportedly entered through the passenger's seat and slid into the driver's side. Normally, no one is in the driver's seat save for occasions when a Waymo employee does so to test the car.

SEE ALSO: Security ramps up at CES after Cybertruck explosion at Trump hotel

The company told the LA Times that Waymo cars are designed so people can't override the automated driving system. The vehicles can also move evasively, honk its horns, announce 911 is being called, and fold in exterior door handles so no one can get inside.

If someone does get in the driver's seat, Waymo's rider support team is alerted and can request the person leave the car. If they don't — like what happened with the man on Thursday — the police are called. In the five million rides Waymo has provided, only a "handful" of people have attempted to steal the cars, the company told the LA Times. The Los Angeles man who climbed into the Waymo this week was eventually released by police at the scene.

Waymo's autonomous vehicles are currently servicing Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix, and are coming soon to Austin, Atlanta, and Miami, according to its website.

Slack no longer keeps your workspace’s messages and files saved forever by default. Slack will regularly erase messages and files that are older than a year. If you want to keep your workspace data safe, it’s best to back it up. Let me show you how.

If you've spent much time on the internet, you've probably heard of common security threats, like email scams and spoofed websites. However, there is a threat out there called SEO poisoning that can be difficult to predict or protect yourself against. The popularity of this attack is on the rise.

Did you injure your wrist or hand? Do you have a crippling fidget spinner addiction? Are you making a risotto? Don’t worry, you can still play video games!

TL;DR: Live stream Opelka vs. Lehecka in the 2025 Brisbane International final for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Brisbane International is really all about top players building momentum and sharpening up before the Australian Open, but at the final stage, remaining players will be desperate to get their hands on the trophy. We're expecting some fantastic tennis from this battle between Opelka and Lehecka.

If you want to watch Opelka vs. Lehecka in the 2025 Brisbane International final for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Opelka vs. Lehecka for free

The 2025 Brisbane International is available to live stream for free on 9Now, including Opelka vs. Lehecka.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2025 Brisbane International final by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2025 Brisbane International final for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer incentive deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can access free live streams of Opelka vs. Lehecka without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Brisbane International final and Australian Open (also on 9Now for free) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Opelka vs. Lehecka in the 2025 Brisbane International final for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Sabalenka vs. Kudermetova in the 2025 Brisbane International final for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The eyes of the tennis world are about to focus on the Australian Open, but first, the Brisbane International is reaching its dramatic conclusion. Sabalenka and Kudermetova meet in the final of the competition. Both players are looking really sharp as they build momentum before the first Grand Slam of the season.

If you want to watch Sabalenka vs. Kudermetova in the 2025 Brisbane International final for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Sabalenka vs. Kudermetova for free

The 2025 Brisbane International is available to live stream for free on 9Now, including Sabalenka vs. Kudermetova.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2025 Brisbane International final by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2025 Brisbane International final for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer incentive deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can access free live streams of Sabalenka vs. Kudermetova without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Brisbane International final and Australian Open (also on 9Now for free) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Sabalenka vs. Kudermetova in the 2025 Brisbane International final for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Worn during sports

• Green: Sports films

• Blue: Mascots in baseball's lower levels

• Purple: Alternative names for basketball players

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: An athlete's shirt

• Green: Football movies

• Blue: Minor-League Baseball team names

• Purple: NBA player nicknames

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #103 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• An athlete's shirt - JERSEY, KIT, SWEATER, UNIFORM

• Football movies - DRAFT DAY, INVINCIBLE, LEATHERHEADS, RUDY

• Minor-League Baseball team names - BISCUITS, JUMBO SHRIMP, TRASH PANDAS, YARD GOATS

• NBA player nicknames - ANT-MAN, JOKER, KAT, SPIDA

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 4 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Literary couples

These words are two-part titles to well-known novels.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

Words are paired together in classic books.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Book Titles.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for January 4

• Crime

• Sound

• Pride

• Fury

• Prejudice

• Punishment

• Fury

• Book Titles

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for January 4 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for January 4, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To unwind and take it easy.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter R.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

RELAX.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 4

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for January 4 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Reductions

• Green: Attachments

• Blue: Done

• Purple: Art features

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Crush into a compact shape

• Green: Fasteners

• Blue: Mark as completed

• Purple: Depicted in Dali's "The Persistence of Memory"

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #573 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Crush into a compact shape: BALL, CRUMPLE, SCRUNCH, WAD

• Fasteners: BUCKLE, CLIP, HOOK, SNAP

• Mark as completed: CHECK, CROSS, STRIKE, TICK

• Depicted in Dali's "The Persistence of Memory": ANT, BRANCH, CLOCK, MELTING

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 3

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Smart, Wi-Fi-connected countertop ovens are a thin category. I’ve tried several of them. And while the GE Profile UltraFast Smart Air Fry Oven isn’t bursting with tech, it’s forward-looking enough to improve the cooking experience with some modern affordances.

There's not even a hint of a looming eruption at Yellowstone.

But you might wonder why, considering its violent past: Yellowstone has hosted "supereruptions" — the most explosive type of volcanic blast that would be regionally devastating, and blanket a large swathe of the U.S. in ash. These blasts were much larger than any in recorded history. (The last eruption, though not "super," happened some 70,000 years ago and poured lava over the present-day national park.)

New research reveals why the famously steamy park, hosting over 500 hot geysers, shows no signs of blowing its top. These days, the reservoirs of magma (molten rock) that feed Yellowstone hold pretty low concentrations of this magma. They simply don't contain enough volcanic fuel to drive the heat and pressure that would stoke an eruption.

"We can definitely say that these areas could not source an eruption in the present day," Ninfa Bennington, a U.S. Geological Survey research geophysicist who led the study recently published in Nature, told Mashable.

SEE ALSO: What will happen when the next supervolcano erupts, according to NASA

There are different reservoirs, or pods, of magma below the Yellowstone Caldera, which is the sprawling basin formed during an immense eruption and dramatic collapse some 631,000 years ago. You can think of each reservoir like a sponge, filled with pores. There's some magma in these pores spaces, but it's not nearly saturated.

One future day, these sponges may fill up with magma and reach a critical percentage — wherein immense pressure builds beneath the ground and spawns an eruption. Today, however, there is no explosive threat.

"We're so far off from that right now," Bennington said.

Modeled ashfall from a Yellowstone supereruption. Credit: USGS / Mastin et al. The most destructive type of eruptions at Yellowstone, which form great depressions called calderas, are by far the rarest. Credit: USGS

To grasp what's transpiring in these critical reservoirs of magma today, the geologists used a technique called magnetotellurics. In contrast to radar or sonar, the scientists don't create or beam signals to discern what lies beyond or below. Instead, these surveys capitalize on the currents naturally created by Earth's electromagnetic field. And magma, due to its composition, is really good at conducting electricity, allowing insight into its presence deep beneath Earth's surface.

"It could be a long, long time."

The surveys, beyond revealing Yellowstone's inability to host an eruption today, showed that the most primitive magma flowing up from Earth's mantle to Yellowstone connects directly to a reservoir in the northeast region of the Yellowstone Caldera. This suggests this northeast region would become the future center of volcanic activity in Yellowstone.

But there's no evidence of those reservoirs filling up. "It could be a long, long time," Bennington said.

Tweet may have been deleted

If magma does once again snake its way from deep inside Earth and saturate these shallower reservoirs, an eruption wouldn't be a surprise. We'd have many decades, if not centuries, of warning. The moving magma would trigger swarms of potent earthquakes, and the ground would majorly deform.

"These parameters are well monitored, so there will be ample warning of any potential future eruption," the U.S. Geological Survey says.

Today, Yellowstone remains a place of low volcanic risk. Sure, there are sometimes small explosions stoked by hot water and steam. But it's mostly thermal pools and awesome geysers, reminding us of what could potentially awake, one distant day.

After calls with foreign leaders, rap sessions with lawmakers, and long classified briefings with advisers, President Jimmy Carter would often escape to the roof of the White House. 

There his son Jeffrey had set up a tracking telescope, Carter said in his book, A Full Life. Feeling the weight of the world, he would gaze at the stars and contemplate his place among them. 

"I recall one winter night going to the White House roof to study the Orion nebulae, but we could barely see the stars, their images so paled by city lights," he waxed in a poem.

That particular evening, on Dec. 18, 1977, the astrophysicist Carl Sagan joined him. They had just visited the U.S. Naval Observatory next to the vice president’s mansion, where they discussed all things space — planets, stars, black holes, and astrobiology. Carter himself was a man of science: He studied engineering in college and did graduate work in nuclear physics.

"It was a welcome diversion from earthly concerns," he wrote in a thank-you note to Sagan. 

Carter, who died on Dec. 29, 2024 at 100, was an avid astronomer, with a profound curiosity for the cosmos, a part of his story that isn't well-known. It began when he was a lab assistant to an astronomy teacher his freshman year in college, and it continued as he learned celestial navigation in the U.S. Navy, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant. One Christmas while on a ship with his family, he asked the captain if the crew had a sextant on board, a tool for measuring the angle between the horizon and an object in the sky. The captain proceeded to show him one, he said, displayed like a museum artifact in a glass case. 

SEE ALSO: NASA's finally talking about UFOs with Americans. Here's what they said. Tweet may have been deleted

But politics often eclipsed the former president's appreciation for space. Though his first budget funded the program that became NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Carter was maligned for not supporting human spaceflight in the vein of the Apollo program, said Steven Hochman, former special assistant to the president at the Carter Center. He was a supporter of robotic exploration and research that could benefit people's lives, but when it came to the exorbitant cost of sending astronauts into deep space, he preferred spending on domestic concerns. 

"NASA, I believe, has not given him the credit he deserves," Hochman told Mashable. "I believe it is because he was critical of the Space Shuttle program and didn't provide funding for future missions to the moon or Mars." 

For years political adversaries ridiculed Carter for having a tinfoil hat, stemming from an incident in 1969 that later circulated in the press. After a Lions Club meeting in Leary, Georgia, Carter and a few other men spotted something strange moving in the sky: a luminous object, first blue then red, the apparent size and brightness of the moon. About four years later, Carter reported the unidentified flying object to the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena and the International UFO Bureau in Oklahoma.

President Jimmy Carter places the Congressional Space Medal around NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong's neck. Credit: UPI / Bettmann Archive / Getty Images

Though Carter never claimed to have spotted aliens or a flying saucer — to him this was literally an unknown object in the air — people snickered and mistook his UFO sighting as such. Skeptics, who likely knew nothing of Carter's astronomy background, suggested he had merely seen Venus.

"It was not Venus," Carter said in a 2007 interview on "The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe" podcast. 

In fact, his UFO sighting had taken on such mythic proportions, some had wondered whether it was the reason Carter wanted NASA to investigate UFOs in 1977. Despite a White House request expressing a need to address the general UFO "public relations problem," NASA had, surprisingly, declined. 

The Japanese space agency JAXA's Akatsuki mission, aka Planet-C or Venus Climate Orbiter, studies the planet's atmosphere from orbit with an ultraviolet imager. Sulfur dioxide causes some clouds to look dark because of sunlight absorption. Credit: ISAS / JAXA

The subject prompted The Journal of Scientific Exploration to invite Richard C. Henry, the agency's deputy director of astrophysics during Carter's administration, to write an essay about it more than a decade later. Henry, a semi-retired professor at Johns Hopkins University today, came to no definitive conclusions on why NASA rebuffed the White House. But, in a postscript, Henry said he sent his draft to Carter before publication in 1988. 

"The most important point that you could clarify, if you will, is whether you yourself were behind (the UFO panel proposal) letter of July 21, 1977, to NASA," Henry wrote. 

Beside the sentence, Carter jotted his reply in one word: No.

NASA leaders brief President Jimmy Carter before the first Space Shuttle launch at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Credit: NASA

Yet buried within Henry's paper was a small window into Carter's passion for astronomy. In November 1977, the president and his son sent a message to NASA headquarters asking to borrow a seven-inch Questar telescope. Given that there were no telescopes at headquarters — just paper, Henry said — he tried to hunt one down at another NASA campus. 

It turned out Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, had one.

"By great luck, a NASA plane was flying from Huntsville to Washington the next day ([Science adviser Frank] Press was emphatic that the President wanted no special flights or other waste of taxpayer dollars)," Henry wrote. 

President Jimmy Carter sits alone on a bench at Camp David during the Egyptian-Israeli peace talks on Sept. 9, 1978. Credit: White House / CNP / Getty Images

The NASA official and his wife, Rita Mahon, picked up the Questar at Washington National Airport and promptly took it to the White House. They then unpacked the telescope from a large wooden crate and showed the Carters how to set it up on the Truman balcony overlooking the South Lawn. The night was cloudy, but they trained on the moon. 

The president then proceeded to take the telescope with him to Camp David near Thurmont, Maryland, on Nov. 23, 1977, where he and his family spent Thanksgiving, according to his daily diary. He returned it about a week later. 

One has to wonder if Carter brought a telescope with him again just 10 months later, when he invited Egyptian President Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to join him at the retreat. The renowned talks would result in the Camp David Accords, which later earned the Middle East leaders a Nobel Peace Prize.  

U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin share a three-way handshake after signing the Camp David Accords. Credit: Bettmann / Contributor / Getty Images

There's an amusing irony to the false urban legend that Carter believed he was visited by aliens: He is, after all, the most likely person to make humanity's introduction to extraterrestrials.

Some 15.5 billion miles away from Earth, hurtling through the cold, uncharted abyss, is NASA's Voyager 1 probe. It is the farthest spacecraft from home, having left the solar system in 2012. Soaring through interstellar space at 38,000 mph, it carries a gold-plated record produced by Sagan, with a melange of sounds from the planet.

Crickets. Wind. Greetings in 55 languages, from Akkadian to Wu. A mother kissing her child. These and a letter from Carter are among the recordings on the disk.

A technician puts the golden record on the Voyager spacecraft in a clean room before launch. Credit: Space Frontiers / Archive Photos / Getty Images

The odds of making contact with aliens, if they exist, are slight, if not insurmountable. Galaxies are spinning away from each other into the infinite unknown. The speed at which space is expanding far outpaces our technology to overcome it. It's as if the universe were contrived to keep its inhabitants apart.

But should some other intelligent life forms encounter Voyager — or Voyager 2, which carries a duplicate record — thousands or even billions of years into the future, they will discover Carter's words: 

"This is a present from a small distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings," he wrote. "We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations. This record represents our hope and our determination and our goodwill in a vast and awesome universe." 

A copy of the statement President Jimmy Carter included on the golden records for the Voyager spacecraft. Credit: NASA

Many knew Carter's intimate relationship with his faith. He grew up Southern Baptist, the son of a farmer in the boomtown of Plains, Georgia. He referred to himself as a born-again Christian. Long after his presidency, he attended regular church services and taught Sunday School. 

But how his evangelical beliefs squared with his thoughts on the universe aren't clear. He wrote in a poem, titled "Considering the Void:" 

When I behold the charm / of evening skies, their lulling endurance; / the patterns of stars with names / of bears and dogs, a swan, a virgin; / other planets that our Voyager showed / were like and so unlike our own, / with all their moons, / bright discs, weird rings, and cratered faces; / comets with their streaming tails / bent by pressure from our sun; / the skyscape of our Milky Way / holding in its shimmering disc /an infinity of suns / (or say a thousand billion); / knowing there are holes of darkness / gulping mass and even light, / knowing that this galaxy of ours / is one of multitudes / in what we call the heavens, / it troubles me. It troubles me.

What exactly was haunting Carter? Was he expressing a collision of faith and science in what lies beyond? An existential crisis of never knowing the big picture? 

Perhaps, as he wished, humankind will survive this time so that we may live to know more. 

When the annual Consumer Electronics Show, better known as CES, begins on Jan. 7 in Las Vegas, attendees will likely notice a "a highly visible law enforcement presence" at the dayslong event, which is organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).

In a statement shared with Mashable, John T. Kelley, vice president and show director of CTA, acknowledged security concerns following the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on New Year's Day.

"In response to recent tragic events, we have increased our already robust security protocols," Kelley said. "We continue to monitor the situation and are in touch with our security partners and law enforcement officials."

SEE ALSO: CES 2025: Mashable's guide on what to expect

The Cybertruck's driver died by suicide prior to the truck's explosion, according to authorities. Seven bystanders sustained injuries, and fireworks, gas canisters, and fireworks were recovered from the vehicle.

"Ensuring a secure and seamless experience for all is our top priority," Kelley said. "We are working closely with trusted partners, including all levels of government, to deliver robust security, advanced infrastructure, and essential services so attendees can focus on driving growth and forging impactful connections."

A CTA spokesperson declined to provide further information about security efforts in an email to Mashable.

"In terms of new security measures, we have robust security measures in place and the best way to protect the show is not sharing those measures in detail," the spokesperson said.

A public information officer for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told Mashable in an email that the agency "always" plans for additional officers to be present at large events in Las Vegas. They did not respond to questions about additional steps law enforcement may be taking to increase security.

Security measures to expect at CES

CES has outlined security measures in place for the event on its website.

Attendees must present government-issued photo identification to pick up their badge and they can't retrieve badges on behalf of others.

Bag restrictions prohibit attendees from bringing rolling bags of any size, including laptop and computer bags. CES encourages attendees to bring clear bags, and participants may not carry more than two small bags into show venues.

Attendees can also expect K9 dog units at venue entrances, along with random security checks. As an "enhanced security measure," there will be a "vehicle deterrence plan" near key venues. A CTA spokesperson told Mashable that this tactic has been part of the event's security strategy.

The CES app offers attendees a way to contact CES or venue security if they wish to report something suspicious. Should an emergency evacuation become necessary, CES will share updates and instructions via the event app, CES social media channels, and public announcements.

The trade show is a major draw for consumer electronics and technology companies. Last year, more than 138,000 people attended the event. LG, Samsung, Siemens, L'Oreal, and Panasonic are among this year's exhibitors.

For centuries, stargazers have watched a new star light up in the sky. Just days later, it vanishes.

Today we call the star system responsible T Coronae Borealis, "T CrB" for short, or the "Blaze Star." It fires up around every 80 years, and NASA noted that astronomers expected to see the star appear around the summer of 2024. It's now 2025. What gives?

This repeating event — occurring 3,000 light-years from Earth — is triggered by two interacting, orbiting stars. An Earth-sized star called a white dwarf (the dense remnants of an exploded sun-like star) is ripping gas away from a nearby red supergiant star. Years pass, and prodigious amounts of gas amass on the white dwarf's surface. Under such extreme heat and pressure, the surface blows in a violent thermonuclear reaction, called a nova.

But a precise deep space prediction is difficult.

"We’re waiting for a 'new' star to briefly make an appearance, but we don’t know exactly when it will occur. The star is pulling material from a companion star, and over decades it collects enough to trigger an eruption," NASA recently explained in a post. "But we don’t know how fast the material is piling up!"

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

The space agency added that "we have clues that it may erupt soon, but 'soon' could mean today or next year!" (That's "next year" as in 2026.)

Tweet may have been deleted

Although scientists had high hopes for a 2024 spectacle, the star's elusive behavior isn't too surprising. We're still learning about these cosmic explosions.

"Recurrent novae are unpredictable and contrarian," Dr. Koji Mukai, a NASA astrophysicist, said in a 2024 statement. "When you think there can’t possibly be a reason they follow a certain set pattern, they do — and as soon as you start to rely on them repeating the same pattern, they deviate from it completely. We’ll see how T CrB behaves."

How to see T Coronae Borealis when it explodes

Although T Coronae Borealis' timing isn't certain, astronomers know for certain where it'll appear in the night sky. NASA explains:

What should stargazers look for? The Northern Crown is a horseshoe-shaped curve of stars west of the Hercules constellation, ideally spotted on clear nights. It can be identified by locating the two brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere — Arcturus and Vega — and tracking a straight line from one to the other, which will lead skywatchers to Hercules and the Corona Borealis.

(In the summer months, the Northern Crown appears in the sky after sunset, which makes ideal viewing.)

But you'll have to act fast. After erupting and appearing, it'll only be visible with the naked eye for less than a week, similar to how watchers viewed it long ago, during the Middle Ages, if not much earlier.

The location of T Coronae Borealis in the night sky. Credit: NASA

If it behaves as (generally) expected, the exploded star will reappear in another 80 or so years, after prodigious amounts of stellar gas settle onto its surface.

Then, boom.