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SpaceX is starting work on a launchpad for its Starship rocket in Florida, expanding its launch options from only Texas.

The launchpad is being built at Launch Complex 39A, part of NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral in Florida. SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy already use the site for their launches, but new infrastructure is necessary to accommodate future Starship launches.

Some preliminary work at Pad 39A was completed in 2019 related to Starship but was put on hold as operations at Starbase, SpaceX's facility in South Texas, were scaled up. Starship is currently manufactured and tested at Starbase, and the site has played host to multiple prototype test flights in previous years.

A new study has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences highlighting the discovery of more than a thousand potential gene editing iterations to CRISPR.

CRISPR-Cas are naturally occurring systems in bacteria that can be used to edit small portions in various genes. The sections of genes that use CRISPR to insert themselves into other places in an organism's genome are designated CRISPR-associated transposons (CASTs). Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have identified many more likely CASTs, up to nearly 1,500 from only about a dozen.

Kojima Productions is currently hiring seven positions including a programmer, 3D character modeler, game designer, sound designer, writer, project manager, and a producer.

Hideo Kojima's Tokyo-based game development studio is expanding, and the job listings give an idea on what KojiPro is working on. One of the projects is likely a 3D open-world action game (possibly Death Stranding 2). The game designer listing calls for "experience of placement and balance adjustment of enemies in action games" as well as map design. Multiple listings say the projects are "high-end games".

The Metal Gear Solid creator also made an interesting comment on KojiPro's future games, saying they make "AAA original titles" and "new outrageous titles," the latter of which could refer to the studio's expansion into entertainment mediums like film, TV shows, etc.

Halo Infinite is getting playlists by the end of year, 343 Industries has confirmed.

Halo Infinite is missing a lot of core features and has a lot of problems--that's why it launched as a beta and not a fully-fledged game. 343i has been collecting tons of feedback and info from fans and now plans to utilize what they've learned into new updates and content.

One of the first major complaints as the lack of playlists for Halo Infinite. Gamers can choose between Social 4v4 games, ranked play, big team battle, and 4v4 bot matches. The social playlist has randomized gametypes that serve up things like oddball, capture the flag, slayer, and territories, but gamers want more control over what they play--especially if they're trying to complete challenges to rank up.

Sony is reportedly making a new subscription service that combines PlayStation Now and PlayStation Plus, complete with legacy PS1, PS2, PS3, and even PSP games. But it's not truly an Xbox Game Pass competitor because it's missing one important selling point.

On paper, Sony's new codenamed Spartacus subscription is very ambitious. The billion-dollar games-maker has needed to bolster its services for a while now and the new Spartacus plan seems to check all the right boxes with classic games, a collection of PS4 and PS5 games, and cloud streaming.

There's just one thing preventing Spartacus from being a true Game Pass competitor: Day-and-date first-party releases. This is one of the biggest selling points of Game Pass. Subscribers can play first-party Microsoft games without buying them at retail prices--on top of the third-party games available.

EA confirms that multiple new Battlefield projects are in development as it gears up for massive expansion in the franchise.

EA is going all-in on Battlefield. The publisher now has three separate studios that are working on multiple Battlefield projects, including DICE proper in Sweden, Ripple Effect (DICE L.A.) who developed Battlefield Portal, and a new studio based in Seattle led by Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto.

EA has an ambitious goal to create a "connected universe" with Battlefield. This is very similar to what Activision is doing with the Modern Warfare reboot narrative and Warzone, a free-to-play game that has connected all mainline Call of Duty games together since 2018.

Sony's answer to Xbox Game Pass would combine PS Plus and PS Now services together in a three-tiered structure, sources tell Bloomberg.

According to a new Bloomberg report, Sony is currently working on a big competitor to Xbox Game Pass. Sony's new digital service, planned to release in Spring 2022, is codenamed Spartacus and would combine PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now in a single subscription.

Spartacus would be broken up into three different tiers:

NASA's Curiosity Rover continues to explore the surface of Mars and has sent back a new 360-degree panoramic selfie.

The rover landed on Mars in August 2012 and has roamed the Gale Crater, Mount Sharp, and many other Mars locales in search of past life since. Curiosity was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, which Caltech manages from Pasadena, California.

Using the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) at the end of Curiosity's robotic arm, the image comprises 81 individual shots taken on November 20th, 2021. That date was the 3303rd Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's mission. The MAHLI was built by Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego.

A new sub-Earth exoplanet has been discovered 31 light-years or ~9.5 parsecs away from our Sun.

The exoplanet, designated GJ 367b, orbits a red dwarf star in less than 24 hours, making it an ultrashort-period (USP) planet. A year on this planet, the time it takes for it to complete an entire orbit of its host star spans 7.7 hours.

Typically, sub-Earth exoplanets, those smaller in mass than Earth, are challenging to detect due to their small mass and size. No sub-Earth USP planets have been observed previously with enough precision to determine their size and composition. Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS), researchers could use high-precision photometry and spectrographs to determine its characteristics.

After an initial delay in the scheduled spacewalk due to space debris, astronauts above the ISS have successfully ventured out to fix a faulty antenna.

Two astronauts made the walk to repair the faulty S-band Antenna Sub-assembly (SASA) during U.S. EVA-78 (extravehicular activity) as part of the Expedition 66 mission. Routine testing initially detected the defective antenna when Mission Control in Houston experienced issues with the S-Band string 2. NASA determined the antenna would need to be repaired or replaced.

Ultimately it was decided replacement was the more economical option, and it was scheduled to take place on November 30th, 2021. However, 5 hours before the initial spacewalk was due to be undertaken, it was rescheduled for fear of a collision with on-orbit space debris. It has not been confirmed if this is related to the debris leftover from the recent Russian anti-satellite test that forced ISS astronauts to take shelter.

In a new study published in Science, researchers have developed a new method for detecting infrared light by changing its frequency to a corresponding frequency in the range of visible light.

Electromagnetic waves have a characteristic frequency and wavelength that are inversely proportional; as one increases, the other decreases. Measured in Hertz (Hz), human eyes can perceive light frequencies between 400 and 750 trillion Hz, or terahertz (THz). Smartphone cameras can detect down to 300 THz, and other detectors used in fiber-optic cables can detect around 200 THz.

Lower frequency light does not have sufficient energy to be registered by the photoreceptors in our eyes, meaning we cannot see frequencies of light like infrared that fall below this threshold but contain a great deal of information. As everything with warmth radiates energy, temperature differences can be detected visually with infrared spectroscopy, remotely, and without contact.

Taking place on Saturday, December 4th, you may be able to see the year's only total solar eclipse if you live towards the south pole.

A solar eclipse occurs when a new moon moves in front of the Sun from a viewer's perspective on Earth. Total solar eclipses happen when the moon is close enough to Earth during its orbit that it blocks out the entirety of the Sun as it passes between the Earth and the Sun. The length of the totality and percent of Sun covered varies considerably based on the observer's location. It's not advised to look directly at the event without some form of protective eyewear.

In Antarctica, almost two minutes of totality is expected, and NASA will broadcast the event from Antarctica if the weather allows. The best views will be from there, but some eclipse will be partially viewable from Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and South Africa.

The video has been posted by Engineered Arts to its YouTube channel and reveals the first look at the humanoid robot Ameca.

Developed by Engineered Arts, Ameca is the most advanced humanoid robot from the company and in a video recently posted to the Engineered Arts YouTube channel, Ameca's facial expressions have been demonstrated. Ameca can be seen slowly waking up by shrugging its shoulders and then quickly opening its eyes with a shock or surprised look on its face.

The facial expressions demonstrated here are truly mind-blowing, and I believe what has made this demonstration so impactful is Ameca's small facial movements such as a furrowed brow, blinking multiple times as if it was waking its eyes up, and looking down at its own hands as if it was inspecting what they are capable of.

SpaceX and Telsa CEO Elon Musk took to his Twitter to make a sly joke towards the US political system by suggesting an age limit be implemented.

Musk posted the Tweet early Thursday morning to his 65 million Twitter followers, where it gained a massive amount of traction on the platform, amassing 320,600+ likes. Futurism reports that Musk is taking a shot at President Joe Biden, as there has been much criticism about the President's age since he took office in early 2021. However, that claim is yet to be proven as Musk's statement is very broad and doesn't specifically mention Biden.

It appears Musk is simply making a joke about the infamous number "69", while also combining a political element. In other Musk news, reports recently revealed through an internal SpaceX email that Musk is concerned that SpaceX may face a genuine risk of bankruptcy. On the same day as the email from Musk to SpaceX staff about the bankruptcy comes to light, a leaked video of the inside of Starship surfaces as well. Check out both of those stories below.

One of the largest clothing and footwear design and manufacturers has announced it's being led into the Metaverse.

Adidas has announced that the Bored Ape Yacht Club and PUNKS Comic are now leading the company into the Metaverse, with Adidas teasing a Metaverse where people in "overlooked locations with updates values" are able to share their "most original ideas". Engadget reports that Adidas is being quite cryptic about what it's sharing with its audience about the announcement, but judging on who is involved, it can be assumed that the entry into the Metaverse will come with NFTs.

The extremely popular collection of Bored Ape NFTs that can be purchased on the Ethereum blockchain has a new entry, Adidas' "rebellious optimist" ape Indigo Herz. Adidas said that this is a "sign of what's to come", and pushes people who are interested in learning more about this announcement to download the Adidas' Confirmed app to "discover more". If you are interested in learning more about this story, or would like to download the app, check out the Adidas website here.

Researchers have identified an asteroid that is scheduled to make a relatively close approach to Earth very soon.

The asteroid is 4660 Nereus, and it measures in at a whopping 1,083 feet in diameter, which is just shy of the height of the Empire State Building. 4660 Nereus was first discovered back in 1982, and every 10 years or so, the massive asteroid flies relatively close by Earth which makes it a perfect candidate for asteroid missions. Next week on December 11, 4660, Nereus will pass by Earth at a safe distance of 2.44 million miles, which is a little over 10 times the distance between Earth and the Moon.

4660 Nereus is officially classified as a "potentially hazardous" object, as is any asteroid that passes 4.65 million miles of Earth and has a diameter larger than 500 feet. Reports indicate that the next approach 4660 Nereus makes will be the closest it has made in decades, and the next time that it will come close to Earth will be on February 14, 2060. If you are interested in reading more about asteroids, or comets, check out this link here.

More than a year ago, a company called MegaDodo revealed an ambitious VR headset project called DecaGearthat would include multiple biometric sensors to make virtual reality experiences even more immersive. After several months of silent delays, the company recently revealed that it's making a pivot because of economic factors. A former employee of the company has suggested that things could be worse than MegaDodo's leadership is letting on.

In mid-November, MegaDodo's founder, Or Kurtzman, announced that his company would shift from becoming a hardware maker to a designer that licenses hardware. Development of the DecaGear headset continues, but the company is no longer planning to manufacture it themselves. Instead, MegaDodo would work with other companies who wish to license their technology. The company said it would fulfill existing pre-orders, but it won't launch the headset as initially planned.

On Wednesday, someone claiming to be a former employee at MegaDodo posted a damning message on a Discord server, subsequently shared on Twitter. The supposed employee said that multiple people have left the company due to internal changes and "exaggerated marketing." They went on to say that you should consider requesting a refund if you placed an order.

The popular city building game, Cities Skylines, has been rebuilt for VR. Cities: VR is coming to Quest next year.

Fast Travel Games announced something special on Thursday. The veteran VR developer behind top titles like Apex Construct, The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pet, and Wraith: Oblivion - Afterlife revealed that it licensed the Cities: Skylines IP from Paradox Interactive to bring the city building genre to virtual reality. The game will debut on the Meta Quest 2 in the Spring of 2022.

"Cities: Skylines is the ultimate modern city-builder, and it's an honor to bring this franchise to VR," said Erik Odeldahl, Creative Director at Fast Travel Games. "The city-building genre has huge potential in the VR market, and we couldn't wait to work on this IP. We've spent a ton of time, research, and energy to translate Cities: Skylines to VR in a way that is both approachable for new players and a new challenge for Cities veterans. We can't wait to see what players build!"

The Meta Quest 2 is the most affordable and most convenient VR headset for consumers. The Quest 2 starts at $299, with a more expensive version available for $399. When you look at the other options on the market, nothing even comes close to those prices. Not to mention, you don't need a computer to use the Quest 2, so it's a no-brainer for newcomers to the medium.

SteamVR is Valve's distribution platform for VR content and driver system for VR hardware. Valve's headset, the Valve Index, is a costly PC-connected system, which has been on the market for over two years. The Quest 2 is a much cheaper device, and it boasts many advantages over Valve's device, not least of which is the wireless streaming feature for tether-free VR.

It's no wonder that Valve's latest Steam Survey results show that Meta's Quest 2 is still gaining traction month over month. This month's survey results show that over 36% of SteamVR users enjoy their VR content with a Quest 2 headset. Pair that with the 4% that the original Quest headset holds, and you have 40% of all SteamVR users running a Quest device.

It seems that most people aren't upgrading to Microsoft's latest version of its operating system, with less than 1% of PC users upgrading to Windows 11.

This is according to Lansweeper, an IT asset management firm, which says only 0.21% of PC users are running Windows 11. This is flying in the face of Microsoft offering Windows 11 as a free upgrade for Windows 10 users and comes days after Microsoft CEO Nadella Satya off-loaded over half of his Microsoft stock.

Lansweeper investigated data from over 10 million Windows devices in both businesses, and home users, finding that Windows 11 is the 5th most popular OS overall. Hell, there are more people using both Windows 8 (ugh) and Windows XP than there are people running Windows 11. There's 3.62% of people running Windows XP, and 0.95% running Windows 8.