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“Offensively cheap”: Solar power is looking up

Chinese-made panels on rooftops across the world are changing the facts of life for big utilities.  In the badlands of Chakwal, in north-central Pakistan, Bestway Cement is transforming plots of dry earth and olive and peach groves into a forest of solar panels. Its efforts will add 6.34 megawatts…

New corners, new lights for 2028 Volvo XC40

​The Swedish automaker gives its small SUV a sympathetic makeover.  Volvo provided flights from Washington, DC, to London, England, and accommodation so Ars could see its refreshed vehicles. Ars does not accept paid editorial content. Most cars get a midlife facelift about four years after first hitting the streets.…

I spent $4,000 on a robot dog from China

Unitree might be the world’s most important robotics company.  On a sunny morning in June, I walked to work with a quadruped robot beside me. I’ve never gotten more attention from strangers. A bunch of people snapped pictures of my robot dog. Several people asked me questions. Was it…

Random rewards enrich classic game-theory insights

Simple games gain rich strategies in the face of noise. Games may be life with all the hard bits removed, but they provide a way to study why people make the choices they make. Traditional games are usually played against a static background: the rewards per outcome are constant.…

Trump’s forced coal plant extensions thrown out by judge

The Department of Energy declared an “emergency” when none existed. The use of coal to generate electricity on the US grid has been plunging for nearly two decades, and the first Trump administration was unable to affect the trend. So his second administration has attempted more aggressive interventions to…

Scientists unlock secrets of ancient Egyptian materials with proteomics

Analysis revealed seed proteins from sesame and moringa, which held religious and symbolic significance. Credit: Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm Credit: Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm The precise composition of ancient Egyptian paints, binders, adhesives, and similar materials used to make artifacts is…