Overview
Today reads like a snapshot of 2026 taking shape, with robotaxis edging into the real world, rockets getting cheaper and tougher, AI creeping into classrooms and editing suites, and creators fighting for craft and focus. Space policy sharpened, platforms flexed their reach, and a simple maths animation reminded us how pure ideas still travel.
The big picture
SpaceX’s Raptor 3, a quieter revolution in rocket costs
Raptor 3 hot-fire clips and specs point to higher thrust, fewer parts, and large mass savings per Starship, a recipe for cheaper launches and faster build cycles.
NASA’s new boss sets a punchy space agenda
Jared Isaacman laid out priorities, from a Moon return with a lasting presence to nuclear power work and a stronger orbital economy, matching White House aims.
Mars 2056, imagined
Rui Huang’s short CGI shows domed cities and busy skies on a terraformed Mars, sparking debate about radiation and whether early bases must start underground.
AI makes a rocket launch, then grades itself
A side-by-side contest of code-generating models builds HTML/CSS/JS launch animations, with big differences in realism and detail.
CyberCab on Austin streets
A gold Tesla CyberCab prototype was filmed driving in Austin with a steering wheel and mirrors for safety, a sign testing is broadening before planned robotaxi service.
Tesla hiring tracks the autonomy push
Tesla’s careers video highlights CyberCab tests, Optimus work, crash labs, and cell lines, alongside new job sections for Robotaxi, Optimus, and FSD Supervised.
Stop sealing what a casting can remove
A factory clip of sealant robots tees up Musk’s line about not optimising steps that should vanish, pointing to Gigacasting’s time and space savings, with trade-offs on repairs.
Google’s “Learn Your Way” turns PDFs into lessons
LearnLM reshapes content into five formats and raised retention in a small trial, from interactive text to quizzes, now queued on Google Labs.
AI cats run a celebrity spa
InVideo’s demo mixes prompt-driven scene design with motion control for playful, polished shots, offered free for now to grow usage.
“No generative AI used” enters the credits
A Blender-made clip wears a no-AI label like a badge, mirroring film’s old “no CGI” claims and a new debate about process versus results.
Grok tops the OpenRouter board
xAI’s model climbed to first place across categories, stirring fresh rivalry talk and showing how leaderboards steer mindshare.
Print the joint, skip the assembly
ABENICS spherical gears show how 3D-printed robot joints can cut weight and part count, pushing flexible motion into cheaper builds.
Musk amplifies a voter ID street interview
Residents in East Harlem say voter ID is routine, dovetailing with Musk’s long-running support for such laws and fresh policy moves.
X tops news app charts
Community accounts cheer X’s surge to the number one news slot in many countries, with a promo clip framing it as the place for live updates.
A terminal Instagram to slow your scroll
“Instagram CLI” pipes your feed into ASCII, adding friction that might tame the urge to keep going. Replies are split between praise and wry acceptance.
Craft, obsession, and a cardboard box
An indie dev shows a painstaking 3D prop that appears for half a minute in Super VHS, a love letter to Red Letter Media and to making things the hard way.
Maths that dances
#Mathexplained v14 animates Lissajous curves from simple frequency ratios, turning old lab physics into a crisp visual lesson.
Founders’ folklore, retold
A clip revisits Alex Karp saying yes to Peter Thiel, the origin story of Palantir, used here as career advice with a wink.
Why it matters
Lower-cost engines, a clearer NASA plan, and a public hungry for space stories point to busier launch pads, more lunar work, and bolder Mars timelines. If Raptor 3’s cost and durability gains hold, cadence follows.
Robotaxis are inching from hype to street tests. The Austin sightings, plus hiring for Robotaxi and FSD, signal a year where regulators, insurers, and cities will set the pace as much as code and hardware.
AI is flooding media and education, which is why we now see “no AI” disclaimers alongside personalisation in classrooms. The tension is healthy. Expect new norms for credits, accuracy checks, and fair use.
Printed mechanics like ABENICS and casting-first car design suggest a production trend, where removing steps beats polishing them. That logic frees time, floorspace, and capital, though it can raise repair costs.
Platforms keep pulling policy into the feed. Musk’s voter ID post and X’s download run show how narrative, news, and action now mix in real time. Creators, students, and engineers are building in that same stream, which is why small, sharp ideas - from ASCII Instagram to a 30-second prop or a looping curve - still cut through.
