Overview
Tonight was about machines stepping into culture and scale. China’s humanoids stole the Spring Festival Gala, sparking fresh talk about who is winning real-world robotics. SpaceX pushed its Raptor 3 era forward with a roaring pad test. On the software side, AI is marching onto personal laptops while AI-made film trailers needle Hollywood’s old model. There were sharp notes too, from wildlife-safe roads and a record 3D print, to jobs anxiety, Grok news, a viral vandalism case, and a quiet farewell to Robert Duvall.
Kung Fu humanoids take the Spring Festival stage, and the world pays attention
Unitree’s G1 and H2 models returned to the Spring Festival Gala with a full martial arts routine, a big step up from last year’s yangko and 2024’s intro dances. The four-minute piece mixed human performers with robots doing flips, kicks and staff work. State TV beamed it to a massive audience, and the clip ricocheted across X.
Commentary framed it as more than flash. China’s push to put affordable humanoids in public view looks like a product-first strategy that matures supply chains and drives costs down. With a G1 sold around $13,500 and a cluster of Shenzhen makers in the race, the contrast with Western firms chasing sky-high valuations without shipping volume was hard to miss.
Unitree followed up with training footage and a list of world-first moves, which fuelled both awe and suspicion about what is CGI and what is not, a modern sign of progress and doubt arriving together.
SpaceX readies Starship with Raptor 3 muscle and a thunderous deluge
At Starbase, Pad 2’s upgraded water system threw up towering steam as Super Heavy Booster 19 lit 33 Raptor 3s for a static fire. The spectacle signalled lessons learned on pad survival and confidence in the latest engine. Raptor 3 is simpler, stronger, and in rapid build, with over 75 produced and triple-digit counts reported.
A throwback thread reminded viewers how far the engine has come since Raptor 1’s pipe forest. The through line is hardware that gets cleaner as performance climbs, a pattern that suits a flight cadence Starship still needs to prove.
AI on your own machine, and an AI video that trolls Hollywood budgets
A tutorial pitched local coding agents running on a laptop, moving work off rented cloud cycles and into personal stacks. The replies were keen but practical, noting heat and hardware limits, which is a fair read on where local AI stands today.
Elsewhere, a glossy AI-made trailer imagined a weekend blockbuster with A‑list likenesses, a cheeky jab at $200m studio maths. It lit up the feeds, not as a finished film, but as proof that small teams can now assemble convincing promos with consumer tools.
Fast print, rough edges: a 74‑second Benchy
A wild clip showed a Benchy spat out in 74 seconds using an eight‑nozzle radial head. It smashed typical FDM times of 20 to 60 minutes, though finish quality and structure took a hit. Makers applauded the speed record, then debated whether it helps real projects beyond shock value.
Green lasers guide deer away from Dutch roads
In the Netherlands, motion‑triggered laser lines create a pop‑up barrier on dark roads, steering wildlife back and flagging danger to drivers. Early trials point to fewer collisions, with questions left about fog, rain and long‑term upkeep.
Which jobs go first, according to Musk
Elon Musk argued that software‑centred, screen‑based roles are at higher risk in the near term than hands‑on trades. The take matches research that flags white‑collar exposure, though robotics gains could narrow that gap sooner than many expect.
Viral outrage over alleged Tesla vandalism and a lenient outcome
A post named a Minnesota official accused of keying six Teslas in 2025, showing security footage and calling out a diversion programme outcome. The replies were a chorus on double standards and accountability.
Remembering Robert Duvall, with a Musk footnote
Tributes rolled in for Robert Duvall. A clip resurfaced of Elon Musk’s brief appearance linked to Thank You for Smoking, a small crossover between tech and film during an earlier chapter of his career.
