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Is ‘AI’ reducing connection and intimacy between couples?

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Has the rise of artificial intelligence caused a rush of humans to want relationships with chatbots?

 
According to statistics, Silicon Valley investors have pumped more than $5 billion into the generative AI sector since 2022.

Some companies that found their audience reach, expand with users seeking romantic and sexual relationships with chatbots have quickly stopped that feature.

Many blue-chip venture capitalists are no longer interested in what is known as “vice industries” which include alcohol or porn—for fear that there is too much risk associated with their reputation or the reputations of their limited partners.

So has the rise of artificial intelligence reduced connection and intimacy between couples?

Brie Nightwood, an OnlyFans creator to joins us to discuss. #chatbot #adultentertainment #artificialintelligence

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SpaceX to launch final Block 2 Starship soon

SpaceX set for final Block 2 Starship launch on October 13, testing booster reusability and new heat shield advancements

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SpaceX set for final Block 2 Starship launch on October 13, testing booster reusability and new heat shield advancements

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In Short:
– SpaceX will launch its advanced Starship test flight on October 13 from Starbase in Texas.
– The flight marks the first reuse of a Super Heavy booster and includes significant heat shield upgrades.
SpaceX plans to launch its advanced Starship test flight on Monday, October 13, at 6:15 p.m. CT from its Starbase facility in South Texas.
This 11th integrated flight marks the final mission for the Block 2 configuration before transitioning to the more powerful Block 3 variant.Banner

Flight 11 is historical as it will reuse a Super Heavy booster for the first time. Booster 15 will embark on its second flight, having previously completed Flight 8 in March. The booster is equipped with 24 flight-proven Raptor engines to showcase SpaceX’s rapid reusability focus.

Instead of a tower catch, Booster 15 will perform landing tests over the Gulf of Mexico. These data-gathering exercises, which evaluate various descent angles, are vital for future missions and enhance fuel efficiency. They also inform the design of Block 3 boosters, which will be reinforced for steeper descents.

Heat Shield

Significant heat shield upgrades have been made for Flight 11 following issues exposed during the last flight’s reentry. A new “crunch wrap” technique ensures tile security and edge protection. Executive Bill Gerstenmaier detailed that tiles will be mechanically held by a robot, enhancing reliability.

The heat shield is crucial for achieving full rocket reusability, which is essential for future missions to Mars.

SpaceX targets its first uncrewed Mars missions as early as 2026, contingent upon successful technological developments.

SpaceX conducts this flight under a $2.89 billion NASA contract for the Artemis program’s Human Landing System. NASA aims to utilize Starship for lunar missions, tentatively planned for 2027. Live coverage of the mission will commence 30 minutes before liftoff on SpaceX’s platforms.


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How do Triple Zero calls actually work? A telecommunications expert explains

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Mark A Gregory, RMIT University

Making a call to triple zero (000) for a life threatening or time-critical emergency is something most of us learn how to do when we first use a phone.

But do you know how a Triple Zero call actually works?

While it might seem simple, there are many steps involved between you calling Triple Zero, and paramedics, police or firefighters arriving to help. And as the recent Optus Triple Zero outage that left multiple people dead highlights, there are also several points of potential failure.

A federal responsibility

First, some important background.

The federal government is responsible for telecommunications nationally. It has put in place legislation and regulations for the operation of Emergency Call Services – the technical term for Triple Zero.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority regulates and monitors the provision of Triple Zero under Part 8 of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999.

The first step

The very first step in the process is, of course, a person making a call to Triple Zero – or the international emergency number (112). People with a speech or hearing impairment can also use the 106 text-based service, provided by the National Relay Service.

You don’t need a sim card to call Triple Zero – nor a plan with a mobile phone company. However, you do need to be within an area with some network coverage.

Mobile phones connect to phone towers using radio waves that oscillate at a frequency within one of the spectrum bands allocated for mobile networks. The transmission equipment located on the phone tower receive the signal being carried on the radio waves and convert it into digital data. This data is then carried across the mobile phone core network via optic fibres (or sometimes microwaves or satellite) to its destination.

Sometimes your network provider – for example, Optus, Vodafone/TPG or Telstra – may have no coverage where you are, but another network provider will. If this case, you will see an “Emergency calls only” message on your phone, and your call will be sent through an alternative network. This process is known as “camp-on”.

But this process can sometimes fail, as the recent Optus outage demonstrated. It was caused by an upgrade to a key system which only affected the Triple Zero network – not the regular network. Optus’s mobile towers did not stop transmitting – or, in technical terms “wilt”. This prevented Optus phones from connecting to the Telstra or Vodafone mobile networks to make Triple Zero calls.

This was similar to another Optus Triple Zero outage – one that thankfully didn’t have fatal consequences – that occurred in November 2023 that resulted in a national outage of the entire Optus network.

But if you find yourself within the 5 million square kilometres of Australia currently without any mobile coverage at all, you will not be able to make a Triple Zero call.

A flow chart showing the steps in the Triple Zero ecosystem.
While it might seem simple, there are many steps involved between you calling Triple Zero, and paramedics, police or firefighters arriving to help.
The Conversation, CC BY

What happens next?

The Triple Zero call (provided it goes through) then goes to the nominated emergency call service operator in Australia – currently Telstra. It is responsible for the system that connects calls from the telecommunication carrier networks to the state and territory emergency service organisations.

To fulfil this responsibility, Telstra has Triple Zero emergency service call centres located around Australia.

After answering the Triple Zero call, a call centre operator will ask the caller about the emergency at hand, then transfer them to the relevant emergency service organisation, such as the ambulance, fire or police.

Trained personnel will then handle the call and dispatch an emergency response team.

How is Triple Zero going to improve?

A review of the November 2023 Optus national outage identified the need for a Triple Zero custodian. The custodian would be responsible for overseeing the efficient functioning of the Triple Zero ecosystem, including monitoring the end-to-end performance of the ecosystem.

Earlier this week, the federal government introduced legislation to parliament to enshrine the powers of the custodian into law. Under this legislation, the custodian will be able to demand information from telecommunications companies such as Optus. This will enable it to not only monitor Triple Zero performance, but also identify risks and respond more quickly to outages.

Direct-to-device mobile technology is also currently being developed which will enable calls to Triple Zero that are connected through Low Earth Orbit satellites. This will be a major improvement to safety nationwide – particularly for people living in regional and remote areas, and during emergencies such as fires and floods.

Earlier this year, an amendment to the Telecommunications Act 1997 passed Parliament that enhances consumer safeguards. These safeguards include strengthening mobile network operator obligations.

Last month the federal government also released draft legislation for a universal outdoor mobile obligation. This would require mobile operators to provide reasonable and equitable access to outdoor mobile coverage across Australia.

So hopefully in the next couple of years, Australians should be able to make calls to Triple Zero – no matter where they find themselves.The Conversation

Mark A Gregory, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Global space investment reaches record $3.5 billion

Global space investment reaches record $3.5 billion in Q3 2025, nearly doubling from last year due to market diversification

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Global space investment reaches record $3.5 billion in Q3 2025, nearly doubling from last year due to market diversification

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In Short:
– Global space investment reached $3.5 billion in Q3 2025, nearly twice last year’s figure.
– Increased government spending and diverse startups are driving growth in the space sector.
Global space investment reached an unprecedented $3.5 billion in the third quarter of 2025, nearly double from $1.79 billion during the same period last year, as per a report by Seraphim Space.
The dramatic increase highlights a more diverse funding landscape where investments are distributed among a wider array of startups.”Historically, most of the capital in the sector was concentrated in just a couple of players, SpaceX and OneWeb,” stated Lucas Bishop, an investment associate at Seraphim Space.

“Now, we see a far more diverse set of investable companies, indicating space has evolved into a broader market.”

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The substantial growth in space investment is largely driven by heightened government spending to support domestic space initiatives in the United States, China, and Europe.

Defence expenditure has become the leading investment catalyst, with the U.S. Space Force projected to receive $40 billion for fiscal year 2026.

Major Funding

China’s Galactic Energy secured the largest funding round, attracting $336 million in September for its Pallas series of reusable launchers.

In the U.S., defence technology firms such as Hadrian, Apex, and Hermeus were at the forefront of major investments.

Public space enterprises have also witnessed significant growth, with Rocket Lab and Planet Labs more than doubling in value.

AST SpaceMobile’s stock surged 306% in 2025, boosted by partnerships with major telecom operators like Verizon and AT&T.

Momentum is expected to persist into 2026 as satellite networks expand, and government procurement increases, paving the way for dual-use technologies in civilian and defence sectors.


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