Science fiction has a way of becoming reality - Posthumous AI personas - Reed Smith LLP

Apple comedy “Brothers” takes a true rumor and makes it as real as Texas law will allow. Years ago, after mutually appreciating the good times enjoyed on Hollywood sets, Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey contemplated possibilities of a deeper bond. McConaughey’s mother, Ma Mac (Holland Taylor), mentioned a coincidental overlap during a divorce from her larger-than-life, but now deceased rodeo star husband, James Donald “Big Jim” McConaughey. During that short time, she might have known Harrelson’s father, a renowned roustabout now incarcerated with a checkered past in the intelligence community, “in the Biblical sense.” Well, hilarity ensues as tangled webs weave a practice mistaken to deceive. If this sounds like a setup from a retro television sitcom, it’s not that far off. “Brothers” follows the rhythms of classic TV icons, both Golden Age and contemporary hits. Created by Lee Eisenberg, who produced “The Office,” “Brothers” circumnavigates modern sensibilities while surfing traditional comedy waters, breaking noses rather than jumping sharks. Woody and Matthew recall the antics of Rick and Fred from “I Love Lucy,” but with highly informed wives.

More than 99% of the US population lives under light-polluted skies, according to a 2016 study published in Science Advances. With streetlights, brightly lit parking lots, arenas, and passing headlights brightening the night, it can be easy to forget how dark the sky actually is and how many stars appear when you get away from populated areas. Seeing that many stars for the first time can make you pause and remember where you truly are. You are on a rock spinning through space, surrounded by a universe filled with stars, planets, and galaxies larger than anything you can imagine. A remote mountain excursion can combine a dark sky encounter with a day of hiking and sightseeing. After sunset, bright stars emerge above the slopes and ridgelines. These American mountains lie within officially designated dark sky locations that protect natural darkness and the views of the universe it reveals. In northeastern New Mexico, Capulin Volcano sits among volcanic cones, mesas, and buttes in one of the darker areas of the lower 48 states. These landforms help shield the night sky from distant lights, while the rugged terrain has discouraged development in the area.

Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of October 18-24, 2026 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess, except for pro forma sessions, until after the midterm elections. This week has two especially interesting events — the launch of JAXA’s Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission tomorrow (Monday) afternoon EDT, and a NASA update on the Artemis program on Friday — plus many others. We’re also keeping track of the discussions on social media about the very close approach of Russia’s Kosmos 2612 to the U. S.-registered ICEYE X36 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite.

We’re sharing this article early to provide faster access to peer-reviewed, accepted research. It is citable and carries a permanent DOI. This version is subject to further edits and will be replaced automatically by the final Version of Record. All legal disclaimers apply. AbstractSodium-salt-based physical inhibitors reduce coal–oxygen interactions through moisture absorption and retention in the prevention of coal spontaneous combustion, but their wetting and spreading performance on coal surfaces can be further improved. To enhance the overall inhibition performance of sodium-salt-based inhibitors, the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was introduced to modify the sodium chloride (NaCl) inhibition system, and the optimal composite inhibitor formulation was selected through experimental characterization and comprehensive evaluation using the entropy weight method. The results showed that SDS further enhanced the moisture-regulation capacity of the NaCl system.

We’re sharing this article early to provide faster access to peer-reviewed, accepted research. It is citable and carries a permanent DOI. This version is subject to further edits and will be replaced automatically by the final Version of Record. All legal disclaimers apply. AbstractThis study presents the development of high-sensitivity real-time X-ray dosimeters based on room-temperature-vulcanized (RTV-2) silicone nanocomposites incorporating 0–60 wt% Bi2O3 nanoparticles, fabricated via solution casting. Structural and morphological characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) with elemental mapping, and elemental analysis confirmed the uniform dispersion of monoclinic Bi2O3 nanorods within the amorphous RTV-2 matrix. Complementary Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) validated the chemical integrity, thermal stability, and mechanical robustness of the resulting nanocomposites. Dosimetric performance was investigated under diagnostic-range X-ray exposure using a COMET MXR 320/26 source (dose rates: 2.8–12 mGy/min).