After five years in development, Free Stars: Children of Infinity—the official sequel to The Ur-Quan Masters by the old game's original creators—has released a free public demo. It's a "combat demo" in the style of UQM’s melee mode, where players can assemble a fleet from the game's roster of nearly 40 ships, then match those ships up in head-to-head arcade SpaceWar-style action. The demo can be found on Steam and GOG, and it's available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. (Console versions are coming, but they're not yet out.)
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I have to present this news with a big disclaimer, though, because I've been part of the Children of Infinity writing team since 2021, working as a volunteer with the Pistol Shrimp Games crew and contributing NPC dialogue and some story bits. As a huge fan of the original games, it's been a dream opportunity. (Because I've been volunteering my time, I'm not financially involved and receive no compensation if you download the demo or, when it's eventually released, buy the full game.)
What's in the demo
Children of Infinity is a space adventure RPG, just like The Ur-Quan Masters (and its direct spiritual predecessors, Starflightand Starflight 2). What's been released today is just one part of the game—the arcade-style "melee" portion, which lets players jump into one-versus-one combat against another player or against a computer-controlled opponent. Each of the ships you can pick has its own maneuvering characteristics, weapons, and special abilities.
An international research team has announced the first-ever successful observation of gravity’s effect on a falling quantum object, demonstrating a connection between gravity and the quantum world first predicted by Albert Einstein.
The research team said the result does not unify quantum mechanics and gravity, nor does it prove that gravity is a quantum phenomenon.
However, the researchers said their study offers experimental support that Einstein’s equivalence principle, a fundamental concept at the heart of the famed scientist’s theory of gravity, remains consistent with matter in the quantum world.
Unifying Einstein’s Theory of Gravity with Quantum Mechanics
When physicists want to describe nature, they rely on two distinct sets of rules. Einstein’s theory of gravity explains the mechanics of large-scale phenomena like stars and galaxies. Conversely, quantum mechanics helps scientists characterize the behavior of extremely small objects. Still, finding a scientific bridge uniting the two sets of rules has proven elusive.
“These two pillars of modern physics have so far eluded all attempts at a unified theoretical framework,” explained Professor Ron Folman from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the lead author of the new study.
Einstein did, however, identify one mechanism where the two worlds meet. Called the equivalence principle, the concept says that gravity should effectively disappear for an observer in free fall. For example, NASA simulates zero-gravity environments by flying astronauts in a plane, making successive rising and falling parabolic arcs. During the short periods of falling, the astronauts briefly experience ‘weightlessness” due to the equivalence principle.
Above: The 2D MOT apparatus which feeds the science chamber with cold atoms. At the centre is a glass cell held under vacuum between coils producing magnetic fields. The atoms go into the science chamber through the tiny hole that may be seen in the centre of the yellow (reflecting) surface (Image Credit: Or Dobkowski).
Curious if the same phenomena would apply to the quantum world, the research team, which included Nobel Prize-winning physicist Professor Sir Roger Penrose, designed experiments. According to a statement announcing the research, the team hoped their setup would allow them to measure a “distinctive change in the quantum properties of atoms as they fell under gravity.”
Experiments Show Gravitational Pull Affecting Quantum Objects
To search for gravity’s effect in the quantum world, the researchers created clouds of rubidium atoms cooled to just above absolute zero. The researchers used a specially designed atom chip that allowed the team to manipulate the ultracold rubidium atoms.
Next, PhD student Or Dobkowski and colleagues used microwave pulses to place the atoms in quantum superposition. This unique quantum state lets each atom travel down two paths at once.
Using tiny electrical wires embedded on the specialized chip, the researchers generated tunable magnetic fields. The researchers said the field’s precision tunability allowed them to apply an upward force to one half of the atomic wave. For this experiment, the team created a magnetic field at the precise strength needed to counter gravity, effectively holding that half of the wave stationary relative to Earth.
After suspending the first half of the wave, the team used a magnetic pulse to lift the second part. Then, the team switched to a state almost unaffected by the magnetic field, allowing it to fall under gravity.
Once the second half completed its fall, the team used magnetic fields to reunite the two halves. When reunited, the two halves of the atomic wave interfered with each other. The researchers said that interaction allowed them to “measure the tiny difference in quantum phase accumulated while one was falling and the other was held still.”
“The phase measured in the new experiment is the same as the one predicted when Einstein’s principle is applied to such a quantum wave,” they explained.
“One of the Most Fundamental Questions in Physics”
When discussing the results, the research team said their result should not be construed as proof that gravity is quantum. The results also do not unite gravity and quantum mechanics. However, Folman noted, “this complex experiment gives more hints as to how such a unification may be achieved.”
Study co-author Professor Vlatko Vedral from the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics agreed, while also noting that their experimental results successfully demonstrated Einstein’s equivalence principle’s consistency with quantum mechanics, which alone provides an experimental connection between quantum physics and Einstein’s theory of gravity.
“This experiment pushes quantum mechanics into one of its most intriguing frontiers, gravity, and shows that, once again, its predictions hold,” Professor Vedral explained.
The professor also noted the experiment’s combination of hard experimental data with “a far-reaching theoretical interpretation, about one of the most fundamental questions in physics: How can gravity (described by Einstein’s theory of relativity) and quantum theory be unified into one understanding of the universe?”
Christopher Plain has spent the last six years as Associate News Editor and Head Science Reporter at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his novels at plainfiction.com, or email him at christopher@thedebrief.org.
The integration of Apple Maps in Ford’s future electric vehicle platform generates discussions of the auto industry picking and choosing technology. The MacVoices Live! panel also examines security risks involving Claude Cowork and exposed shared chats, OpenAI’s dispute with Hugging Face, and the hazards of autonomous AI tools. If that wasn’t enough, selfie-based account recovery puts a new spin on the facial recognition.The panel includes: Chuck Joiner, Web Bixby, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, David Ginsburg, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Jim Rea, Jeff Gamet, and Mark Fuccio.
Do smart glasses need video recording to be relevant? The MacVoices Live! panel debate the importance of privacy, accessibility, navigation, object recognition, captions, and visual assistance as measures of usefulness. They examine the stigma created by existing smart glasses, the difference between processing and storing images and the public expectations around recording, detection apps, and […]
L’été 2026 est l’été de tous les records. Derrière ces chiffres, un bilan humain lourd et une menace largement sous-estimée, selon des chercheurs. Celle de températures qui pourraient devenir invivables pour toute une tranche de la population.
The global expansion of chicken farming has created conditions that allow Campylobacter to spread, mix and adapt more readily. Commercial poultry farms now hold billions of chickens, creating a vast habitat where bacteria can move, mix and adapt. An analysis from the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research at the University of Oxford found that [...]
Talk of the affordability crisis may be penetrating corporate boardrooms. Hot on the heels of the name and starting price for Ford's new affordable electric truck, news leaked today that the sub-$30,000 Fathom isn't the only cheap Ford in the works. According to a report at Automotive News, the automaker is working on a new entry-level crossover that will start at around $25,000, although don't expect it in showrooms until 2029.
The leak is courtesy of an unnamed Ford dealer, which, together with its peers, was shown an early prototype described as resembling a first-gen Ford Escape. The crossover is said to have both hybrid and unelectrified powertrain options, and Automotive News notes that several sources have told it that Ford will assemble a hybrid crossover at its Hermosillo plant in Mexico in 2029, alongside the Bronco Sport and Maverick.
Additionally, Ford apparently showed off a four-door Mustang, which Automotive News compares to the Porsche Panamera in terms of size and styling, albeit with a sub-$40,000 price tag (making it almost a third the price of the cheapest Panamera). And a third nugget of news—the universal electric vehicle platform that will build the Fathom will result in four other electric Ford models as well.
Apple TV rarely cracks Nielsen’s national streaming charts, but hit series “Shrinking” has done just that in the first half of 2026. The dramedy, from Ted Lasso co-creator Bill Lawrence, ranks as the platform’s top performer so far this year, according to Nielsen’s Streaming Landscape 2026 report covering December 29, 2025, through June 28, 2026.
“Shrinking” landed at No. 20 among original series with 5.246 billion minutes viewed across its 33 available episodes. That figure edges it past other titles in the low-5-billion range and makes it Apple TV’s sole entry — and therefore its most-watched original — in Nielsen’s top 20 originals list.
The numbers reflect both the ongoing pull of earlier seasons and the impact of Season 3, which premiered in late January 2026 and concluded in early April. Starring Jason Segel as a grieving therapist who abandons professional boundaries, alongside Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, and Christa Miller, the series blends sharp comedy with emotional depth. Its consistent critical praise and steady audience loyalty have kept it a reliable performer on a service better known for prestige hits than mass-market volume.
Nielsen data underscores how difficult it is for Apple TV titles to reach these rankings. Netflix dominated the originals chart, claiming 11 of the top 20 spots led by “Stranger” Things (23.261 billion minutes). HBO Max’s “The Pitt” took second with 21.118 billion, followed by other heavyweights such as “Bridgerton,” “Landman,” and “The Lincoln Lawyer.” Apple TV’s appearance at the bottom of the list is notable precisely because the service’s subscriber base and viewing patterns have historically kept most of its originals below the national radar that Nielsen captures through television-connected devices.
The achievement arrives as Apple TV continues building its slate of character-driven series. “Shrinking” has already been renewed for a fourth season, with creators signaling a possible time jump that could refresh the story while retaining the core ensemble. Meanwhile, the return of “Ted Lasso” for its own new season offers another high-profile opportunity for the platform to convert critical favorites into broader viewing momentum.
MacDailyNews Take: For a service that prioritizes quality over sheer quantity of hours, cracking the Nielsen originals Top 20 represents a meaningful achievement. 5.2 billion minutes for “Shrinking” demonstrate that thoughtful, well-acted storytelling can still cut through in a fragmented streaming landscape, giving Apple TV a clear mid-year leader and a foundation to build on as the second half of 2026 unfolds.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
A Apple anunciou hoje uma parceria com a Ford para que o Apple Maps seja integrado à Universal Electric Vehicle Platform (UEV) da montadora até 2027, por meio do seu kit de desenvolvimento MapKit for Automotive.
A Maçã ainda afirmou que as informações cartográficas em nível de via serão utilizadas pela equipe Latitude AI da Ford para desenvolver um sistema de condução hands-free.
Com o novo SDK 1Software development kit, ou kit de desenvolvimento de software., a plataforma UEV da Ford permitirá navegação curva a curva a partir de instruções em linguagem natural, informações de trânsito e incidentes em tempo real, busca intuitiva com cartões detalhados de locais e opções de rotas inteligentes.
A Ford deverá utilizar os dados viários dos Mapas da Apple para aprimorar a próxima geração do BlueCruise, seu sistema de condução sem as mãos para rodovias. A experiência da plataforma UEV poderá se assemelhar à dos Mapas no CarPlay, oferecendo um roteamento inteligente para elétricos e pré-condicionamento de bateria — nesse caso, integrados diretamente ao sistema de navegação do veículo.
O CEO 2Chief executive officer, ou diretor executivo. da Ford, Jim Farley, comentou a parceria:
Nossos novos carros de porte médio terão um preço por volta de US$30.000 e redefinirão o que a tecnologia avançada pode ser — simples, útil e realmente acessível para mais consumidores. […] Nós temos o orgulho de incorporar a navegação e a tecnologia de navegação de mapas do Apple Maps diretamente na nossa Universal Electric Vehicle Platform, dando aos consumidores uma experiência definitiva de navegação junto com o nosso app da Ford, uma suíte completa de software e a próxima geração do BlueCruise, tudo habilitado para uma nova arquitetura zonal. O Apple Maps entregou um produto de classe mundial, e estamos honrados em ser um dos primeiros a incorporá-lo diretamente em um veículo, ajudando a definir uma condução mais intuitiva e capaz.
Para os proprietários de carros da Ford, a Apple confirmou a continuidade do suporte ao CarPlay, embora a colaboração permita que até mesmo quem não utiliza um iPhone possua os Mapas da Apple com todos os seus recursos. Com o kit de desenvolvimento MapKit for Automotive, a expectativa da Apple é que mais montadoras incorporem os Mapas aos seus próprios sistemas.
Notas de rodapé
1
Software development kit, ou kit de desenvolvimento de software.
Stored sperm may age faster than reproductive medicine has assumed, suggesting that shorter abstinence periods could benefit fertility outcomes. For decades, men undergoing fertility testing or treatment have often been advised to abstain from ejaculation for several days beforehand, based on the assumption that longer storage allows sperm counts to build up. But a major [...]
The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies is one of the world's most respected institutions in energy economics. But its ideological commitment to the 'climate emergency' is now damaging its research, says Dr Tilak Doshi.
Scientists identified an autoimmune mechanism linked to a major IBD risk gene, opening the door to targeted diagnosis and personalized therapies for thousands of patients. For decades, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been treated as a single disorder, even though patients often experience dramatically different symptoms, disease courses, and responses to therapy. A new study [...]
Stonehenge est indéniablement le monument néolithique le plus célèbre du monde. Et une découverte inattendue à quelques kilomètres de là pourrait révolutionner notre compréhension de ses origines.
Oxford physicists have created an unconventional class of quantum superpositions from highly nonclassical states. Researchers at the University of Oxford have created a new class of quantum superpositions, including Schrödinger’s cat-like states, using building blocks that are themselves strongly nonclassical. The advance could support future quantum computing architectures based on more complex systems than conventional [...]
The pro-trans activists who gate-crashed an Oxford lecturer this week were only the latest to broadcast their ignorance. But is it any surprise when they're the product of a British education, says Guy de la Bédoyère.
A University of Oxford professor has cancelled a series of lectures discussing gender law after pro-trans activists interrupted the first two talks and hurled abuse at him.
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