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An interstellar object called 3I/ATLAS is passing through our solar system this year, NASA announced yesterday. Today at 6 p.m. ET, you can see it for yourself, thanks to a livestream from the Virtual Telescope Project. 3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar object ever detected within our solar system, following Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. These objects moved quickly through our solar system, giving astronomers limited time to study themjust two weeks in Oumuamuas case. However, scientists currently expect 3I/ATLAS to continue getting brighter and more visible until September 2025, giving astronomers and interested nonscientists more chances to see it themselves. This is a tremendous step forward and a tremendous opportunity, says Teddy Kareta, a postdoctoral researcher at Lowell Observatory in Arizona and press officer at the American Astronomical Societys division for planetary science, tells Fast Company. And if the public is excited about it, the astronomers are twice as excited. It’s a really big deal. ‘The building blocks of planets’ The object was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). One of the observatories affiliated with this NASA-funded system, El Sauce Observatory in Chile, first spotted it in photos taken July 1. So far, astronomers think its a comet, an icy body that appears to have a tail due to gas and dust trailing behind it. Comet movements are largely predictable, and NASA is confident the object is merely passing by us. The comet poses no threat to Earth and will remain at a distance of at least 1.6 astronomical units (about 150 million miles or 240 million kilometers), NASA wrote in a statement about the objects discovery. Scientists study interstellar objects the same way they study the comets and asteroids that form closer to home, asking what the objects are made of and how they formed. But for interstellar objects, the answers to these questions yield answers about what the universe is like outside our solar system, ultimately giving us a better idea of whether our solar system is rare in some way and if intelligent life on Earth is alone in the universe. These [interstellar objects] are the building blocks of planets from other planetary systems, Kareta says. That lets us ask really fundamental questions about why our solar system looks the way it does. How and when to see the object as it zips by Beyond the philosophical questions this object lets us ask, it is also an opportunity to see something truly out of this world. The Virtual Telescope Projects livestream will show imagery from telescopes in Italy starting at 6 p.m. ET today (Thursday, July 3). You can watch from the VTP’s website or on YouTube. And even if you miss the livestream, it wont be your last chance to see the object. Scientists predict even amateur astronomers might be able to see the object with their telescopes as the object gets closer to the sun and brighter. It might require you getting up early or staying up late, Kareta says. But youre seeing light reflected off of something that formed around another star . . . What a wild experience. Because these objects are so rarely detected and such a recent area of study, astronomers from different disciplinessuch as those who study exoplanets and those who study comets or asteroidscome together to study them. Thats where the best and most interesting science gets done and when you can push the envelope in a way that doesnt just matter to me and my research group, but to tons of people across the world, Kareta says.
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E-Commerce
The $297 collectors edition of Grace Given has shimmering gilded edges, a simulated white antique leather cover, lush full-color illustrations on heavy coated stock, and a flocked slipcase with extensive gold-foil detailing. Such elaborate, ornate bookmaking is the purview of a handful of passionate and obsessive publishersmost notably among them The Folio Society. But whereas The Folio Society is known for its luxe editions of classic and contemporary works, Grace Given is, against all odds, about a video game. Of course, its not just about any video game: its about the mythology of Elden Ring, FromSoftwares 2022 Game of the Year winner. The game just crossed the $30 million mark in sales, putting it in the company of Call of Duty titles, Super Mario Odyssey, and Diablo III. [Photo: Tune & Fairweather] Video game books tend to be flimsy, mass-produced affairs. But publisher Jason Killingsworth believes in the staying power of FromSoftwares cult-fave games, which launched the Soulsborne genre with titles like Demons Souls, Bloodborne and the Dark Souls series. So the Dublin-based creative launched a publishing company, Tune & Fairweather, that celebrates their rich worldsand the obsessive fan bases they command. Five years in, he says the enterprise has crossed the 10 million ($11.7 million USD) mark, and made around 3.5 million ($4.1 million USD) last year alone. In the process, Tune & Fairweathers books are perhaps doing something else via their elaborate form factors: elevating the art form of video games at large. And the runaway success of Elden Ring gave them an opportunity to take it all to an unprecedented level, creating perhaps the most opulent video game book ever made. You’re hoping for that project thats just going to let you throw everything you’ve ever learned [at something], use every tool in the toolbeltand Grace Given just seemed like the perfect project to take that kitchen-sink approach, Killingsworth says. [Photo: Tune & Fairweather] LEVELING UP Killingsworth was born in Ireland to Christian missionaries, but found himself drawn to the demons of scripture over the angels; he just saw them as more textured and interesting. He also loved role-playing video games, so after working as an editor at Paste in its heyday (where he launched its video game coverage), he got a gig at the U.K.-based game magazine Edge, where he discovered Demons Souls. He was entranced by FromSoftwares strange immersive worlds where every detail felt considered and intentional, and went further down the rabbit holeeventually writing a book about Dark Souls in 2016 with video game journalist Keza MacDonald, dubbed You Died. Named after the screen that pops up in the notoriously difficult Soulsborne titles when you, well, die (a lot), the book explored the game from a variety of angles, from its creation to the psychology behind its popularity to its fandom (which includes director Alex Garland). The thing was, the book was released by a small publisher, and I had been cajoling and sort of begging them to do this really exalted fetish object of a book that I knew that Souls fans would revel inand it just wasn’t what they wanted to make, Killingsworth says. So they released the book at a low price (and the production specs to match), and that was that. Until it wasnt, when Killingsworth bought the hardcover rights to the project. There was this unfinished quest line with You Died, where there was an ideal version of that book in my mind that hadn’t been created, and it was still sitting in there like a little splinter, he says. He formally launched Tune & Fairweather in 2019 when he announced a Kickstarter campaign for an updated, expanded, and, most importantly, richly produced volume, from the art to the paper stock and the hardcover bindings (one tier even involved an etched pine coffin box for the book at $347). [Photo: Tune & Fairweather] Because of their high level of difficulty, FromSoftware games can be a punishing experience for casual gamers who are not expecting to die dozens upon dozens of times before learning the right moves to conquer a given foe. As such, they are polarizingand they yield either enraged naysayers, or rabid obsessives. Would the latter be willing to support the ultimate book tie-in, not to mention the price it would command? I had a really strong, strong hunch, Killingsworth says. Gaming is, after all, a largely intangible experienceand when you have a physical object that deepens that experience, not unlike music fandom and a vinyl record box set, you might have exactly what a devoted fan would want. And Killingsworth would know. Its what he wanted. I just knew that video game fans were some of the most collector-minded audiences on the planet, he says. Moreover, with Kickstarter, there really was no risk in probing the concept (save embarrassment, he notes with a laugh). It went on to provide compelling proof of concept when it made 126,346 on a 50,000 goal. But the true watrshed moment came when Tune & Fairweather Kickstarted Soul Arts in 2021, a book featuring a range of work from YouTuber Michael VaatiVidya Samuels Soulsborne fan art competitions. It was funded in one hour, and made $2.15 million on a $58,880 goal. At the time, Killingsworth had been laid off from Riot Games, where he had been working, and was coasting on (the last of) his severance. The Kickstarter came at a critical moment: It really was those first minutes of the Soul Arts campaign where I had the realization that I was going to be able to do Tune & Fairweather full-time, he says. (Curious about the IP legalities of all this? Killingsworth notes that FromSoftware doesnt interfere, and similar to fans who make YouTube videos about the companys games, Tune & Fairweather is essentially doing the same thing in print, providing original analysis and art.) [Photo: Tune & Fairweather] A DESIGN FREE-FOR-ALL The publisher has since scaled up to making three to four books a year, and moved from Kickstarter to an internal sales system. Its worth noting that not all of its output is Soulsborne books. While those remain Tune & Fairweathers bread and butter, they allow Killingsworth the space to explore other projects, like this years typographic/visual novel Process. Its most ambitious book so far is Grace Given: The Mythology of Elden Ring. When it came to the production, Killingsworth drew inspiration from a few critical placesnotably Italy, where all of Tune & Fairweathers books are printed. When he ventures over for each production run, he tacks on a few days for explorationand that can be immediately seen on the cover, which was designed by Elliott Wells (whose double gatefold also dominates the middle of the book). The debossed demigod faces that frame the cover echo, say, the carvings in the Golden Staircase of the Doge’s Palace in Venice. The weathered marble throughout Italy finds its way into the faux antique white leather, and the gilded edges are synonymous with so much ornamentation in the country. Another key influence is the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, and its permanent Arts of the Book exhibit featuring elaborate tomes of the ancient world, where Killingsworth often finds inspiration, as in the case of the overall color palette or the fabric spine labels that made their way to Grace Given. Ultimately, We used almost every design technique that you could think of, Killingsworth says. It was just an absolute free-for-all. It was so fun and so indulgent. The book showcases more than 20 illustrations by the popular artist Shimhaq and more than 100 spot illustrations by MenasLGboth regarded for their takes on the genre. The core text detailing Elden Rings mythology, meanwhile, comes from Geoff SmoughTown Truscott, who maintains a popular YouTube channel where he explores game lore. [Photo: Tune & Fairweather] Tune & Fairweather printed 5,000 copies of the collectors edition, which have been shipping, and Killingsworth says theyre nearly sold out. While the collectors edition is limited to just one run, a $144 deluxe edition with downgraded (but still impressive) specs is on its way in the coming months, as is a $42 softcover. Like the games that Killingsworth documents, the high-tier pricing can polarizeand he has weathered his share of commenters online who arent thrilled about it. It’s just such an expensive enterprise. Never mind the price of the materials and the production costs, which themselves are eye-watering, he says. I just made a conscious decision that even if there was some blowback, I felt like I had built up enough trust with our audience where I could say, ‘Trust me. I will make this worth your while.’ And hey, when it comes to that price tag, if theres one group thats used to really grinding for what they want, its a Souls fan.
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E-Commerce
President Donald Trump’s tax-cut package cleared its final hurdle in the U.S. Congress on Thursday, as the Republican-controlled House of Representatives narrowly approved the massive bill and sent it to him to sign into law. The 218-214 vote amounts to a significant victory for the Republican president that will fund his immigration crackdown, make his 2017 tax cuts permanent and deliver new tax breaks that he promised during his 2024 campaign. It also cuts health and food safety net programs and zeroes out dozens of green energy incentives. It would add $3.4 trillion to the nation’s $36.2 trillion debt, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Despite concerns over the 869-page bill’s price tag and its hit to healthcare programs, Republicans largely lined up in support, with only two of the House’s 220 Republicans voting against it. The bill has already cleared the Republican-controlled Senate by the narrowest possible margin. Republicans said the legislation will lower taxes for Americans across the income spectrum and spur economic growth. Republican Representative Virginia Foxx of North Carolina described the bill as bringing “Historic tax relief for working families. Massive investment to secure our nation’s borders. Capturing generational savings. Slashing waste, fraud and abuse in government programs so that they may run more efficiently.” Every Democrat in Congress voted against it, blasting the bill as a giveaway to the wealthy that would leave millions uninsured. “The focus of this bill, the justification for all of the cuts that will hurt everyday Americans, is to provide massive tax breaks for billionaires,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in an eight-hour, 46-minute speech that was the longest in the chamber’s history. Trump kept up the pressure throughout, cajoling and threatening lawmakers as he pressed them to send him the legislation by the July 4 Independence Day holiday. “FOR REPUBLICANS, THIS SHOULD BE AN EASY YES VOTE. RIDICULOUS!!!” he wrote on social media. Marathon weekend Republicans raced to meet that deadline, working through last weekend and holding all-night debates in the House and the Senate. The bill passed the Senate on Tuesday in 51-50 vote in that saw Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaking vote. According to the CBO, the bill would lower tax revenues by $4.5 trillion over 10 years and cut spending by $1.1 trillion. Those spending cuts largely come from Medicaid, the health program that covers 71 million low-income Americans. The bill would tighten enrollment standards, institute a work requirement and clamp down on a funding mechanism used by states to boost federal payments – changes that would leave nearly 12 million people uninsured, according to the CBO. Republicans added $50 billion for rural health providers to address concerns that those cutbacks would force them out of business. Nonpartisan analysts have found that the wealthiest Americans would see the biggest benefits from the bill, while lower-income people would effectively see their incomes drop as the safety-net cuts would outweigh their tax cuts. The increased debt load created by the bill would also effectively transfer money from younger to older generations, analysts say. Ratings firm Moody’s downgraded US debt in May, citing the mounting debt, and some foreign investors say the bill is making US Treasury bonds less attractive. On the other side of the ledger, the bill staves off tax increases that were due to hit most Americans at the end of this year, when Trump’s 2017 individual and business tax cuts were due to expire. Those cuts are now made permanent, while tax breaks for parents and businesses are expanded. The bill also sets up new tax breaks for tipped income, overtime pay, seniors and auto loans, fulfilling Trump campaign promises. The final version of the bill includes more substantial tax cuts and more aggressive healthcare cuts than an initial version that passed the House in May. During deliberations in the Senate, Republicans also dropped a provision that would have banned state-level regulations on artificial intelligence, and a “retaliatory tax” on foreign investment that had spurred alarm on Wall Street. Bo Erickson, Richard Cowan, and David Morgan, Reuters Writing by Andy Sullivan.
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