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Doomsday Devices & Ontological Weaponry

From nuclear nightmares to reality-breaking weapons, we examine how science and fiction imagine the end of everything. What happens when weapons don’t just destroy worlds but unmake reality itself? Explore the science of apocalypse.

Checkout Scav: https://go.nebula.tv/scav?ref=isaacar… Watch my exclusive video Autonomous Space Industry: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur–… Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur Support us on Patreon: / isaacarthur Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-a… Facebook Group: / 1,583,992,725,237,264 Reddit: / isaacarthur Twitter: / isaac_a_arthur on Twitter and RT our future content. SFIA Discord Server: / discord Credits: Doomsday Devices & Ontological Weaponry Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur Editor: Lukas Konecny Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images Music by Epidemic Sound: http://nebula.tv/epidemic & Stellardrone Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:30 Classical Doomsday Devices 5:57 Cosmic-Scale Doomsday Devices 11:30 Ontological Weaponry – Breaking Reality 12:23 The Erasers of History 16:06 Weapons of Physics Editing 17:55 Mind and Meaning as Targets 20:06 Scavenger Hunt 21:30 Themes and Consequences 22:55 Practical Considerations & Paradoxes 24:07 Doomsday Devices vs. Ontological Weapons 26:48 The Fermi Paradox & Ultimate Destruction.
Watch my exclusive video Autonomous Space Industry: https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur–…
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur.

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net.
Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur.
Support us on Patreon: / isaacarthur.
Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-a…
Facebook Group: / 1583992725237264
Reddit: / isaacarthur.
Twitter: / isaac_a_arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: / discord.
Credits:
Doomsday Devices & Ontological Weaponry.
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur.
Editor: Lukas Konecny.
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images.
Music by Epidemic Sound: http://nebula.tv/epidemic & Stellardrone.

Chapters.
0:00 Intro.
1:30 Classical Doomsday Devices.
5:57 Cosmic-Scale Doomsday Devices.
11:30 Ontological Weaponry – Breaking Reality.
12:23 The Erasers of History.
16:06 Weapons of Physics Editing.
17:55 Mind and Meaning as Targets.
20:06 Scavenger Hunt.
21:30 Themes and Consequences.
22:55 Practical Considerations & Paradoxes.
24:07 Doomsday Devices vs. Ontological Weapons.
26:48 The Fermi Paradox & Ultimate Destruction.

Scientists discover chameleon’s telephone-cord-like optic nerves once overlooked by Aristotle and Newton

Chameleons’ wandering eyes have fascinated and puzzled scientists since the days of ancient Greece. Now, after millennia of study, modern imaging has revealed the secret of their nearly 360-degree view and uncanny ability to look in two different directions at once. Behind their bulging eyes lie two long, coiled optic nerves—a structure not seen in any other lizard.

“Chameleon eyes are like security cameras, moving in all directions,” explained Juan Daza, associate professor at Sam Houston State University and author of a new study describing the trait. “They move their eyes independently while scanning their environment to find prey. And the moment they find their prey, their eyes coordinate and go in one direction so they can calculate where to shoot their tongues.”

The authors published their study in the journal Scientific Reports.

Machine learning automates material analysis and design using X-ray spectroscopy data

Understanding the properties of different materials is an important step in material design. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is an important technique for this, as it reveals detailed insights about a material’s composition, structure, and functional characteristics. The technique works by directing a beam of high-energy X-rays at a sample and recording how X-rays of different energy levels are absorbed.

Similar to how splits into a rainbow after passing through a prism, XAS produces a spectrum of X-rays with different energies. This spectrum is called as , which acts like a unique fingerprint of a material, helping scientists to identify the elements present in the material and see how the atoms are arranged. This information, known as the “electronic state,” determines the functional properties of materials.

Boron compounds have significant applications in semiconductors, Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, and energy storage. In these materials, atomic modifications, structural defects, impurities, and doped elements, each produce unique, complex variations in spectral data. Detailed analyses of these variations provides key insights into their electronic state and is crucial for rational material design. Traditionally, however, such analyses required extensive expertise and manual labor, especially when large datasets have to be examined visually.

The Remarkable Large-Scale Structure of Anti-Tail and Tail Jets from 3I/ATLAS

Today, a magnificent large-scale image of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, was reported here by Frank Niebling and Michael Buchner. The stacked image combines a series of 5 exposures, each lasting 3 minutes, from two telescopes (TEC 140/f5 and ASI 6200MM) between 5:08–5:22 UT on November 9, 2025.

The image shows two anti-tail jets out to 10 arcminutes towards the Sun accompanied by a longer collimated jet, extending away from the Sun out to an angular separation of 30 arcminutes, roughly the diameter of the Sun or the Moon.

At the current distance of 3I/ATLAS from Earth, 326 million kilometers, these angular extents correspond to spatial sizes of 0.95 million kilometers for the sunward anti-tail jets and 2.85 million kilometers for the tail jet away from the Sun. This enormous spatial scale is three orders of magnitude larger than the scale of the glowing halo around 3I/ATLAS in the Hubble Space Telescope image from July 21, 2025 (reported here).

Researchers Shatter “Impassable Barrier” in Camera Technology

AI and nanotechnology converge in a metalens that rivals traditional optics. The discovery promises smaller, smarter imaging systems. Cameras have become a constant presence in daily life. Over the past two centuries, they have evolved from rare inventions into essential tools used across countle

Physicists Discover Bizarre “Quantum Pinball” State of Matter

Physicists have discovered how to make electrons “freeze” and “melt” into bizarre quantum patterns, forming a new kind of matter where solid and liquid coexist. Electricity drives nearly every aspect of modern life, from powering vehicles and smartphones to running computers and countless other d

Quantum entanglement distribution via uplink satellite channels

Significant work has been done to develop quantum satellites, which generate entangled pairs in space and distribute them to ground stations separated some distance away. The reverse “ uplink’’ case, where pairs are generated on the ground and swapped on the satellite using an optical Bell measurement, has not been seriously considered due to a prevailing assumption that it is practically infeasible. In this paper, we illustrate the feasibility of performing Discrete Variable photonic Bell measurements in space by conducting a detailed numerical analysis to estimate the channel efficiency and attainable pair fidelity for various satellite-station configurations. Our model accounts for a wide range of physical effects such as atmospheric effects, stray photons, and mode mismatch.

Microsoft Flight Simulator isn’t just for nerdy dads anymore: Boeing will start using its tech to train actual pilots

The most recent incarnation of Microsoft’s long-running flight simulator series is a genuine marvel, whether you fancy yourself an ace pilot or just want to crash spectacularly into the Eiffel Tower. Speaking more to the former instinct, Microsoft is teaming up with Boeing to put that high-fidelity simulation to work in a virtual training program for novice pilots.

As noted in a press release from Boeing, the Virtual Airplane Procedures Trainer was announced last Thursday at the European Aviation Training Summit in Portugal. The release notes the new program is “powered by Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Flight Simulator,” and is “designed to empower pilots and flight training teams with immersive, accessible and customizable tools that elevate pilot learning and readiness.”

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