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Morning Edition May 16th, 2026 at 12:22am GMT

The Ars Bulletin

Keeping you up to date with the latest crawl

Review: Good Omens finale sticks the landing

The finale of the Amazon Prime series "Good Omens" has received a positive review, with the critic praising its ability to stick the landing and provide a satisfying conclusion to the story. The show, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, has been well-received for its blend of humor, fantasy, and adventure. The critic notes that the finale effectively wraps up the storylines and characters, providing a sense of closure for the audience.

Solar power production undercut by coal pollution

Solar power production is being undercut by coal pollution, according to a recent study. The study found that coal pollution is having a significant impact on the efficiency of solar panels, reducing their ability to generate electricity. This is a major setback for the renewable energy industry, which is working to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

Weather-monitoring firm hangs dark cloud over customers’ heads by forcing new app

Weather-monitoring firm WeatherFlow has faced backlash from customers after forcing them to download a new app, citing security concerns with the old app. The company claims that the old app was vulnerable to hacking and that the new app provides better security features. However, some customers have expressed frustration with the sudden change and the lack of clear communication from the company.

Three’s a party: US, China, and now Russia are on the prowl in GEO

The US, China, and Russia are increasingly active in geosynchronous orbit (GEO), a region of space where satellites are positioned to provide global coverage. The US Space Force has been expanding its presence in GEO, while China has launched several military satellites into the region. Russia has also been active in GEO, with reports of a new military satellite launched in 2026.

Send the arXiv AI-generated slop, get a yearlong vacation from submissions

Researchers have discovered a way to generate low-quality AI-generated papers, dubbed "AI-slop," that can be submitted to the arXiv preprint server. These papers are often filled with nonsensical or irrelevant information, but can still be accepted by the server due to its automated submission process. As a result, researchers who submit such papers can receive a year-long vacation from submitting new papers to the arXiv.

In Brief