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Defector

Barry Petchesky

Science

It’s Time For The Scariest Part Of Artemis

ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 07: Atlanta Braves catcher Jonah Heim (20) tries to hold back Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler (12) as he swings a punch at Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez (40) on the mound as home plate umpire Edwin Moscoso trails the play during the MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Angels on April 7, 2026 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire)

Advances In Basebrawl Weaponry Are Being Made Every Day

Earthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 6:41 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon. A muted blue Earth with bright white clouds sets behind the cratered lunar surface. The dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime. On Earth’s day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region. In the foreground, Ohm crater has terraced edges and a flat floor interrupted by central peaks. Central peaks form in complex craters when the lunar surface, liquefied on impact, splashes upwards during the crater’s formation.

Why We Fly

What Would You Do Behind The Moon?

Artemis Took A Picture Of Us

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - APRIL 01: (EDITOR'S NOTE: Getty Images provides access to this publicly distributed image for editorial purposes and is not the copyright owner. Additional permissions may be required and are the sole responsibility of the end user.) In this handout image provided by NASA, NASA's Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist onboard launches on the Artemis II mission, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, from Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA's Artemis II mission will take Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft. The quartet launched at 6:35 p.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. (Photo by Aubrey Gemignani/NASA/Getty Images)

Artemis Boldly Goes Where No Toilet Has Gone Before

ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 30: Max Domi #11 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Radko Gudas #7 of the Anaheim Ducks fight during the first period at Honda Center on March 30, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images)

What’s The Value Of An Ass-Kicking Freely Offered?

Luis Paez-Pumar

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres enters the game in the ninth inning during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park on March 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images)

Music

Defector’s Resident Nu Metalheads Discuss Mason Miller’s Nu Entrance Music

Piles of dirty snow and discarded trees, backdropped by a wet, gray sky. One featureless building is visible in the background. On the whole, not a postcard view.

Life's Rich Pageant

We Asked The Mayor Of Ottawa Why He Keeps Posting Such Grim Photos

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 06: A general view of the San Francisco Giants playing agains the Atlanta Braves at Oracle Park on June 06, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Netflix Is Loading Up The Clown Car For Opening Night

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 23: Travelers stand in long lines at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on March 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.The travel disruptions continue as hundreds of TSA agents quit or work without pay during a partial government shutdown. U.S. President Donald Trump said ICE agents will be deployed to U.S. airports on Monday, with border czar Tom Homan in charge of the effort.(Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

Politics

ICE Agents Deployed To Nation’s Swamped Airports To Stand Around And Do Nothing

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 22: Jack Hughes #86 of Team United States celebrates scoring the game-winning goal in overtime during the Men's Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. Team United States defeated Team Canada 2-1 in overtime to win the Gold medal. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Hockey Boy Wants His Hockey Puck

Video Games

Nvidia Wants To Yassify Video Games

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - MARCH 12: Tage Thompson #72 of the Buffalo Sabres follows through on his shot during an NHL game against the Washington Capitals on March 12, 2026 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

That Puck Must Have Said Something About Tage Thompson’s Mother

HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 7: Manager Mark Deosa of the United States stands for the national anthem before a World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Great Britain and the United States at Daikin Park on March 7, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images)

Mark DeRosa Might’ve Boned This Big-Time

WRITER DAN SIMMONS PUBLISHES 'FIRES OF EDEN'

Defector Reads A Book

Dan Simmons Is Dead, So It’s Time To Read ‘Hyperion’

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - MARCH 07: Luis Vázquez #8 of Team Puerto Rico celebrates after his team's 4-3 victory against Team Panama at Hiram Bithorn Stadium on March 07, 2026 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The World Baseball Classic Is Already Producing Some Classic World Baseball

FBI Director Kash Patel is sworn in before testifying during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on September 16, 2025. Patel faces the Senate panel amid criticism of his handling of the investigation into the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the case of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Anyone Want To See Kash Patel Fall On His Ass While Playing Hockey?

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 18: Quinn Hughes #43 of Team United States celebrate his victory goal in overtime with Matthew Tkachuk #19 and Jack Hughes #86 during the Ice Hockey Men's Play-off Quarterfinals match between Team United States and Team Sweden on day twelve of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images)

Olympics

Quinn Hughes Almost Smiled

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 18: Mitch Marner of Team Canada celebrates a goal during the Ice Hockey Men Quarterfinals match between Canada vs Czechia on day twelve of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Stefano Guidi/Getty Images)

Canada Took A Czech Beating And Survived

LIVIGNO, ITALY - FEBRUARY 15: Ikuma Horishima of Team Japan crosses the finish line backwards after a fall as he competes in the Men's Dual Moguls 1/8 Finals against Nick Page of Team United States (not pictured) on day nine of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Livigno Air Park on February 15, 2026 in Livigno, Italy. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

This Backward Guy Medaled

Marc Kennedy of Team Canada competes in the curling men's round robin between Canada and USA during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo on February 13, 2026. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)

The Big Canada-Sweden Curling Beef, Explained

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 11: Elias Pettersson #40 of Sweden tries to score against Goalie Damian Clara #i20 of Italy during the Men's Preliminary Group B match between Sweden and Italy on day five of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by RvS.Media/Robert Hradil/Getty Images)

Damian Clara Was Italy’s Improbable Bastion

Francisco Lindor #12 of Team Puerto Rico celebrates with teammates after scoring in the fifth inning of Game 10 of Pool D between Team Puerto Rico and Team Dominican Republic at loanDepot Park on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 in Miami, Florida.

The World Baseball Classic Has An Insurance Problem

EDMONTON, CANADA - JANUARY 22: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins awaits a face-off during the second period of the game against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on January 22, 2026, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)