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John Leguizamo, who plays Odysseus’ trusted friend Eumaeus, told The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet that he first saw the Trojan Horse when “I was looking for Chris Nolan to meet him, and they told me he was inside the horse with 20 actors and the DP [Hoyte van Hoytema] and the IMAX camera. I couldn’t believe that. I was like, wow, this man is a leader. This man is not going to ask anything of you that he doesn’t attempt himself.”

Damon — who walked the NYC carpet alongside fellow stars Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, Elliot Page and Jon Bernthal — has also spoken about shooting the Trojan Horse sequence during the press run, telling GamesRadar+ that Nolan didn’t have a plan on how they would film it until the day of.

Damon said that Nolan told the group they were “just going to cram in there and figure it out,” as the star recalled “that feeling of claustrophobia, that was all just developing organically… Hoyte was looking through the lens, and Chris was right next to him. They just built that in real time. It was so cool to see. If we had planned it out, I don’t think it would have had that same energy.”

The original horse from the film is currently on display outside the AMC Theater at Universal Studios Hollywood’s CityWalk. The Odyssey hits theaters on Friday.

Michaela Zee contributed to this report.

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"The past couple of decades have been some of the greatest times in videogames," Schofield said. "Some of the best games have come out over these times, [from] some of the greatest talent in the world I've been able to work with. I thank you all. I had a front row seat to one of the greatest creative explosions in history, I think."

Schofield has been candid about the difficulties of securing funding, and getting games greenlit by publishers, amid the industry's post-COVID malaise. Following the release of 2022's The Callisto Protocol and his subsequent departure from Krafton's Striking Distance Studios, Schofield tried and failed to raise funding for "a new sub-genre of horror".

"People loved the concept," he wrote on LinkedIn in 2025. "We got a lot of second and third meetings. But early feedback was 'get [the budget] to $10M.' Lately, that number’s dropped to $2–5M." At the time, he said he may have directed his last game, and the industry has only become more ravaged since then, with huge layoffs at Xbox, Bungie, and Ubisoft in 2026.

Since shipping The Callisto Protocol and ultimately failing to make a new horror game, Schofield's focus has shifted to his visual art and AI. While he's no AI naysayer— he spent the bulk of his 2025 Gamescom Asia keynote praising generative AI as a creative tool—he was dismissive of Elon Musk's claims that xAI could generate a whole game from scratch ("he's full of crap", Schofield said.)

While Schofield is best known for Dead Space and three Sledgehammer Call of Duty games (Modern Warfare 3, Advanced Warfare, and WWII), his credits list is long and reaches as far back as 1991. As art director, he's worked on titles as varied as The Ren and Stimpy Show: Buckeroo$! and Barbie: Game Girl. As a director, he worked on Blood Omen 2: Legacy of Kain and two Gex games.

Still, it's difficult not to associate Schofield with a period of big blockbuster primacy that kicked into gear with the seventh generation of consoles. For most of Schofield's career, every year's release calendar was reliably dotted by at least a half-dozen triple A behemoths. Evidence suggests those days are not coming back, at least not for western studios: tens of thousands of development roles have been shed since 2022, as the industry is eroded by the popping of the COVID bubble, ballooning development costs, lengthening production cycles, and the delusional goals of executives.

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Factor in unprecedented hardware cost increases thanks to the AI industry's leeching of RAM and storage, and you can probably imagine how difficult it must be to stay optimistic as a game developer in 2026: especially if you were commandeering multimillion sellers 10 years ago, and still can't get a project greenlit.

Still, despite all available evidence, Schofield says the future is bright.

"This is an amazing industry with so many talented people," he said. "And I know times are tough right now, but man, the future ahead is really, really bright. And I wish you all the next generation of game makers the best of luck. Explore, experiment, enjoy. And don't forget that the most important thing is the idea."

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day. %!s()

Fortunately, I was farming this stuff in early access, so I know a thing or two about digging in the dirt for the glowy bits. Here's how to get Nightstar Sand in Palworld, along with a few recommendations on how to approach farming a haul respectful of your time.

Recent updates

July 15, 2026: It looks like there's a new source of Nightstar Sand in Palworld 1.0, but it's an endgame pal. Starryon Primo, which spawns in the World Tree region, drops Nightstar Sand. It's still easier to farm sand from the beaches, but I've included details on Starryon below.

Palworld Nightstar Sand location

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Head to the Twilight Dunes or Sakurajima

There's an easy spot to farm Nightstar Sand in the Dessicated Dunes at night. Just take the fast travel point to the Searing Dunes Watchtower, look north, and glide off of the cliff ledge to the glowing sand nodes below.

Nightstar Sand nodes are only visible when it's dark out, but their faint glow begins just as the sun sets in the evening. You can even get lucky and stumble upon it during daylight hours, but that relies on luck and paying close attention to the action prompt. You likely won't need very much, and I had plenty to make the items I wanted after a few nightly trips.

• Feybreak Island beaches have way more Nightstar Sand than the dunes, but it's a tough area to navigate at lower levels. Visiting the Searing Dunes location was an easier trip when I was alone or under-levelled.
• The Dessicated Dunes have more Nightstar Sand around the Tower of the PIDF, but deposits there seem pretty sparse. I wouldn't spend a lot of time hunting for more sand further away from the fast travel point recommended.

Feybreak Island deposits often extend further inland, so follow trails of Nightstar Sand from the light-colored beaches into the grassy areas. I've gotten around 100 just from one night.

The Desiccated Dunes Nightstar Sand deposits are sparse, so don't pull your hair out scavenging for more. The dunes don't have much foliage either, so you'll see the glow from a mile away.

Pals that drop Nightstar Sand

Starryon Primo

Starryon Primo, the white and gold horse trotting about the World Tree region, drops Nightstar Sand. You can find them hanging around in the middle of the map, just after entering the zone.

Nightstar Sand crafting recipes

The glowing sand is mostly used to make weapons, tools, and accessories, so you won't need a hefty supply for things like ammo or potions. Here are a few crafting recipes for reference:

• Advanced Bow: (20) Nightstar Sand, (25) Carbon Fiber, (40) Plasteel
• Beam Sword: (20) Nightstar Sand, (30) Plasteel, (100) Palladium, (1) Computer
• Metal Detector: (20) Nightstar Sand, (30) Plasteel, (100) Palladium, (15) Computer
• Double Air Dash Boots: (30) Nightstar Sand, (30) Plasteel, (100) Palladium, (30) Dark Fragments

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Andrea has been covering games for nearly a decade, picking up bylines at IGN, USA Today, Fanbyte, and Destructoid before joining the PC Gamer team in 2025. She's got a soft spot for older RPGs and is willing to try just about anything with a lovey-dovey "I can fix them" romance element. Her weekly to-do always includes a bit of MMO time, endlessly achievement hunting and raiding in Final Fantasy 14. Outside of those staples, she's often got a few survival-crafting games on rotation and loves a good scare in co-op horror games. %!s()

There are many to choose from. This list highlights some of the most extraordinary speed machines, from design icons like the SR-71 Blackbirdto the North American XB-70 Valkyrie, a bomber transformed into a high-speed research platform for supersonic travel, while also covering Soviet defense legends such as the MiG-25 and MiG-31 aircraft. Many of these aircraft were capable of cracking Mach 3 — that's three times the speed of sound — and in some instances, even more than that. For the record, that's notably faster than the fastest jets a civilian could ever own.

While this list covers five of the fastest military aircraft ever developed and focuses on their headline figures, the aircraft themselves are so much more important than the numbers. They come from a time of technological ambition, each with a fascinating story behind its creation and purpose.

North American X-15

Dean Conger/Getty Images

The X-15 is an unusual entry, being an experimental fighter jet, rather than one designed for actual service. Despite having been developed in the late 1950s and into the 1960s, it still ranks at the very top of the charts today among military aircraft, with a mind-boggling top speed of Mach 6.72, or 4,520 mph.

It reached altitude of 354,200 feet, around 67 miles high. Given the risks surrounding atmospheric pressures in these environments, pilots had to wear full-pressure spacesuits. Of the 12 pilots who flew the X-15, eight received their astronaut wings, demonstrating how the X-15 carefully trod the line between flights within the atmosphere and early space exploration. Among those pilots was the one and only Neil Armstrong, one of the historical figures Jalopnik readers would ride shotgun with.

Despite taking its last flight in 1968, flight number 199, the X-15 remains a technological marvel that still impresses today. Remarkable military aircraft have come and gone, but none have ever threatened the incredible top speed record held by this literal hypersonic rocket with wings.

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

Nasa/Getty Images

The SR-71 is one of the most iconic aircraft in U.S. history, and one of the very few planes actually fast enough to outrun the Earth's rotation. While its top speed is impressive at Mach 3.3, or around 2,500 mph, it cannot compete with the speed of the aforementioned X-15.

Its final ever flight perfectly demonstrated the SR-71's speed and ability. In March of 1990, an SR-71 managed to clock an average speed of 2,124 mph when traveling from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. in just 1 hour 4 minutes and 20 seconds. Upon landing, the SR-71 was handed over to the Smithsonian, and Lockheed's record-breaker has been grounded ever since, after an impressive 24 years and 2,800 hours of active service for the U.S. Air Force.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG25 'Foxbat'

vaalaa/Shutterstock

This next entry brings us to Russian, or USSR, territory. Like the previous examples, the MiG25 dates back to the 1960s. It's an interceptor, meaning its primary purpose was to 'meet and greet' intruders.

It emerged as a solution to a unique and troubling set of problems that the Soviet Union faced in the late 1950s. American spy planes and bombers could operate at impressively high altitudes, and the Soviets' air defenses were simply not equipped with the tools required to intercept aircraft like the XB-70 bomber and the U-2 surveillance aircraft. It boasted an operational top speed of Mach 2.83, which, as a mass-produced military aircraft, was only ever bested by the SR-71. Given the opportunity, the MiG-25 could reach Mach 3.2, but doing so risked irreparable damage to its engines, hence the lower operational limit.

It was designed to perform with an operational altitude of around 88,500 feet. In 1977, a modified example reached altitudes north of 123,500 feet in a record-breaking flight, demonstrating that the 'Foxbat' was truly a force to be reckoned with. In 1976, a Soviet Lieutenant defected and hand-delivered a MiG25 to Japan, where the West finally had a chance to get intimate with the MiG's design. Around this time, the 'Foxbat' was retired, in time for the MiG31 'Foxhound' to be sworn in as a direct replacement.

XB-70 Valkyrie

Andreas Stroh/Shutterstock

Before we visit that replacement, though, the XB-70 must be covered, slotting in nicely between the two MiG aircraft with a maximum speed of Mach 3.1, or 2,056 mph. Only 2 XB-70s were ever produced, and interestingly, they ended up serving a different purpose than originally intended.

It was designed in the 1950s to serve as a high-altitude strategic bomber, capable of soaring at  around 70,000 feet at speeds of Mach 3. At such heights and speed, it would prove remarkably difficult to defend against. However, the arrival of new surface-to-air missile systems in the early 1960s and the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles rendered the XB-70 outdated almost overnight. At this point, just 2 XB-70s were under construction, and instead of becoming bombers as intended, they wound up serving as testbeds for supersonic transport, or SST.

Early flights in the first XB-70 were successful, although it became unstable at speeds above Mach 2.5. A slight adjustment to the aerodynamics of the second plane worked a treat, and in total, 9 flights were completed by the second XB-70 at speeds north of Mach 3.

That second XB-70 sadly crashed in 1966, leaving just the first to remain. From 1969, it retired to museum life, but the research conducted using these two planes was invaluable. We of course did end up with supersonic transport, and while it's been off the cards for some time now, there is potentially room for supersonic flight to return if sonic booms can be quiet enough for commercial travel.

Mikoyan MiG31 'Foxhound'

Historical/Getty Images

The MiG-31 technically had the same capability as its predecessor to crack Mach 3, but given the damage that came with it, they were limited in achieving such feats. A pair of Soloviev D-30F6 afterburning turbofan engines provides 34,000 pounds of thrust each, helping propel the Soviet creation to Mach 2.83.

The MiG-31 is no slight aircraft. Designed from the outset to carry advanced radar equipment and long-range missiles, it's actually one of the heaviest fighter-interceptors ever built, with a maximum take-off weight sitting at around 46 tons. The radar system in question allowed the MiG31 to locate up to 10 targets up to 120 miles away, and actively engage up to 4 at any given time, regardless of where they are in respect to the 'Foxhound' itself.

Production ran from the late 1970s up until 1994, with around 500 aircraft being built in total. Having entered the Soviet Air Defense Forces in 1981, the MiG-31 has been in service with Russian forces ever since, and continues to do so now, despite more than 40 years having passed since its arrival. Extensive upgrade programs have ensured it remains operational, with current models expected to continue service for some years yet. While fourth in this list, the MiG-31 remains the fastest military aircraft currently in service anywhere in the world. %!s()

The report provides an ecological characterization of two contrasting Annex I habitat groups under the Habitats Directive: inland peat-forming wetlands (Group 7, "Raised bogs, mires and fens") and coastal lagoons (habitat type 1150). Its findings are intended to inform monitoring and condition assessment under the Habitats Directive (HD), the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR).

Extent and status of wetland loss

European wetlands have undergone substantial historical loss, with an estimated 80% of the wetland area present a century ago no longer extant and more than half of remaining peatlands drained. Despite their comparatively limited spatial extent, peatlands are estimated to store nearly one-third of global soil carbon, while coastal lagoons account for approximately 13% of the global coastline and support disproportionately high levels of biological productivity and biodiversity.

Hydrology as the principal determinant of ecosystem condition

The report identifies the hydrological regime as the dominant control on the functioning of both habitat groups. In peatlands, a persistently high and stable water table sustains the anoxic conditions that suppress decomposition and allow peat to accumulate. When the water table falls—most often through drainage—peat oxidizes, subsides and compacts; vegetation and microbial communities shift; and fire risk increases. Because the structure of the peat is itself altered, much of this is effectively irreversible, and a long-term carbon sink can become a net source of greenhouse gases.

In coastal lagoons, freshwater-marine exchange, hydrographic and associated biological connectivity, and physico-chemical gradients regulate hydrodynamics, sediment transport, nutrient availability, community structure and biological productivity. They are associated with substantial natural variability and spatiotemporal heterogeneity independent of anthropogenic pressure.

Multiple interacting pressures

Degradation in both habitat groups is most often attributed to combinations of pressures rather than single causal factors. Drainage and land-use conversion, nutrient enrichment, peat extraction, contaminant inputs, coastal development and climate change act together and rarely in isolation, reinforcing one another through feedback that is often nonlinear and context-dependent. Because pressures compound in this way, ecological deterioration is difficult to detect, attribute and reverse.

Indicator frameworks and assessment methodology

The report concludes that no single indicator is sufficient to characterize ecosystem conditions in either habitat group. It proposes tiered indicator frameworks distinguishing essential from complementary variables across hydrological, physico-chemical, biological and functional dimensions. Assessment designs must account for the natural scales of spatial and temporal variability and for historical trends in the context of ecological succession—without this, frameworks risk mistaking intrinsic ecosystem dynamics for anthropogenic impact. Earth Observation should be integrated with in-situ measurement, keeping in mind that it is most reliably applied to hydrological and vegetation-related metrics and requires field-based calibration and validation.

Recommendations for future monitoring architecture

Wetland monitoring across Member States remains fragmented and inconsistent. The report sets out a transition pathway toward an integrated observation architecture combining Earth Observation, in situ measurement, numerical modeling and digital twin approaches. It recommends a dual design: standardized routine monitoring designed to capture relevant spatial and temporal heterogeneity, alongside adaptive, event-specific monitoring able to respond to extreme events and unforeseen impacts.

Such a system would reduce the reporting burden on Member States, improve comparability between regions and distinguish early warning signals from indicators of consolidated change. The report identifies this architecture as a foundation for a future EU Wetland Watch service, built on local and national observation systems integrated into a European-scale network.

The report is explicitly a scientific foundation rather than an operational assessment protocol. Calibration of habitat-specific condition thresholds—capable of distinguishing favorable conditions from early and severe degradation across the range of peatland types and lagoon contexts present in the EU—is identified as the critical next step, requiring coordinated analysis of monitoring data and reference conditions across Member States.

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Citation: Report details ecological characterization of peatlands and coastal lagoons in EU (2026, July 14) retrieved 17 July 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ecological-characterization-peatlands-coastal-lagoons.html

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