Relaying what matters next.
The Relay is a new media project dedicated to covering slightly futuristic domains such as artificial intelligence, space exploration, longevity science, crypto and blockchain, advanced biology, and defense technologies. Our mission is to capture the signals of tomorrow and relay them forward with clarity, depth, and context.
What's happening today?
Pig kidneys in humans: the new longevity frontier
With the FDA clearing the first clinical trials of pig-to-human kidneys and a second living-recipient transplant at Mass General, xenotransplantation just moved from theory to clinic. Here is how it could change lifespan and healthspan, and what to watch next.
DeepSeek R1’s shockwave is rewriting AI’s economics
Mid September 2025 delivered three jolts for AI: a peer reviewed result and reporting that put R1-style training in the hundreds of thousands, a censorship tuned fork from Huawei, and new security research showing politically sensitive code behavior. Here is how cheap reasoning reshapes budgets, safety, and vendor strategy.
SDA’s Tranche 1 Goes Live, the Pentagon’s LEO Mesh
On September 10, 2025, the Space Development Agency launched 21 Tranche 1 Transport satellites, kicking off a launch‑per‑month sprint. Here is what this proliferated LEO mesh means for hypersonic tracking, sensor‑to‑shooter links, and air defense in 2026.
ETF Floodgate Moment: SEC’s generic rules reset crypto
The SEC just cleared generic listing standards so NYSE, Nasdaq, and Cboe can list spot crypto ETPs without bespoke 19b-4 approvals. Here is what changed, which tokens qualify first, and how in-kind creations will reshape spreads, liquidity, and costs.
Retro’s Alzheimer’s Pill Bets Big on Autophagy and Aging
Retro Biosciences plans to dose its first human study of RTR242, an autophagy-boosting Alzheimer’s pill, in Australia by late 2025. Here is why the pathway matters, the biomarkers to watch, and how this bet could reshape longevity biotech.
Planetary defense goes live: inside the 2025 FA22 flyby
A skyscraper-size asteroid skimmed past Earth on September 18, 2025, and the planetary defense community treated it like a live exercise. Here is how IAWN’s drill, real-time radar imaging, and ESA’s Risk List workflow performed under real timing and coordination pressure.
Chrome’s built-in Gemini turns browsing into doing
Google is building Gemini directly into Chrome so the browser can understand your page, coordinate across Google apps, and carry out multi‑step tasks. We benchmark real workflows, compare it with ChatGPT’s agent, and map the fallout for search, SEO, ads, and commerce.
Laser Air Defense Hits a Tipping Point: China, Israel, NATO
September 2025 delivered a string of firsts. China paraded operational lasers and microwaves, Israel said its 100 kW Iron Beam would enter service by year’s end, NATO scrambled after Russian drones crossed into Poland, and the Pentagon began deploying domestic flyaway kits. Directed energy just moved from demo to duty.
SEC’s generic rules open floodgates for crypto spot ETFs
The SEC just approved generic listing standards that let NYSE, Nasdaq, and Cboe list spot digital asset ETPs without bespoke 19b-4 orders. Timelines compress to roughly 75 days and the first wave could include Solana, XRP, and diversified baskets as soon as October.
Europe’s 2027 LNG Ban Could Redraw the Global Gas Map
Brussels is moving to outlaw Russian LNG by January 1, 2027. Here is how a phased cutoff could reroute cargoes, shift pricing power, accelerate new supply from the U.S. and Qatar, and reshape Europe’s decarbonization timeline.
Gemini in Chrome Turns the Browser Into an Agent Runtime
As of September 18, 2025, Google began rolling out Gemini inside Chrome to U.S. desktop users, shifting everyday browsing from searching and clicking to asking and delegating. Here is how agentic browsing will reshape product design, SEO, e-commerce, security, and platform power.
Replicator Leaves Hype as Pentagon Fields Attritable Drones
Replicator is leaving the podium and hitting the pallet. The Pentagon’s first tranche is delivering Switchblade 600 and other all‑domain attritable systems now, accelerating buys, widening the vendor base, and reshaping Indo‑Pacific deterrence. Here is what tranche 1 really changes and what comes next.
America’s Stablecoin Shockwave: Inside the GENIUS Act Race
The new U.S. stablecoin law hardcodes full reserves, standardized disclosures, and KYC at the edges. Issuers, banks, and card networks are racing to plug in while DeFi pivots to permissioned pools and on-chain telemetry. Here is how payments, liquidity, and winners shift next.
States gain leverage in FERC 1920-A grid planning
FERC’s rehearing order 1920-A elevates state authority in 20-year transmission planning and cost allocation just as AI and data centers push load forecasts higher. See what changed, key dates, and how sponsors can win approvals.
Retro’s autophagy pill hits human trials via Alzheimer’s
Retro is steering its first human study to Australia, using Alzheimer’s as a clinical beachhead for RTR242, an autophagy‑boosting pill that could translate longevity biology into medicine faster.
Chang’e‑6 rewrites lunar history and the south pole playbook
Peer‑reviewed results from Chang’e‑6’s far side haul point to an older South Pole-Aitken basin, volcanism that lingered, a surprisingly dry mantle, and hints of a late magnetic rebound. Here is how those findings tighten crater clocks and reshape where, why, and how we land next.
OpenAI’s pocket agent leaves the browser for real life
Reuters says OpenAI tapped Apple supplier Luxshare to build a pocket-sized device for a continuously acting ChatGPT agent. Here is how design, safety, and supply chains could shape ambient AI's first hit.
Treasury starts GENIUS Act rules: the new stablecoin playbook
Treasury opened an ANPRM on September 18, 2025 that starts the GENIUS Act rulemaking for U.S. dollar stablecoins. Here is what it means, the likely pillars of the rules, and concrete steps issuers, exchanges, DeFi teams, and retailers should take before the 30 day comment window closes.

















