India and Nepal Sign MoU for Launch of Munal Satellite A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today between the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). The MoU aims to provide grant assistance for the launch of the Munal satellite. Shri Anurag Srivastava, Joint Secretary (North) from the MEA, and Shri Arunachalam A, Director from NSIL, were the signatories of the agreement. The signing ceremony also witnessed the presence of several key dignitaries, including Dr. Rabindra Prasad Dhakal, Secretary of the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Dr. Surendra Thapa, Chargé d’affaires of…
Author: Team Interstellar
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John Schulman, one of the co-founders of OpenAI, has departed from the ChatGPT creator to join rival AI company Anthropic. Schulman announced his move on social media platform X late Monday, stating his desire to focus on AI alignment and return to hands-on technical work. OpenAI Leadership Shifts Schulman’s departure is part of a series of significant changes at OpenAI. Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s President and co-founder, also announced on X that he is taking a sabbatical until the end of the year. Additionally, Peter Deng, a product manager who joined OpenAI last year, has left the company. Internal Reassignments and…
Alaska Airlines Flight Incident and Boeing 737 MAX 9 Door Plugs Explained On January 5, an Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 experienced a critical incident shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, heading to Ontario, California. As the jet climbed to just over 16,000 feet, a panel on the side of the aircraft tore off, creating a refrigerator-sized hole. The pilots immediately decided to return and land the plane safely. Fortunately, all 171 passengers and six crew members survived, though several passengers sustained injuries. Notably, the aircraft had only been in service for eight weeks. The Role of Door Plugs in…
Air New Zealand Abandons 2030 Emissions Target Air New Zealand (AIR.NZ) has abandoned its 2030 emissions reduction target, citing delays in the delivery of fuel-efficient aircraft and high prices for green fuel. This decision highlights the challenges the aviation industry faces in meeting decarbonisation goals. Commitment to Net Zero by 2050 Although Air New Zealand is the first major airline to step back from its climate aspirations, the carrier remains committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The airline is working on setting a new near-term goal to continue its efforts towards reducing its carbon footprint. Challenges in Decarbonising…
North Korea’s Satellite Launch Attempt and Alleged Russian Support South Korean lawmakers revealed that Russia may have assisted North Korea in its unsuccessful attempt to launch a reconnaissance satellite in May. This information comes from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). The Failed Satellite Launch North Korea claimed it used a new “liquid oxygen and petroleum engine” in the satellite that exploded shortly after take-off. However, the NIS reported to lawmakers that there were no indications North Korea had developed such an engine independently. It is believed the technology likely originated from Russia. Lee Seong-kweun, a member of the parliamentary…
Climate Change Fuels More Intense Rainfall and Typhoons Climate change is altering rainfall patterns globally, with scientists reporting increased variability in precipitation and more intense tropical storms. This shift could be contributing to the severity of recent typhoons and other tropical storms. Impact of Typhoon Gaemi This week, Typhoon Gaemi, the year’s most powerful storm, hit Taiwan, the Philippines, and China. The typhoon brought wind speeds up to 227 kph (141 mph), causing widespread closures of schools, businesses, and financial markets. In China, hundreds of thousands were evacuated from the eastern coast before the storm made landfall on Thursday. Research…
Generative AI to Feature in U.S. Paris Olympics Broadcasts, Not in Europe AI Takes Centre Stage in U.S. Olympic Coverage The Paris Olympics will highlight the use of generative AI for American audiences, while European viewers will not experience the same technological approach. This difference reflects global media companies’ varying stances on the use of AI. Comcast’s NBCUniversal is set to integrate AI into its U.S. broadcasts, including re-creating the voice of a legendary sportscaster. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery’s sports division in Europe finds the technology too immature for tasks like sports commentating. European Hesitation on AI Integration Warner Bros.…
Kamala Harris: Views and Actions on Key Business Topics U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, potentially poised to become the Democratic presidential nominee, has a history of significant actions and views on various business-related topics. Here’s an overview of her stance and initiatives in tech regulation, big tech, climate and energy, and artificial intelligence. Tech Regulation As California attorney general, Harris took a firm stance on tech regulation: eBay Lawsuit (2012): Harris sued eBay for anticompetitive hiring practices related to a no-poaching agreement with Intuit, resulting in a nearly $4 million settlement in 2014. Houzz Case (2015): She mandated that startup…
Google’s AI Systems Achieves Milestone in Solving Complex Math Problems Google has unveiled two advanced artificial intelligence systems that showcase significant progress in solving complex mathematical problems, marking a major development in the field of generative AI. Overcoming Challenges in Abstract Math Current AI models, which typically predict the next word based on statistical patterns, have struggled with abstract mathematics due to its requirement for higher reasoning abilities akin to human intelligence. Google’s AI unit, DeepMind, has made strides in this area with its new models, AlphaProof and AlphaGeometry 2. Achievements at the International Math Olympiad DeepMind’s AI models demonstrated…
Discovery of Dark Oxygen: New Insights into Earth’s Oxygen Sources For decades, scientists have theorised about dark matter, believed to hold galaxies together through its gravitational pull. The mystery of dark matter continues, but now scientists have discovered what they call dark oxygen on the ocean floor. Oxygen from the Ocean’s Depths A recent study in Nature Geoscience, an Earth sciences research journal, reveals oxygen emitted from mineral deposits 4,000 metres (about 13,000 feet) below the Pacific Ocean’s surface. This discovery took place in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a region covering 4.5 million square kilometres (1.7 million square miles). Andrew…
