Sci-Tech

China to send first civilian into space on Tuesday

By Ludovic EHRET Agence France-Presse JIUQUAN, China, May 29, 2023 (AFP) — China will send its first civilian astronaut into space as part of a crewed mission to the Tiangong space station on Tuesday, its Manned Space Agency announced, as Beijing pushes ahead with its extra-terrestrial ambitions. The world’s second-largest economy has invested billions of dollars into its military-run space program, trying to catch up with the United States and Russia after years of belatedly […]

 Musk’s Neuralink says cleared for human test of brain implants

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Elon Musk’s start-up Neuralink on Thursday said it has gotten approval from US regulators to test its brain implants in people. Neuralink said clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its first in-human clinical study is “an important first step” for its technology, which is intended to let brains interface directly with computers. “We are excited to share that we have received the FDA’s approval to […]

Solar investment outshines oil: IEA

By Catherine Hours and Richard Lein Agence France-Presse PARIS, France, May 25, 2023 (AFP) — Investment in solar power is expected to overtake oil for the first time this year as clean energy spending outpaces that for fossil fuels, the IEA said in a report Thursday. While that is a welcome development, the International Energy Agency warned that investment in fossil fuels is rising when it should be falling fast to achieve net zero emissions […]

Apple to spend billions of dollars on US-made 5G tech

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – Apple on Tuesday announced a multi-billion-dollar collaboration with US tech firm Broadcom to make “cutting edge” components for wirelessly connecting to high-speed 5G telecom networks. The iPhone maker did not specify exactly how many billions of dollars it would put into the Broadcom alliance, but said it is part of a commitment to invest in the US economy. “We’re thrilled to make commitments that harness the ingenuity, creativity, and innovative spirit […]

US top health official sounds alarm on child social media use

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The top US health official on Tuesday issued a stark warning to parents, tech companies and regulators, saying the evidence is growing that social media use may seriously harm children. In a lengthy advisory, US surgeon general Vivek Murthy said that while not without benefits, “there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.” […]

ISS welcomes its first Saudi astronauts, in private mission

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A SpaceX capsule carrying two Saudi astronauts docked with the International Space Station on Monday, as part of a private mission chartered by Axiom Space. Rayyanah Barnawi, a scientist who became the first Saudi woman to go into space, and Ali Al-Qarni, a trained fighter pilot, are the first two people from their country to fly to the orbital outpost. “Greetings from outer space, I’m here not only representing […]

TikTok sues to stop ban in US state of Montana

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — TikTok on Monday filed suit in US federal court to stop the state of Montana from implementing an overall ban on the video sharing app. The unprecedented ban, set to start in 2024, violates the constitutionally protected right to free speech, TikTok argued in the suit. “We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts,” a TikTok spokesperson told AFP. Montana […]

Private mission carrying Saudi astronauts launches to ISS

By Gregg NEWTON with Lucie AUBOURG in Washington Agence France-Presse CAPE CANAVERAL, May 22, 2023 (AFP) — The second-ever private mission to the International Space Station (ISS), organized by Axiom Space, blasted off from the southern US state of Florida Sunday, carrying the first two Saudi astronauts to travel to the orbiting laboratory. Rayyanah Barnawi, a breast cancer researcher, is the first Saudi woman to voyage into space and is joined on the mission by […]

Dark cloud over ChatGPT revolution: the cost

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2023 (AFP) – The explosion of generative AI has taken the world by storm, but one question all too rarely comes up: Who can afford it? OpenAI bled around $540 million last year as it developed ChatGPT and says it needs $100 billion to meet its ambitions, according to industry media The Information. “We’re going to be the most capital-intensive startup in Silicon Valley history,” OpenAI’s founder Sam Altman told a panel […]

Montana becomes first US state to ban TikTok

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Montana on Wednesday became the first US state to ban TikTok, with the law set to take effect next year as debate escalates over the impact and security of the popular video app. The prohibition signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte will serve as a legal test for a national ban of the Chinese-owned platform, something that lawmakers in Washington are increasingly calling for. “TikTok may not operate […]

Audio book narrators say AI is already taking away business

NEW YORK, May 14, 2023 (AFP) – As people brace for the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence on jobs and everyday living, those in the world of audio books say their field is already being transformed. AI has the ability to create human-sounding recordings — at assembly-line speed — while bypassing at least part of the services of the human professionals who for years have made a living with their voices. Many of them are […]

Astronomers puzzled by ‘largest’ ever cosmic explosion

PARIS, May 12, 2023 (AFP) – Astronomers said on Friday they have identified the “largest” cosmic explosion ever observed, a fireball 100 times the size of our Solar System that suddenly began blazing in the distant universe more than three years ago. While the astronomers offered what they think is the most likely explanation for the explosion, they emphasised that more research was needed to understand the puzzling phenomenon. The explosion, called AT2021lwx, is not […]