Sci-Tech

Astronomers discover largest black hole in Milky Way: study

By Juliette COLLEN PARIS, April 16, 2024 (AFP) – Astronomers identified the largest stellar black hole yet discovered in the Milky Way, with a mass 33 times that of the Sun, according to a study published on Tuesday. The black hole, named Gaia BH3, was discovered “by chance” from data collected by the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission, an astronomer from the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) at the Observatoire de Paris, Pasquale Panuzzo, […]

Microsoft to invest $1.5bn in AI firm in UAE, take board seat

DUBAI, April 16, 2024 (AFP) – Microsoft is to invest $1.5 billion in United Arab Emirates artificial intelligence firm G42, taking a minority stake and a seat on the board, the companies said on Tuesday. The deal, in which G42 will run its applications and services on Microsoft’s Azure platform, comes days after the US giant said it would plough $2.9 billion into Japanese AI. Microsoft has become a major player in the advancement of […]

NASA seeks faster, cheaper way to bring Mars rocks to Earth

NASA said Monday it was looking for ways to bring Martian rocks collected by the Perseverance rover back to Earth earlier and at a lower cost than planned after facing criticism for going massively over budget. The effort comes as China is making progress towards a simpler “grab-and-go” sample return mission to the red planet “around 2030,” according to state media, which would make it the first nation to achieve the feat. “The bottom line […]

Race for AI isn’t zero-sum, says Amazon cloud boss

By Julie JAMMOT SAN FRANCISCO, April 14, 2024 (AFP) – As Google races with Microsoft and OpenAI to create world-changing generative artificial intelligence, some critics see Amazon as lagging behind. “I respectfully disagree” with that viewpoint, said Adam Selipsky, Amazon’s cloud chief, in an interview with AFP. Tech giants like Microsoft, Google and Meta have made headlines talking about their own foundational models, or those of their close partners, that are key to AI and […]

NASA unveils probe bound for Jupiter’s possibly life-sustaining moon

By Huw GRIFFITH PASADENA, United States, April 12, 2024 (AFP) – US space scientists on Thursday unveiled the interplanetary probe NASA plans to send to one of Jupiter’s icy moons as part of humanity’s hunt for extra-terrestrial life. The Clipper spacecraft is due to blast off in October bound for Europa, one of dozens of moons orbiting the Solar System’s biggest planet, and the nearest spot in our celestial neighborhood that could offer a perch […]

To each their own: In Texas town, reasons vary for watching eclipse

By Moisés ÁVILA INGRAM, United States, April 8, 2024 (AFP) – Shelli Ezell wants to watch the upcoming solar eclipse so she can feel the presence of her late daughter, with whom she observed one in 2017. Grover Swartzlander actually studies these celestial phenomena and Jim Saltigerald just plain enjoys them. Indeed, as crowds gather to watch the Moon block out the Sun for a short while Monday, everybody has a reason for casting an […]

S. Korea says second spy satellite successfully placed in orbit

South Korea’s second domestically made spy satellite was successfully put into orbit, Seoul’s defence ministry said Monday, after it was launched from an American space centre on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Seoul confirmed in December the successful launch of its first military spy satellite, which was also carried by one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets. “Our military’s second reconnaissance satellite successfully separated from the launch vehicle at around 09:02 (1202 GMT) and […]

What do scientists hope to learn from total solar eclipse in US?

By Lucie AUBOURG WASHINGTON, April 7, 2024 (AFP) – When a rare total solar eclipse sweeps across North America on Monday, scientists will be able to gather invaluable data on everything from the Sun’s atmosphere to strange animal behaviors — and even possible effects on humans. It comes with the Sun near the peak of its 11-year solar cycle, setting the stage for a breathtaking display: The corona will glow spectacularly from the Moon’s silhouette […]

Why unprotected eclipse gazing will leave you seeing stars

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2024 (AFP) – Just a single, unguarded glance at a solar eclipse can result in a lifetime of vision loss, eye health experts warn. On Monday, tens of millions of spectators across Mexico, the United States and Canada will witness the Moon completely obscure the Sun’s light, a rare celestial spectacle that won’t be visible for most of North America again until 2044. Medical literature is teeming with examples of people who […]

US, Russian, Belarus ISS colleagues return to Earth

A NASA astronaut, a Russian cosmonaut and Belarus’s first ever space traveller on Saturday returned to Earth safely after a fortnight aboard the International Space Station, Russia’s Roscosmos agency reported. “Today, at 10:17am Moscow time (0717 GMT), the descent vehicle of Sozuz MS-24 manned spacecraft landed near the Kazakh city of Jezkazgan,” Roscosmos reported. “The (vessel’s) deorbit and its descent to Earth went off normally,” the agency added. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky and the first […]

Apple explores making personal robots: report

Apple engineers are working on making personal robots, a report said on Wednesday, just weeks after the iPhone-maker abandoned its efforts to develop an electric car. The tech titan has people working on a robot that would follow people around at home and be helpful, according to Bloomberg that cited unnamed people familiar with the situation. The project was in a nascent stage and it was unclear whether it would lead to a product sold […]

Three companies in the running for NASA’s next Moon rover

Three companies are in the running to provide NASA’s next Moon rover for crewed missions planned later this decade, the space agency said Wednesday. Texas-based Intuitive Machines — which landed a robot near the lunar south pole in February — Lunar Outpost of Colorado and Venturi Astrolab of California have been tasked with developing designs under a contract with a combined maximum potential value of $4.6 billion. The US space agency anticipates awarding one of […]