Science, Space, & Robotics - Page 14

Artificial intelligence-powered tools such as ChatGPT are only getting more sophisticated and impressive, but what happens when they get too good is that it's impossible to distinguish between humans and machines.

Unfortunately, that has already been achieved, or at least when it comes to AI voice generators. LiveScience spotted Microsoft quietly explaining it created an AI text-to-voice generator that was so powerful the company deemed it too unsafe to release to the public as the model was able to "generate accurate, natural speech in the exact voice of the original speaker". As you can probably imagine, having a tool available to the public would undoubtedly result in an increase in fraud, impersonations, etc.

Microsoft's dangerous AI model is called VALL-E 2, and in a pre-print paper posted on June 17 researchers explain the model marks a milestone in text-to-speech synthesis and it has achieved "human parity for the first time." What this means is Microsoft's internal benchmarks found VALL-E 2 was able to replicate human speech or even exceed it in some cases.

Scottsdale, Arizona, resident and astrophotographer Mark Johnston pointed his photography instruments at our local star and captured solar activity in great detail.

Using his 60mm hydrogen alpha-modified refractor, Johnston managed to snap some incredible images of the solar activity occurring on the surface of the Sun. More specifically, the images showcase the chromosphere, which is a thin layer of plasma that is positioned between the Sun's visible surface (the photosphere) and the corona (the Sun's upper atmosphere). Within the chromosphere are what we see in the images: swirls of filaments, prominences, and spicules.

Solar filaments are large regions of very dense, cool gas held in place by magnetic fields. These filaments can extend outwards beyond the surface of the Sun, which changes their name to solar prominences. As for spicules, these are dynamic jets of plasma within the Sun's chromosphere, and they are as wide as 186 miles and can travel between 9 and 110 miles per second.

At the end of last month Boeing's Starliner transported two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), and it was discovered both prior and during the launch the Starliner spacecraft was leaking.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were safely transported to the floating laboratory, and then it was later discovered Starliner had accrued more leaks throughout its voyage. NASA quickly launched an investigation into the space vessel and assured the public that Wilmore and Willians weren't in any way pressed for time to get back to Earth as the ISS had plenty of supplies for a prolonged stay.

What was more concerning was NASA's announcement on June 21 that it doesn't currently have any plans for a Starliner return journey. Now, NASA writes in a July 10 blog post that it's still working with Boeing to increase an understanding of Starliner's propulsion system before both of the NASA astronauts make the return journey home. These tests are being conducted on the ground at the agency's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico.

There are many mysteries about the universe, and some don't reside millions of light-years away; some are just within our solar system and involve our local star, the Sun.

One of the mysteries surrounding the Sun includes the decades-old discovery of radio waves that present themselves in solar flares and massive solar eruptions called Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). The aforementioned solar activity is a key driver in space weather experienced on Earth, which can impact satellite communications and other forms of technology on Earth's surface.

So, to answer these questions, NASA has launched the CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment (CURIE), which took off from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, on July 9, 2024. The CURIE mission involves two spacecraft that together are no larger than a shoebox, and these spacecraft will orbit Earth at a distance of two miles apart. NASA explains the separation between the two satellites will enable researchers to measure the tiny differences in the arrival time of radio waves following solar activity.

Microsoft is looking to combat its sharp increase in CO2 emissions, which have been caused by the creation of new datacenters to power the ever-growing AI industry.

It was quite some time ago Microsoft announced its goal of becoming carbon-negative by 2030, but since that announcement, artificial intelligence has emerged, and while the new technology is incredibly impressive, it's also extremely energy-demanding. With the rise of these datacenters and, as a result, CO2 emissions, Microsoft is looking at ways to offset its carbon footprint, and according to reports, Redmond is ready to put down hundreds of millions to do so.

Microsoft has signed a deal with Occidental Petroleum to buy 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide removal "credits" over the course of six years, and according to The Financial Times, the deal is "worth hundreds of millions of dollars". At the moment, the specifics of the deal haven't been made public. So, how do carbon credits work?

Asteroids contain the answers to the formulation of the solar system and the wider galaxy while also being potentially deadly depending on their size, which is why it's a great idea to keep an eye out for as many as we can - particularly the big ones.

One such space beast was discovered in 2011 as it was making a close approach with Earth. The asteroid, now dubbed 2011 UL21, made its close approach to Earth only recently on June 27, and while it zoomed by, NASA researchers captured close-ups of it, revealing details that are scarcely seen during asteroid observation. 2011 UL21 is a mile-wide asteroid and when it passed Earth it was scanned by radar revealing a tiny moonlet orbiting the larger body.

This isn't the first time a large asteroid has been found having its own moon, as NASA calls these asteroids binary systems and even believes around two-thirds of asteroids as big as 2011 UL21 have their own moon. However, photographing them is another challenge entirely.

A University of Michigan astronomer used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to discover an exoplanet with a promising temperature, an indication of possible liquid water present.

The discovery of this exoplanet is part of the wider effort to discover another habitable planet, which, if it has the same or close enough ingredients to Earth, may harbor life. The discovery of a planet that has a reasonable temperature - a temperature that is both cool enough to host water but warm enough for it to be liquid - means researchers have a found a planet that may already be hosting life.

LHS 1140 b is one of those exoplanets, and according to Charles Cadieux, the lead author of the recently published paper on the exoplanet, "Of all currently known temperate exoplanets, LHS 1140 b could well be our best bet to one day indirectly confirm liquid water on the surface of an alien world."

The next-generation LG CLOi ServeBot is here, an autonomous robot designed for the service industry - where you've got enough room for it to provide delivery services in a hospitality or healthcare setting. It's like a waiter, albeit for "simple and repetitive delivery tasks to reduce the burden on busy staff."

The latest CLOi ServeBot model's doors open and close automatically during operation. Built-in sensors and cameras can tell when deliveries have been completed, and items have been removed. The new model also sports an advanced AI algorithm for movement, where it can now safely navigate around obstacles and determine the most optimal route to its destination.

Up to 20 CLOi ServeBots can work together and communicate to "maximize task efficiency and avoid potential collisions." Each CLOi ServeBot can carry 32 standard-sized, 12-ounce coffee cups, so seeing 20 of these robots working their magic during coffee rush hour would be impressive.

The International Space Station (ISS) is truly a remarkable piece of the achievements of civilization, as humans quite literally have a floating laboratory in space that orbits the planet every 90 minutes.

Being able to orbit the planet every 90 minutes means the ISS is traveling extremely fast, precisely 17,900 mph, or 5 miles per second. For this reason, and it's altitude of 250 miles, its quite difficult to take a photo of the ISS, especially if you want its silhouette to appear in front of the Sun. Professional astrophotographer and science communicator Miguel Claro achieved this, and explained to Space.com his process.

The above video shows the ISS crossing in front of the Sun at a distance of 275 miles from Earth, and due to the speed of the ISS, Claro had to capture more than 200 images over for just two seconds of footage. Claro used a fast video camera from Player One Astronomy, the Apollo-M Max, and set the shutter to 109 images per second. Claro captured the footage on June 2, 2024, from Figueira da Foz on northern cost of Portugal.

Researchers have used NASA and the European Space Agency's (ESA) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to discover previously unseen regions above an iconic spot on Jupiter.

Being the largest gas giant in the solar system, Jupiter is very easy to see in the night sky, but astronomers still struggle to observe the planet's upper atmosphere, which is where the JWST comes in. Using JWSTs sensitive infrared instruments researchers were able to peer into Jupiter's upper atmosphere above the iconic Great Red Spot in unprecedented detail, revealing structures that have been detailed in a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

According to the results, the team discovered above the Great Red Spot, a massive storm that is so large that it could completely consume Earth - ranking first in the biggest storms in the solar system - what the space agency describes as "a variety of intricate structures, including dark arcs and bright spots". The space agency writes in its blog post these are atmospheric waves that are similar in structure to waves crashing on a beach.

A week after Neuralink's first brain chip patient appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the company has reportedly canceled the surgery for its second patient following the discovery of medical issues that led to the unsuitability of the patient entering the trial.

A new report from Bloomberg has revealed the candidate Neuralink had teed up for its second brain-computer interface (BCI) surgery suffered from neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal motor neuron disease that causes progression degeneration of nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain.

Unfortunately, the second patient experienced unnamed medical issues that made them unsuitable for the trial. They will be replaced by another patient who is scheduled to undergo surgery next month. Neuralink hasn't officially mentioned the patient's cancellation or responded to Bloomberg's questions about it.

A group of scientists have wired a robot with human stem cells and attached a brain-computer interface, enabling the robot to complete tasks assigned to it.

Human brains, much like computers, run on electrical signals that are fired from our neurons. Every single movement, thought, and aspect of the human body is run by electrical signals firing from the brain. Due to the similarities with computers, engineers have designed brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that can monitor and respond to the electrical signals fired by neurons. Elon Musk's brain chip company Neuralink has achieved this with Nolan Arbaugh, a paraplegic individual who can now control a computer mouse cursor with his thoughts.

Now, a team of researchers from Tianjin University and the Southern University of Science and Technology connected brain tissue to a neural interface, which enables the robot to theoretically train itself by analyzing the electrical signals provided to it. This would give the robot a version of "sight" as it would be able to interpret the world through electrical signals. The team suggests the BCI could lead to robotics training themselves on avoiding obstacles, using hands and arms, and more.

Lego and the European Space Agency (ESA) have partnered to create the first Lego pieces made with meteorite dust. While the creation may appear to be just for a few laughs, it actually has practical implications for the future of space exploration.

The Lego pieces will be on display at select Lego store locations until September 20. Check out the locations below. As for the practicality of the meteorite-infused Lego pieces, the project was a proof-of-concept to demonstrate that structures can be built using moondust or its equivalent. The value of being able to make structures out of dust like lunar regolith will be an absolute game-changer when it comes to constructing colonies on different moons or planets.

Having a consistent and reliable means of making structures out of dust would mean we won't have to transport materials from Earth, saving on expensive rocket launches. So, how did researchers make this meteorite-infused Lego piece? The team first took meteorite dust and ground it up into a mixture that was then placed into a 3D printer. The printer then spat out a lunar Lego piece that works exactly the same as a normal Lego piece.

After years of delays, Boeing's Starliner capsule achieved liftoff and transported two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), where they were meant to stay for 10 days. However, that didn't go to plan after it was discovered Starliner was leaking helium, its fuel source.

One of the leaks was discovered prior to launch, and the remaining four were discovered after Starliner arrived at the ISS on June 6. Since then, NASA and Boeing have been working together to evaluate the issues and outline a plan to get the two NASA astronauts back to Earth. However, concerns sprung up after NASA and Boeing announced they aren't ready to set a return flight date, and will instead be waiting for ground tests and further analysis to be completed.

These comments led many to believe the two NASA astronauts were stranded aboard the ISS and, further, in space. But NASA says that isn't the case, and the astronauts aren't in any hurry to leave the ISS, as the floating laboratory has plenty of food and provisions. In a recent press conference, officials insisted the NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are not "stranded" and, "We're not in a rush to come home," said Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Reusable rockets aren't easy to design, which is why they didn't exist until Elon Musk's SpaceX came along and sunk hundreds of millions of dollars into research and development of the technology. Now, SpaceX is pioneering the reusable rocket industry, achieving reusability with two now-workhorse rockets, the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy.

Now that the crown jewel of rocket technology has been shown to the rest of the world other space agencies are looking to figure it out for themselves, with China being one of those nations. Private Chinese company Space Pioneer is working on this technology, and recently attempted a static fire test, which is an engineering test that evaluates the design of the engine by firing thrusters while the rocket is attached to the launch pad.

Static fire tests are one of the many ways engineers make sure a rocket is working as intended before a real launch attempt is made. Space Pioneer's Tianlong-3 rocket was undergoing this test when it broke free from the launchpad, and with its nine TH-12 engines that together generate 1.7 million pounds of thrust, the Tianlong-3 rocket burst into the clouds only to run out of the little fuel it had stored. With no engines firing, the rocket began falling back to the ground, causing a huge fiery explosion on impact.

Two new research papers used seismic shocks on Mars as a way of detecting asteroid impacts, and the results indicate Mars gets smacked 10 times more than previous estimates.

In one of the studies, researchers looked at some seismic data acquired by NASA's InSight Lander, which is currently out of commission, and found two massive asteroid impacts. These events occurred 97 days apart and were so large they created a football-sized field crate. Why is this important? Researchers believed an impact of this size would happen at a frequency of once or twice in a lifetime, but looking at the seismic data, it appears meteors make it to Mars' surface much more frequently than previously estimated.

The studies suggest that meteor impact rates across Mars are between two and ten times higher than previous estimates, and that estimates depend on the size of the meteor. Notably, InSight recorded seismic data for four years, from 2018 to 2022, and compared that data with new craters discovered on the surface of Mars by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The teams then connected the new craters to the seismic data, which enabled them to estimate the size of the asteroid that caused the crater.

A team of scientists have grown a smiling face from living human skin and placed it over a robot in what appears to be the first step in creating a real-life T-1000 from Terminator.

A group of researchers from Harvard University have taken a cultured mix of human skin cells grown in collagen and formed a face made of human skin. The face was then placed over a 3D-printed resin base, and according to reports, the skin contains what researchers are describing as the equivalent of the ligaments found in human and animal skin. These ligaments give our skin its durability, making it flexible, strong, and movable.

Michio Kawai at Harvard University designed these ligaments by perforating the aforementioned 3D-printed resin base, which allowed for extremely small V-shaped cavities to be filled with the living tissue. The living skin was then placed over a smiling robotic face that is only a few centimeters wide, with rods being connected to its base to enable movement. In one experiment the researchers made the robot smile for an entire month.

The first Neuralink patient has said his brain implant has given him "aimbot" making gaming particularly easy, so much so he believes there will be brain chip-dedicated leagues of gamers.

Noland Arbaugh, a 29-year-old man who became Neuralink's first human patient to receive a Brain Chip Interface (BCI), was granted the ability to control a computer cursor with his thoughts. Arbaugh became paralyzed from the neck down following a diving accident several years ago and decided to enroll in the Neuralink study to improve his quality of life. Arbaugh said during an interview with Joe Rogan on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast that his quality of life has drastically improved as he can now once again interact with the world in a meaningful way.

During the podcast Arbaugh says he is able to play video games such as Mario Kart and others. The Neuralink patient continued and said the BCI has given him "aimbot in my head", which refers to hacks that some gamers download that give them the ability to automatically lock onto an opponent's head. These types of hacks are commonly used in First-Person-Shooter (FPS) titles.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy is truly a remarkable sight, especially because its boosters land in unison, offering a glimpse into the future of space travel.

The recent Falcon Heavy launch involved transporting a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite into orbit approximately 22,000 miles above the Earth's surface. The new satellite is designed to monitor weather conditions across various regions of Earth, such as the United States, South America, and Central America.

The satellite was transported to its designated place in orbit by Falcon Heavy, which is comprised of three of the Falcon 9 boosters and is specifically designed for heavy payloads, hence the name. The NOAA satellite called the GOES-U was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, and upon launch the Falcon Heavy generated 5.5 million pounds of thrust.

Boeing's Starliner capsule was delayed for years and then scrubbed from two launch attempts, only to transport two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), and then leave them stranded.

It appears Boeing's airline fleet isn't the only product it manufactures that has problems, as its Starliner capsule was found to be leaking helium upon arrival at the ISS. More specifically, two helium leaks were detected right after the launch on June 5, and one leak was identified prior to the launch. NASA and Boeing both signed off on the leak discovered before launch, giving the go-ahead before the problem was fixed.

NASA and Boeing have now identified five sources of the helium leaks after it arrived at the ISS. Since the capsule's arrival, it has been under investigation, but the goal of the two NASA astronauts having a clear means of returning back to Earth hit a bump in the road, as NASA announced on Friday that it currently doesn't have any plans of a return journey via Starliner. Additionally, the return mission scheduled for Wednesday, June 26, has been canceled.