#44: LEGO from Space, Mars Mission, Water on Moon, Llama 3.1, New Reactor Tech, Google Monopoly, and more!
Hi everyone!
I'm currently enjoying some time off with my family. I'll keep this intro short and skip straight to the juicy content below.
Take care & enjoy!
Xavier
🤓 Cool Stuff I Found on the Internet
Iron Beam: unstoppable laser weapon
Israel is developing Iron Beam, a high-power laser air defense system. This $1.2 billion project aims to provide a cost-effective solution against aerial threats like drones, missiles, and rockets. Where traditional systems cost $50,000 to intercept enemy threats, Iron Beam costs just $2!
Turn your Apple Watch into an iPod
This case turns your Apple Watch into a phone replacement. It features an iPod-like click wheel and looks stunning!
Warm water freezes faster than cold
Under certain conditions, hot water can freeze faster than cold water. This is the Mpemba effect. Despite extensive research, scientists are still unsure why water behaves this way.
Balloonfest 1986
In 1986, Cleveland's United Way chapter attempted to set a world record by releasing nearly 1.5 million balloons. The spectacle, intended as a harmless publicity stunt, quickly turned disastrous when the balloons were forced back to earth by an approaching storm. It caused traffic accidents, airport closures, and environmental issues.
CrowdStrike, Microsoft & the EU
A recent update to CrowdStrike's security systems led to Windows machines being unable to start. Microsoft partly blames the EU as they had been required to give third-parties equal access to the Windows kernel. When software crashes at this low-level, they bring down the entire machine. Interestingly, the EU didn't force this restriction on Apple, which has blocked low-level access to the macOS kernel.
Judge: Google maintains illegal monopoly over search
The ruling focused on Google's practice of paying billions annually to secure default search engine status on devices. Evidence at trial showed the importance of the default settings. The judge said that shows other search engines can be successful if Google is not locked in as the predetermined default option.
🤨 Questions nobody asked
A friend and I were discussing the challenges of generating enough clean energy for the transition to electric vehicles. We jokingly asked if we could use hamsters to charge electric vehicles...
A hamster running in his wheel generates about half a watt of power. At that rate, it would take 22 years to charge a Tesla. 20,000 hamsters can do it in 10 hours.
Then I wondered: how do you breed that many hamsters? What do you feed them? And is this ecologically responsible?
🧠🤖 Artificial intelligence
Llama 3.1
Meta has released Llama 3.1, its largest and most advanced AI model to date. What's impressive is that this open-source model competes with leading closed-source models like GPT-4 and Claude 3.5 Sonnet across various tasks!
OpenAI goes after Google
OpenAI has unveiled SearchGPT, a new "search engine" designed to provide timely answers to questions using web sources. It's powered by GPT models and currently available to a small group of testers. However, the launch comes amid concerns about AI-powered search tools' accuracy and potential impact on publishers.
Apple, Anthropic, and others used YouTube videos for AI training
An investigation has revealed that over 170,000 YouTube videos were used without permission to train AI systems for major tech companies. Even some of my videos were in there. This revelation raises concerns about the ethical use of publicly available content for AI training.
Reddit blocks search engines & AI bots
Reddit is blocking search engines from accessing recent posts and comments unless they pay. Currently, only Google shows recent Reddit results because of a $60 million deal. Reddit claims this isn’t related to their Google partnership but stems from unsuccessful negotiations with other search engines regarding content use and AI.
⏳ On this day...
1961 - US army begins Operation Ranch Hand and sprays herbicides over rural areas of South Vietnam to deprive the Viet Cong of food and vegetation cover.
1990 - The Magellan space probe arrives at Venus to map its surface.
Today is International Biodiesel Day, dedicated to the invention of the diesel engine by Rudolf Diesel in 1890.
👽 Space
Water on the Moon
Recent discoveries by China's Chang'e-5 rover have revealed that water is more abundant and diverse on the Moon's surface than previously thought. Analysis of lunar soil samples shows water molecules can persist in sunlit areas as hydrated salts. This could make future human missions a lot easier!
Space dust turned into LEGO
This LEGO brick was 3D printed from a ground up, 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite! This was to show. A group of scientists from ESA had the idea to print space bricks and test how they would work for construction on future deep space missions.
Simulated Mars mission ends
NASA's first year-long Mars simulation, CHAPEA-1, has concluded after 378 days. Four volunteers lived in Mars Dune Alpha, a 3D-printed habitat at Johnson Space Center. The mission included activities like "Marswalks," growing vegetables, and dealing with communication delays.
Stranded astronauts might use SpaceX Dragon to return
NASA is still facing challenges with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. It may not bring its first astronauts home. The agency is now considering alternative options, including using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for the astronauts’ return.
⚡️ Energy & Environment
Meltdown-proof nuclear reactor
Chinese researchers have successfully showed a full-scale nuclear reactor that is immune to meltdowns. The High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Pebble-Bed Module (HTR-PM) in Shandong uses a novel design replacing fuel rods with “pebbles,” reducing energy density and allowing for natural heat dissipation. During a test, researchers cut power to the plant, and let it cool down naturally without intervention.
Visualization of CO2
This new NASA visualization shows how CO2 moves and concentrates around the globe. It appears to “pulse” because of day-night fire cycles and plant photosynthesis. Forests absorb CO2 during the day and release it at night, creating a visible rhythm in CO2 concentrations.