Sci-Tech

Space surgery: Doctors on ground operate robot on ISS for first time

Earth-bound surgeons remotely controlled a small robot aboard the International Space Station over the weekend, conducting the first-ever such surgery in orbit — albeit on rubber bands. The experiment, deemed a “huge success” by the participants, represents a new step in the development of space surgery, which could become necessary to treat medical emergencies during multi-year manned voyages, such as to Mars. The technology could also be used to develop remote-control surgery techniques on Earth, […]

Judge orders Elon Musk to answer to regulators in Twitter/X probe

A US judge has ordered Elon Musk to comply with a subpoena to answer questions from regulators about his purchases of Twitter shares last year. The order comes after Musk, who beefed up his stake in Twitter — now called X — before buying the company for $44 billion, did not show up for a scheduled deposition in September with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), according to a legal filing. “The court grants the […]

World’s biggest flying lab takes off in Asia, fighting air pollution for millions

CLARK, Philippines, Feb 9, 2024 (AFP) – NASA has kicked off a series of marathon flights in Asia with the world’s biggest flying laboratory, in an ambitious mission to improve the models that help to forecast and fight air pollution. Millions of deaths each year are linked to air pollution, and improving the ability to identify its sources and behaviour can lead to more accurate warning systems for the public. Starting this week in the […]

Scientists: Secret ocean hides under Saturn moon’s ice

By Juliette Collen PARIS, Feb 7, 2024 (AFP) – Saturn’s small moon Mimas seems an unlikely suspect in the hunt for life in Earth’s backyard — it is probably best known for looking like the “Death Star” in the Star Wars films. But scientists said on Wednesday that underneath the unassuming moon’s icy shell is a vast hidden ocean that has many of the ingredients necessary to host primitive alien life. Mimas is the latest […]

US to launch next Moon mission on February 14

US companies are set to launch for the Moon on February 14, less than a month since a similar mission ended in failure with the spaceship burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere, NASA said Wednesday. The upcoming attempt features a lander built by Houston-based Intuitive Machines fixed to the top of a SpaceX rocket, while the last try involved a United Launch Alliance rocket and Astrobotics lander. But the stakes remain just as high: achieving […]

Meta, Amazon beat expectations with stellar results

By Glenn CHAPMAN Meta and Amazon on Thursday blew through expectations in their latest quarterly results as Big Tech continued to impress Wall Street. Meta, the tech titan behind Facebook and Instagram, reported a profit of $14 billion in the final three months of last year, beating analyst forecasts as revenue climbed to $40.1 billion in the quarter. The company said Facebook’s monthly users stood at 3.07 billion people, 20 years after the platform was […]

Facebook, the social network old-timer, turns 20

By Julie JAMMOT Founded 20 years ago as a simple hangout spot for young people, Facebook has since become a battle-hardened behemoth that — despite perceptions of being for boomers and parents — continues growing and growing. “I will never forget the day that I ran up to my high school’s Mac lab and signed up for Facebook,” Insider Intelligence analyst Jasmine Enberg told AFP. “You simultaneously felt that you were part of this small, […]

Astronomers in Chile to scour universe with car-sized mega camera

By Axl HERNANDEZ Surrounded by the desert mountains and clear blue sky of northern Chile, astronomers from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory hope to revolutionize the study of the universe by affixing the world’s largest-ever digital camera to a telescope. The size of a small car and weighing 2.8 metric tons, the sophisticated piece of equipment will reveal views of the cosmos as never before, officials from the US-funded project told AFP. Beginning in early […]

Microsoft, Google ride AI wave as revenues surge

By Glenn CHAPMAN Microsoft and Google delivered solid corporate earnings on Tuesday as the tech giants said demand for artificial intelligence services stoked revenue. The tech titans have made big bets on generative AI, with their cloud computing divisions seeing a boost in demand as clients seek the hefty — and more expensive – computing power that drives the technology. Microsoft has moved the fastest and furthest into the AI space, investing in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI […]

Musk says Neuralink installs brain implant in first patient

Elon Musk on Tuesday said his Neuralink startup had installed a brain implant in its first human patient with “promising” initial results. The neurotechnology company co-founded by Musk in 2016 aims to build direct communication channels between the brain and computers. The ambition is to supercharge human capabilities, treat neurological disorders like ALS or Parkinson’s, and maybe one day achieve a symbiotic relationship between humans and artificial intelligence. “The first human received an implant from […]

Japan says Moon lander ‘resumed operations’

Japan’s Moon lander has resumed operations, the space agency said on Monday, indicating that power had been restored. After it landed on January 20, JAXA had said that problems with the craft’s solar batteries meant they were not generating power. “Last evening we succeeded in establishing communication with SLIM, and resumed operations,” JAXA said on X, formerly Twitter. “We immediately started scientific observations with MBC, and have successfully obtained first light for 10-band observation,” it […]

NASA helicopter’s mission ends after three years on Mars

By Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, Jan 26, 2024 (AFP) – NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter, which made history by achieving the first powered flight on another world, has officially ended its nearly three-year mission after sustaining rotor damage during its last outing, the space agency said Thursday. The tissue-box sized aircraft, which hitched a ride to the Red Planet under the belly of the Perseverance rover, first lifted off the surface on April 19, 2021. Originally intended […]