June 2023 – Page 2

Health

Breakthrough in Stem Cell Research: Universal Donor Cells Offer Hope for Neurological Diseases

June 27, 2023

Scientists at City of Hope have achieved a groundbreaking milestone in stem cell research, developing universal donor stem cells that hold the potential to save the lives of children suffering from fatal brain conditions like Canavan disease. Furthermore, these engineered cells offer hope for individuals with degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. The study, published in Advanced Science, showcases the transformative impact of this novel approach.

Dr. Yanhong Shi, Chair of the Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Herbert Horvitz Professor in Neuroscience at Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, explains that the off-the-shelf strategy employed by City of Hope can be expanded to enhance the quality of life for cancer patients facing cognitive impairment or motor function issues resulting from chemotherapy or radiation. Dr. Shi has dedicated 12 years to this groundbreaking research.

AI

Combating the Menace: Tackling Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing

June 27, 2023

Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing poses a significant threat to the world’s oceans, wreaking havoc on vulnerable marine populations and jeopardizing ecosystem health. Unfortunately, monitoring and preventing such activities have proven challenging due to the lack of ocean surveillance. However, a beacon of hope is emerging with recent developments that could lead to positive change.

Global Fishing Watch, an initiative founded in 2015 by Google, SkyTruth, and Oceana, has secured a remarkable $60 million in funding to harness technology in creating a revolutionary map. This map will enable experts to track over one million vessels on the ocean, marking a significant milestone in combatting IUU fishing. The funding comes from The Audacious Project, a financial support platform hosted by TED, dedicated to backing projects that present solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.

Space

Axiom Space Unveils Ambitious Plans for Low Earth Orbit

June 27, 2023

Axiom Space, a Houston-based company founded in 2016, is making significant strides in the realm of low Earth orbit (LEO) with a vision to establish its own space station. The company has already achieved noteworthy milestones, including the first-ever private citizen flight to the International Space Station (ISS) through its Ax-1 mission in April 2021. Following the success of Ax-2, the company’s second flight, which concluded in late May, Axiom Space is gearing up for Ax-3 scheduled for November. These missions have not only facilitated groundbreaking scientific experiments but have also played a pivotal role in shaping Axiom’s future space station design and operations.

In January 2020, Axiom won a contract from NASA to construct the initial commercially manufactured module for the ISS. Previously targeting completion in 2024, Axiom’s senior director of in-space solutions, David Zuniga, revealed that the first module is now set for deployment in 2026. This module will be connected to the forward port of the ISS’ Harmony module, serving as the foundation for subsequent components in Axiom’s planned space station architecture. Following this, the company plans to attach a second module in 2027, a third module in 2028, and a thermal power module before 2030. This critical addition will enable Axiom’s space station to detach from the ISS, transforming it into an independent, commercially operated LEO destination.

Electric Vehicles

Whisper Aero Unveils Electric Propulsion for Noiseless Flying Taxis

June 23, 2023

As the world eagerly anticipates the arrival of flying taxis in cities, concerns regarding the potential noise they would generate are being raised by urban residents. However, Tennessee-based startup Whisper Aero has recently revealed its electric propulsion technology, offering a solution for noiseless aerial transportation in the future.

Drones and vertical take-off and landing vehicles (VTOLs) have the potential to alleviate road congestion and revolutionize urban travel. Nevertheless, the noise emissions associated with these systems have been a source of frustration. After years of efforts to relocate airports away from cities, we find ourselves on the cusp of a future where noise pollution from above may become a concern, potentially hindering the prospects of air taxis within city limits.

In 2021, Mark Moore and Ian Villa, former colleagues at Uber Elevate, co-founded Whisper Aero with the aim of spearheading a silent revolution in electric propulsion and transforming noiseless flight into a reality. After eight months of development, the startup successfully flew a drone powered by its noiseless technology and has now unveiled the groundbreaking technology behind it.

Robotics

ABB Robotics Partners with Junglekeepers to Deploy YuMi Robot for Amazon Reforestation

June 23, 2023

In an innovative collaboration, ABB Robotics has joined forces with Junglekeepers, a U.S. non-profit organization, to utilize their advanced robot, YuMi, in the reforestation efforts of the Amazon. A recent press release by ABB highlights how this cutting-edge machine is automating planting tasks within a jungle laboratory, streamlining the process and enabling Junglekeepers’ volunteers to concentrate on more impactful work.

Sami Atiya, President of ABB Robotics and Discrete Automation, emphasized the significance of this partnership, stating, “ABB’s collaboration with Junglekeepers showcases the pivotal role of robotics and Cloud technology in combating deforestation, one of the major contributors to climate change.” He further added, “Our pilot program featuring the world’s most remote robot is helping automate highly repetitive tasks, freeing up rangers to undertake more important work in the rainforest and aiding in the conservation of their land.”

Science & Technology News

The Evolving Landscape of News Consumption in the Digital Era

June 23, 2023

The traditional news media has long grappled with the challenges posed by the digital revolution, leading to a well-documented crisis in journalism. However, news organizations now face a more profound transformation driven by a generation that has grown up relying heavily on various digital media platforms.

Data from this year’s Reuters Institute Digital News Report reveals an accelerated shift towards digital, mobile, and media-rich environments. Today, news content is predominantly delivered through social media and increasingly popular video-led platforms like TikTok, rather than the perceived formal and antiquated outlets of “legacy” media such as newspapers and television.

The decline in consumption of traditional television news and print formats continues unabated, while online websites struggle to engage news users, despite the tumultuous times we live in. An essential benchmark of this shift is the preferred gateway for accessing news. Across the 46 countries surveyed in our annual report, social media has steadily gained popularity each year, often at the expense of direct access through traditional news websites or apps. Access through search engines and other aggregators has also seen a slight increase. It is crucial to note that direct connection remains strong in some markets, particularly in Northern Europe, where news interest and trust are relatively high. However, in other regions, notably parts of Asia, Latin America, and Africa, social media and aggregators dominate as the primary gateways, leaving news brands heavily reliant on third-party platforms for traffic.

AI

Paul McCartney Reveals AI was Used to Restore John Lennon’s Vocals for Upcoming Beatles Track

June 23, 2023

During an interview with the BBC, legendary Beatles singer-songwriter Paul McCartney disclosed that artificial intelligence (AI) was utilized to extract and enhance the vocals of his former bandmate, John Lennon, from an old recording. This breakthrough allowed Lennon’s voice to feature in an upcoming track.

McCartney, when asked about AI during the BBC’s “Today” program, expressed his fascination with the technology, stating, “It’s a very interesting thing, you know. It’s something we’re all sort of tackling at the moment and trying to deal with.”

According to McCartney, “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson, who recently released the documentary “The Beatles: Get Back,” which showcased colorized and restored archival footage of the band, successfully extracted Lennon’s voice from a deteriorated cassette recording using AI. The technology distinguished Lennon’s vocals from instrumental and background interference.

Economy

China to Witness Largest Exodus of Millionaires Again This Year, New Research Finds

June 23, 2023

China, renowned for its booming economy and massive population, is set to experience the highest outflow of millionaires globally this year, as revealed by a recent study. Investment migration consultancy Henley & Partners reported that China is projected to lose the most number of dollar millionaires due to migration compared to any other country.

The data from the firm indicated that 10,800 high-net-worth individuals left China in 2022, and an additional 13,500 are expected to depart this year. This ongoing trend of millionaire exodus from China has persisted for the past decade, causing a deceleration in overall wealth growth in the country. Andrew Amoils, Head of Research at global wealth intelligence firm New World Wealth, emphasized the impact of these outflows, stating, “The recent outflows could be more damaging than usual. China’s economy grew strongly from 2000 to 2017, but wealth and millionaire growth in the country has been negligible since then when measured in U.S.-dollar terms.”

Following China, Henley & Partners predicts that India will witness a net loss of 6,500 millionaires this year, a decrease of 1,000 compared to 2022. Factors such as burdensome tax legislation and complex rules regarding outbound remittances have contributed to the increasing trend of investment migration from India, as stated by Sunita Singh-Dalal, Partner of Private Wealth and Family Offices at law firm Hourani.

AI

AI Enhancement Software CEO Counters Concerns, Emphasizing Collaboration between AI and Human Creativity

June 23, 2023

The CEO of a leading artificial intelligence (AI) image and video enhancement software company has responded to concerns regarding AI’s impact on employment in the art and entertainment industries, asserting that recent advancements will actually benefit creators by alleviating technical challenges.

Eric Yang, CEO of Topaz Labs, dismissed the notion that AI would replace human creativity, stating, “There’s a common fear that AI will replace humans, but we believe that we’ll instead see an explosion of AI-assisted human creativity and productivity in the next few years. People create art to tell stories to other people, and AI can never replace that,” Yang told Fox News Digital.

A research report from Goldman Sachs in March indicated that AI has the potential to automate up to 26% of employment tasks in media, design, arts, entertainment, and sports. However, artists’ opinions on generative AI have been divided. Some view AI-generated art and photo generators as “anti-artist,” as they rely on existing human artwork for training data obtained without consent or compensation. Others worry that AI’s ability to swiftly create work similar to that of established artists could lead the public to perceive photography and painting as easily replicable. These concerns are primarily directed toward generative AI models like MidJourney and Dall-E, rather than image or art enhancement tools.

Science & Technology News

Mori3: The Versatile Modular Robot for Space Exploration

June 23, 2023

Packing a full-sized robot for space travel presents challenges due to limited space inside rockets bound for the Moon or even Mars. To overcome this obstacle, engineers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) have developed Mori3, a modular robot that can assemble from smaller parts, forming a connected swarm with a shared intelligence.

Mori3’s design allows it to transform from a basic triangle shape into various 3D objects using polygon meshing, as detailed in a recent publication in Nature Machine Intelligence. The aim is to create an origami-like robot that can adapt its size, shape, and function based on the environment and task at hand, making it suitable for future applications in Moon colonies and potentially on Mars. Each individual module may not seem impressive on its own, but when connected, the triangle pieces operate collectively as a swarm. The Mori3 robot possesses some level of autonomy, enabling it to modify its shape, attach to different modules, and establish communication among the pieces to form functional structures.

Electric Vehicles

Telo Unveils Game-Changing Mini Electric Pickup Truck

June 23, 2023

Telo, an innovative company, has unveiled its mini electric pickup truck, finally offering a refreshing alternative to the dominating presence of hulking electric trucks on the road. Combining the functionality of a Toyota Tacoma with the compact footprint of a Mini Cooper, Telo’s design presents the best of both worlds, surpassing the massive size of current and upcoming EV pickups such as the Ford F-150 Lightning, Tesla Cybertruck, and Rivian R1T. Despite its compact nature, the Telo truck delivers an impressive range and is equally at ease maneuvering into tight city parking spaces or venturing out on exciting weekend adventures.

In terms of interior space, the Telo truck matches the Toyota Tacoma, comfortably accommodating up to five passengers in its default configuration. The exterior features a 60-inch bed, mirroring the truck bed length of the Tacoma. However, the entire Telo truck measures a mere 152 inches in length, 73 inches in width, and 66 inches in height—similar to the dimensions of a Mini Cooper.

Science & Technology News

Varda Space Industries Deploys First Satellite, Pioneering Mass Production in Space

June 23, 2023

A California-based startup, Varda Space Industries, co-founded by a SpaceX veteran, made an exciting announcement as it successfully deployed its inaugural satellite, W-Series 1, into orbit. The company’s mission revolves around kickstarting the mass production of materials in space, either those impossible to manufacture on Earth or those that can be developed faster and with superior quality in microgravity conditions.

Excitement filled the air as Varda tweeted, “The world’s first space factory’s solar panels have found the sun, and it’s beginning to de-tumble,” shortly after the satellite was launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-8 mission on Monday, June 13.

The W-Series 1 satellite is situated within Rocket Lab’s Photon platform, a satellite solution also contracted by NASA for two upcoming Mars missions. Varda’s satellite launch is a crucial step in the company’s testing campaign to determine the feasibility of leveraging its satellite solution for pharmaceutical development in space.

The company was established by Will Bruey, a former SpaceX avionics engineer, and Delian Asparouhov from Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. Varda’s primary objective is to enable the mass production of specific products in space. This goal has become increasingly achievable with the rise of private launch service providers like SpaceX and Rocket Lab, which have significantly enhanced accessibility to space in recent years.