Author: Dot X
The illustration shows asteroids. — Nasa/File Asteroid 2024 YR4, which was previously considered the highest recorded impact risk to Earth, has recently attracted attention again due to a slight increase in the likelihood of it impacting the moon in 2032. Currently, the asteroid is too far away for observation from Earth. However, it was briefly visible in May through the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). A research team led by Andy Rivkin from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory utilised data from the telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera to refine predictions regarding the asteroid’s trajectory for December 22, 2032. This work…
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Digital monitoring is now a regular part of our working reality. From CCTV cameras to call recording, surveillance in the workplace is not new. But workers now face a more detailed and intrusive type of monitoring that is less understood, and at times even entirely unknown, by employees: employee monitoring applications (EMAs). It’s no longer just about being captured in the frame of a CCTV camera or having phone calls recorded. Workers now must be concerned about the collection of any and all activities that occur on their devices, and the use of this information…
Credit: Alexander Zvir from Pexels We live in an age of increasing wildfire disasters because more of us are living in places where wildfires and human development collide. Right now, fast-moving wildfires are forcing mass evacuations and destroying homes across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, where entire communities are under threat. Despite the growing impacts of extreme weather events, including prolonged droughts and increasing temperatures, we continue building and even rebuilding homes in likely paths of destructive wildfires. As cities grow, the demand for new home developments in previously forested areas means that we’re rapidly losing buffers between developed…
Credit: cottonbro studio from Pexels The UK government is to team up with tech giants including Google, Microsoft and Amazon to train 7.5 million workers in AI skills, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is to announce Monday. Starmer is also set to unveil £187 million ($253 million) in funding to help develop tech abilities for one million secondary school students, as part of its “TechFirst” program to bring AI learning into classrooms and communities. “We are putting the power of AI into the hands of the next generation—so they can shape the future, not be shaped by it,” Starmer was…
Image of the Cessna 172 aircraft used for the experiments in the X-Plane simulator with illustrations showing possible future trajectories of the system with uncertainty bounds. Credit: Joshua Ott using X-Plane by Laminar Research A team at Stanford has shown that using fewer, higher-quality data points can speed up complex simulations. The method could impact fields from aircraft certification to climate modeling. Anyone who has seen a fluid mechanics simulation in action, relied on a weather model to anticipate an oncoming hurricane, or seen a flight simulator put a virtual, billion-dollar jet design through its paces, knows that the…
Microsoft says that its coming ROG Xbox Ally handheld gaming devices will be available by the year-end holiday season, with pricing soon to be disclosed. Microsoft on Sunday unveiled its first Xbox-branded handheld gaming devices, touting them as a way to play its vast library of titles anywhere. Two “ROG Xbox Ally” models made in a partnership with Taiwan-based ASUS will be available by the year-end holiday season, Xbox president Sarah Bond said during an online event showcasing games heading for the platform. “The Xbox Ally is an Xbox you can hold in your hands, bringing together the power…
The Apple logo is displayed at an Apple store, Jan. 3, 2019. Credit: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File After stumbling out of the starting gate in Big Tech’s pivotal race to capitalize on artificial intelligence, Apple will try to regain its footing Monday at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. The presummer rite, which attracts thousands of developers to Apple’s Silicon Valley headquarters, is expected to be more subdued than the feverish anticipation that surrounded the event during the previous two years. In 2023, Apple unveiled a mixed-reality headset that has been little more than a niche product, and last year…
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain This week, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed two men suspected of bombing a fertility clinic in California last month allegedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to obtain bomb-making instructions. The FBI did not disclose the name of the AI program in question. This brings into sharp focus the urgent need to make AI safer. Currently we are living in the “wild west” era of AI, where companies are fiercely competing to develop the fastest and most entertaining AI systems. Each company wants to outdo competitors and claim the top spot. This intense competition often…
Credit: Photos Hobby, Unsplash International regulation of tech giants, intellectual property reform, and preparation for workforce disruption must be prioritized by policymakers as artificial intelligence transforms society. These are the arguments of AI expert Professor Shalom Lappin, which he backs with comprehensive research in his new book “Understanding the Artificial Intelligence Revolution”. “The public domain and its citizens need to play a major role in determining the framework within which AI technology continues to develop,” argues Lappin, who holds positions at Queen Mary University of London, King’s College London, and the University of Gothenburg. He sets aside speculative fears…
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Half of entry-level white collar jobs might cease to exist in the near future, according to Dario Amodei, the CEO of leading AI company Anthropic. Amodei, whose company is behind the Claude platform, has since called for transparency standards requiring companies making AI models to demonstrate how they are handling risks such as the AI enabling cyberattacks or helping to make bioweapons. Time and again, such claims suggest the pace of development in artificial intelligence is vastly outstripping our ability to adapt and adopt, creating a series of short-term crises. Yet the debate between AI…
Kristin Chenoweth differentiates ‘Queen of Versailles’ from ‘Wicked’ Kristin Chenoweth is setting fans’ expectations straight as she gears up for her return to Broadway in The Queen of Versailles. While chatting with PEOPLE on the red carpet at the 2025 Tony Awards in New York City on Sunday, June 8, the Tony-winning star made it clear that this new role is unlike anything Wicked fans might be anticipating. “People think they’re gonna get Wicked — you’re not gonna get Wicked, so don’t get disappointed,” said Chenoweth, 56, with a smile. The upcoming Stephen Schwartz musical The Queen of Versailles, co-produced by Chenoweth’s…
Billie Eilish and Nat Wolff make romance official with public PDA Billie Eilish and Nat Wolff have made their romance official after months of speculation, as the pair were spotted sharing affectionate moments during a getaway in Venice, Italy. The Grammy-winning singer, 23, and actor, 30, were seen kissing and enjoying the summer sun together, confirming what fans had long suspected. Snaps captured by Deux Moi captured the couple during their Italian escape. Eilish, dressed in a green striped polo with her dark hair down, smiled as she snapped selfies with Wolff. The actor, known for his roles in The…