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California Declares Drought-Free Status for the First Time in 25 Years

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Following a recent winter storm that pummeled California with rain and snow, the state is officially drought-free for the first time in 25 years, as reported by the US Drought Monitor.

December 2000 marked the last occasion when California had no areas classified as “abnormally dry” or experiencing drought.

While this drought-free status is encouraging news for water management, many residents are still dealing with the aftermath of severe atmospheric river storms that led to significant rainfall and widespread flooding. In contrast, high-altitude regions are grappling with heavy snowfall and increased avalanche risks.

Between December 20 and the end of the year, some parts of Northern California received nearly 7 inches of rain, while Southern California saw up to 4 inches. As New Year’s approached, California faced additional rounds of significant rain and flooding, raising the levels of the state’s 17 major reservoirs to an impressive 129% of their average capacity, according to state records.

Steve Wargoman carries Christmas presents from his granddaughter’s flooded home after heavy rain on December 22 in Redding, California.
Noah Berger/Associated Press

This wet winter has boosted snowfall in California, which is crucial for the state’s water supply. However, snowfall levels remain below average. In late December, the California Department of Water Resources reported that measurements from 130 stations across the Sierra Nevada reveal a snow water equivalent of 6.5 inches, which is only 71% of the expected average for this time of year.

Nonetheless, officials are optimistic. The key months for snowfall in California—January, February, and March—are still ahead.

“It’s still early in the season, and the state’s water supply this year will ultimately depend on the frequency of storms continuing throughout the winter and early spring,” stated Angelique Fabbiani-Leon, state hydrographer with the Department of Water Resources, in a statement on December 30.

Typically, the Sierra Nevada snowpack provides about 30% of California’s annual water needs.

In contrast to California, other regions in the West, including Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, are enduring persistently dry conditions with snowfall well below normal levels.

Utah is facing record-low snowfall, with 93% of the state currently experiencing drought, according to the Utah Department of Water Resources.

Furthermore, in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, over 80% of monitoring stations report a “snow drought,” as defined by snow water equivalents falling below the 20th percentile, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Sam Altman Declares ‘Code Red’ for OpenAI Amidst ChatGPT’s Growing Competition

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Sam Altman has issued a “code red” for OpenAI to enhance ChatGPT amid strong competition from other chatbots.

In a recent report from the technology news site Information, the CEO of the San Francisco-based startup informed staff in an internal memo: “We are at a critical time for ChatGPT.”

OpenAI is feeling the pressure from the success of Gemini 3, Google’s latest AI model, and is allocating additional resources to improve ChatGPT.

Last month, Altman informed employees that the launch of Gemini 3 had outperformed competitors. According to various benchmarks, this could result in “temporary economic headwinds” for companies. He added, “I expect the global atmosphere to remain stormy for some time.”

While OpenAI’s flagship product boasts 800 million weekly users, Google benefits from a profitable search business along with vast data and financial resources for its AI initiatives.




Sam Altman. Photo: Jose Luis Magaña/AP

Marc Benioff, CEO of the $220bn (£166bn) software company Salesforce, stated last month that he plans to switch to Gemini 3 and “never look back” after testing Google’s newest AI release.

“I’ve been using ChatGPT every day for three years. I just spent two hours on Gemini 3. I’m not going back. The leap is insane. Reasoning, speed, images, video… everything is clearer and faster. I feel like the world has changed again,” he remarked on X.

OpenAI is also scaling back its advertising efforts on ChatGPT as it prioritizes improvements to the chatbot, which recently celebrated its third anniversary.

Nick Turley, the head of ChatGPT, marked the anniversary with a post on X, committing to further innovations for the product.

“Our focus now is to further enhance ChatGPT’s capabilities, making it more intuitive and personal while continuing to grow and expand access worldwide. Thank you for an incredible three years. We have much work ahead!”

Despite not having the same cash flow support as rivals like Google, Meta, and Amazon, who fund competitor Anthropic, OpenAI has garnered substantial investments from firms like SoftBank Investment Group and Microsoft. At its latest valuation, OpenAI reached $500 billion, a significant increase from $157 billion last October.

OpenAI is currently operating at a loss but anticipates annual revenue to surpass $20 billion by year’s end, with Altman projecting that it will “grow to hundreds of billions.” The startup plans to allocate $1.4 trillion in data center costs over the next eight years to develop and maintain AI systems, aiming for rapid revenue growth.

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“Considering the trends in AI usage and demand, we believe the risk of insufficient computing power at OpenAI is more significant and likely than the risk of excess computing power,” Altman stated last month.

Apple has also reacted to rising competitive pressure in the sector by appointing a new vice president of AI. John Gianandrea will be succeeded by Microsoft executive Amar Subramanya.

The company has been slow to integrate AI features into its products, while competitors like Samsung have been quicker to upgrade their devices with AI capabilities.

Subramanya comes to Apple from Microsoft, where he last served as vice president of AI. He previously spent 16 years at Google, including as head of engineering for the Gemini assistant.

Earlier this year, Apple announced that enhancements to its voice assistant Siri would be postponed until 2026.

Source: www.theguardian.com

OpenAI Declares Latest ChatGPT Upgrade a Significant Advancement, Yet Still Falls Short of Human Capability

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OpenAI asserts that the recent upgrade to ChatGPT marks a “significant step” towards achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), yet recognizes that there is still no “many” in the endeavor to create a system capable of performing human tasks.

The company claims that the GPT-5 model, which serves as the foundation of its innovative AI chatbot, represents a substantial improvement over previous iterations in areas like coding and creative writing, with significantly fewer sycophants.

The enhancements in ChatGPT are now available to over 1 million weekly users.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman referred to the model as a “significant step forward” in reaching the theoretical state of AGI, which is characterized as a highly autonomous system that can outperform humans in economically significant roles.

However, Altman conceded that GPT-5 has not yet attained that objective. “[It is] missing something very crucial, something very important,” he noted, emphasizing that the model cannot “learn on a continuous basis.”

Altman explained that while GPT-5 is “generally intelligent” and represents an “important step towards AGI,” most definitions indicate it has not reached that level yet.

“I believe the way we define AGI is significantly lacking, which is quite crucial. One major aspect… is that this model doesn’t adapt continuously based on new experiences.”

During the GPT-5 launch event on Thursday, Altman described the new version of ChatGPT as akin to having “doctoral experts in your pocket.” He compared the previous version to a college student and the one before that to a high school student.

The theoretical capabilities of AGI, along with high-tech companies’ drive to realize it, have led AI executives to predict that numerous white-collar jobs—ranging from lawyers to accountants—could be eliminated due to these technological advances. Dario Amodei, CEO of AI firm Anthropic, cautioned that technology might replace half of entry-level office roles in the coming five years.

According to OpenAI, the key enhancements to GPT-5 include reduced factual inaccuracies and hallucinations, improved coding capabilities for creating functional websites and apps, and a boost in creative writing abilities. Instead of outright “rejecting” prompts that violate guidelines, the model now aims to provide the most constructive response possible within safety parameters, or at least clarify why it cannot assist.

ChatGPT retains its agent functionalities (like checking restaurant availability and online shopping) but can also access users’ Gmail, Google Calendar, and contacts—provided permission is granted.

Similar to its predecessor, GPT-5 can generate audio, images, and text, and is capable of processing inquiries in these formats.

On Thursday, the company showcased how GPT-5 could swiftly write hundreds of lines of code to create applications, such as language learning tools. Staff noted that the model’s writing isn’t robotic; it produced a “more nuanced” compliment. Altman mentioned that ChatGPT could also be valuable for healthcare advice, discussing ways to support women diagnosed with cancer last year and assisting chatbots in deciding on radiation therapy options.

The company stated that the upgraded ChatGPT excels at addressing health-related inquiries and will become more proactive in “flagging potential concerns,” including serious physical and mental health issues.

The startup emphasized that chatbots should not replace professional assistance, amidst worries that AI tools could worsen the plight of individuals susceptible to mental health challenges.

Nick Turley, director of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, claimed that the model shows “significant improvement” in sycophancy. It’s becoming too familiar, which could lead to negative experiences for users.

The release of the latest model is expected to funnel billions into tech companies’ efforts to attain AGI. On Tuesday, Google’s AI division outlined its latest progress towards AGI by unveiling an unreleased “world model,” while last week, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of parent company Meta, suggested that a future state of AI, even more advanced than AGI, is “on the horizon.”

Investor confidence in the likelihood of further breakthroughs and AI’s ability to reshape the modern economy has sparked a surge in valuations for companies like OpenAI. Reports on Wednesday indicated that OpenAI was in preliminary talks to sell shares held by current and former employees, potentially valuing the company at $500 million, surpassing Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

OpenAI also launched two open models this week and continues to offer a free version of ChatGPT, while generating revenue through subscription fees for its advanced chatbot version, which can be integrated into business IT systems. Access to the free version of ChatGPT on GPT-5 will be limited, whereas users of the $200 Pro package will enjoy unlimited use.

Source: www.theguardian.com

NOAA Declares Fourth Mass Bleaching Event Imminent for World’s Coral Reefs

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Invertebrates are highly sensitive to heat stress, so coral health is closely linked to seawater temperature. Corals turn whitish when stressed. release symbiotic algae They live in organizations. Bleaching indicates that the health of the coral is at risk.

“When a coral bleaches, it doesn’t mean it’s dead. It means it’s weak and at risk of dying if conditions don’t improve,” says Ana Palacio, a scientific assistant at the Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Institute Collaborative Research Institute based at the University of Miami in partnership with NOAA.

Corals are important ecosystems that support a wide variety of fish and aquatic species, helping to nourish coastal communities and attract tourists. The economic value of coral reefs is estimated at $2.7 trillion annually. According to the 2020 report of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.

“They protect our coastlines. They protect us from storms and hurricanes. They have great value to our economy and security,” said Palacio.

Coral ecosystems are among the ecosystems that scientists believe are most at risk from global warming. In 2018, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that: 70% to 90% of the world’s coral reefs They will disappear if the average global temperature drops. exceeded the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.

Last year was the hottest year on record on Earth. The average global temperature has approached that threshold for the first time, but scientists believe 2023 was an anomaly, driven by El Niño.

Experts say bleaching began early in the season as sea surface temperatures soared in Florida.

“Typically, bleaching is observed around August to September in the Northern Hemisphere. We started observing the bleaching phenomenon in July last year,” said marine biologist Fanol Montoya Maya from the Coral Restoration Foundation, an organization that collects, restores, and replants coral.

Palacio said the area has seen widespread mortality of elkhorn and staghorn corals, two species that are the focus of restoration efforts.

“In some places, about 20 percent of those populations survived,” Palacio said of the restored corals. “We’re focusing our hopes on why those corals survived and what they can tell us about resistance, and how corals can become more resilient.”

The last global coral bleaching event occurred in 2014 and lasted until 2017. More than 56% of the world’s coral reef areas experienced temperatures that could cause bleaching during that period.

Bleached coral at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Galveston, Texas, Gulf of Mexico, September 16, 2023.
LM Otero / AP

Manzello said in an email Monday that 54% of the world’s coral reef areas have experienced bleaching-level heat stress in the past year, and this event could be the worst bleaching event on record.

“The proportion of coral reef areas experiencing bleaching-level heat stress is increasing by about 1% every week,” Manzello said. “This event is likely to exceed the previous peak.”

Montoya-Maya said bleaching warnings were already issued in Florida earlier than last year. He said the Coral Restoration Foundation is preparing for a busy summer in response to new bleaching events.

The natural pattern of El Niño is beginning to disappear, and NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center estimates that an El Niño event is possible. There is a 60% chance of a La Niña event occurring this summer.This could cool the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and allow some corals to recover, at least temporarily.

“This is very heartbreaking and will cause damage to many coral reefs around the world,” Palacio said. “I hope this bleaching event creates some traction and people start to care more and pay attention to what’s happening to the climate.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Astrophysicist declares universe devoid of dark matter

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Professor Rajendra Gupta of the University of Ottawa is challenging current theoretical models of the composition of the universe by showing that there is actually no room for dark matter in the universe.

This artist's impression shows the evolution of the universe, starting with the Big Bang on the left and continuing with the emergence of the Cosmic Microwave Background. The formation of the first stars ends the Dark Ages of the universe, followed by the formation of galaxies. Image credit: M. Weiss / Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

In cosmology, the term dark matter refers to anything that does not appear to interact with light or electromagnetic fields, or that can only be explained by gravity.

Although we can't see it and don't know what it's made of, it helps us understand how galaxies, planets, and stars work.

Professor Gupta reached this conclusion using a combination of covariation coupling constant (CCC) and “tired light” (TL) theory (CCC+TL model).

His model combines two ideas: how the forces of nature diminish over cosmic time and that light loses energy as it travels long distances.

It has been tested and shown to be consistent with several observations, including how galaxies spread and how light from the early universe evolved.

The discovery challenges the common understanding of the universe, which suggests that about 27% of the universe is made up of dark matter, less than 5% is normal matter, and the rest is dark energy.

“This new discovery confirms previous research, which found that the universe is 26.7 billion years old, and found that the existence of dark matter is not necessary for the universe,” said Gupta. the professor said.

“Standard cosmology says that the accelerating expansion of the universe is caused by dark energy, but it's actually because the forces of nature weaken as the universe expands, not by dark energy.”

In his research, Professor Gupta analyzed data from a recent paper on the distribution of galaxies at low redshifts and the angular size of the sound horizon in the literature at high redshifts.

“There are several papers that question the existence of dark matter, but to my knowledge, my paper does not support the existence of dark matter, while being consistent with the major cosmological observations that we have had time to confirm.” “This is the first paper to exclude ,” he said.

“By challenging the need for dark matter in the universe and providing evidence for a new cosmological model, this study opens up new avenues for exploring the fundamental properties of the universe.”

of paper Published in astrophysical journal.

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Rajendra P.Gupta other. 2024. Testing the CCC+TL cosmology with observed baryon acoustic vibration signatures. APJ 964, 55; doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad1bc6

Source: www.sci.news

Bird, an electric scooter company, declares bankruptcy

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bird Submitted Under Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Codecapping off a turbulent year for the electric scooter company.

in press release Bird confirmed today that it has entered a “financial restructuring process aimed at strengthening its balance sheet” and that the company is continuing business as usual in pursuit of “long-term, sustainable growth.” Announced.

Founded in 2017 by former Lyft and Uber executive Travis VanderZanden, Bird is one of many startups deploying dockless micromobility platforms around the world, helping city dwellers take short-term access to electric scooters and e-bikes. You will be able to pay for access. The company went public in late 2021 through a SPAC merger, but its stock price plummeted permanently in a crowded market built on questionable economics, and its market capitalization was $2 billion at its New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) debut. It has fallen since then. Just up to $70 million 12 months later. The decline prompted the New York Stock Exchange to issue a warning that Bird’s stock price was too low.

Things didn’t improve, the stock price continued to fall, and CEO VanderZanden eventually stepped down in June. Delisted from NYSE During September.

Separately, Bird also announced a series of layoffs shortly after acquiring rival Spin for $19 million.

Bird lands on New York Stock Exchange

Bird lands on New York Stock Exchange image credits:Spencer Pratt/Getty Images

Chapter 11

The Chapter 11 bankruptcy will allow Byrd to restructure its finances without disrupting its day-to-day operations, with existing lenders MidCap Financial, a division of Apollo Global Management, providing $25 million in financing through the bankruptcy process. will be provided.

The ultimate goal is to sell Byrd’s assets, and so-called “horse racing” agreements begin a bidding process aimed at extracting as much value as possible from Byrd, with Byrd’s lenders being Set a baseline bid before starting a deal with a potential suitor. over the next four months.

Interim CEO Michael Wasinusi will continue in his role both before and after the reorganization, the statement said.

“This announcement represents an important milestone in Bird’s transformation, which began with the appointment of new leadership earlier this year,” Washinushi said. “We are making progress towards improving profitability and aim to accelerate that progress by right-sizing our capital structure through this restructuring. We remain focused on our mission to make cities more livable by reducing volume, traffic and carbon emissions.”

It’s also worth noting that Bird’s Canadian and European operations are not included in the bankruptcy filing, and the company says it will “continue to operate as usual.”

This latest news comes just one day after rival MicroMobility.com was delisted from the Nasdaq due to low stock prices, and three years after the company also went public through a SPAC merger. And in Europe, dockless scooter startup Tia recently laid off 22% of its workforce following bankruptcy proceedings for Dutch e-bike startup VanMoof.

Overall, it hasn’t been a great year for the micromobility space.

Source: techcrunch.com