Astronomers utilizing the groundbreaking Event Horizon Telescope—a global network of eight advanced radio telescopes—have pinpointed the likely origin of a massive space jet emanating from the core of Messier 87.
This Webb/NIRCam image showcases the extraordinary space jet of Messier 87. Image credits: Jan Röder, Maciek Wielgus, Joseph B. Jensen, Gagandeep S. Anand, R. Brent Tully.
Messier 87, a colossal elliptical galaxy situated approximately 53 million light-years away in the Virgo constellation, is of great scientific interest.
Also known as M87, Virgo A, and NGC 4486, this galaxy hosts a supermassive black hole, approximately 6 billion times the mass of our Sun.
This supermassive black hole generates a striking, narrow jet of particles that extends roughly 3,000 light-years into the cosmos.
To investigate such distant regions, astronomers are combining radio telescopes from around the world to create a virtual Earth-sized observatory known as the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT).
Using EHT observations of M87 conducted in 2021, researchers assessed the brightness of radio emissions at various spatial scales.
They discovered that the luminous ring surrounding the black hole does not account for all radio emissions, identifying an additional compact source approximately 0.09 light-years from the black hole that aligns with the predicted location of the jet’s base.
“By pinpointing where the jet originates and how it connects to the black hole’s shadow, we are adding significant insights into this cosmic puzzle,” stated Saurabh, a student at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and a member of the EHT Collaboration.
“The newly collected data is currently undergoing analysis with contributions from international partners and will soon incorporate additional telescopes, improving our understanding of this area,” remarked Dr. Sebastiano von Fehrenberg, an astronomer at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics.
“This will provide us with a much clearer view of the jet’s launch region.”
“We’re transitioning from merely calculating the positions of these structures to aiming for direct imaging,” he added.
“The jet is postulated to be launched using the rotational energy of the black hole through electromagnetic processes, presenting a unique laboratory where general relativity and quantum electrodynamics intersect,” explained Professor Bert Lipperda, also from the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics.
“Studying how jets are launched in proximity to a black hole’s event horizon is a crucial advancement in our comprehension of these cosmic titans.”
“The observational data will empower scientists to test theories regarding the interplay between gravity and magnetism in the universe’s most extreme environments, bringing us closer to understanding the ‘engines’ that shape entire galaxies.”
Find more details in the result published in the Journal on January 28, 2026, in Astronomy and Astrophysics.
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Saurabh et al. 2026. Investigation of the jet-based ejection from M87* with 2021 Event Horizon Telescope observations. A&A 706, A27; doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202557022
cResidents globally have adapted to take-out food and speedy grocery deliveries. However, many are still getting accustomed to seeing a robot arrive at their doorstep. Ahti Heinla, co-founder of Skype, is determined to change that with his new endeavor.
Heinla is the CEO of Starship Technologies, a startup he asserts is more cost-effective than using human delivery drivers, particularly in smaller towns and villages where delivery had previously been impractical.
“We addressed every challenge that existed,” Heinla remarked while having lunch at a London hotel. “You can mark the year and the months, but it’s clear: this will happen.”
Residents in Manchester, Leeds, Cambridge, and Milton Keynes in the UK, along with those in Estonia and Finland, have already begun receiving their food and groceries via these robots. They are becoming increasingly mainstream, even attending garden parties at 10 Downing Street and featuring in episodes of popular shows. Starship has executed 8 million deliveries with just 200 employees, aiming to expand significantly.
Heinla, having already made substantial profit from co-founding a company that became a household name, speaks of his ambition with enthusiasm.
In 2000, Heinla worked with Niklas Zennström, a video game developer and Skype co-founder, and fellow Estonian Jaan Tallin, to swiftly develop new coding. This effort led to the creation of the file-sharing software Kazaa, followed by similar techniques used for Skype. The six-member founding team sold Skype to eBay in 2005 for $3.1 billion (£2.3 billion).
Reflecting on the era of emerging tech, Heinla mentioned that Skype’s closure this year brought back memories. While he didn’t disclose his earnings, he indicated that he could travel in a private jet if he so desired.
Ahti Heinla believes robotics can “enhance everyone’s lives” through autonomous delivery. Photo: None
Yet, he insists, “Even if they’re capable, I’m not just chasing after money. I don’t need more wealth. Why should I want a palace? What’s the purpose?”
Instead, Heinla emphasized that achieving effective autonomous driving is a key way robotics can “integrate into everyone’s lives.”
After departing from Skype, Heinla explored various ventures, including attempts at social networking. In 2014, he entered a NASA contest to design an affordable Mars rover. Although NASA didn’t select his design, it was capable of traversing both extraterrestrial and urban terrains using radar, cameras, and ultrasound sensors that learned from their experiences.
By 2017, the robot was navigating in Estonia, accompanied by a model referred to as the “Safety Walker.” Heinla boasts that it became the first unsupervised robot operating autonomously in public settings. In 2018, the company commenced a pilot commercial service on the predictable roads of Milton Keynes, collaborating with Estonia’s high-tech company Bolt, and UK co-op supermarket chains along with US food delivery companies like Grubhub.
A robotics delivery vehicle in Milton Keynes, UK. Photo: Justin Long/Aramie
Starship may boast the world’s largest fleet of self-driving vehicles; however, as technology progresses, competition intensifies. Rival companies include the Saudi Arabia-backed Noon, and US startups like Nuro. Additionally, there’s stiff competition from numerous firms developing autonomous vehicles, including Tesla and Baidu.
A compelling competitor is Manna Aero from Dublin, a startup already utilizing flying drones for deliveries like coffee and pizza. Amazon and Google’s sister company, Wing, have also ventured into drone-based services.
A recurring issue for many of these businesses is encountering inconsistent regulations. Starship has had to negotiate with various UK councils, while in Finland, they service one million residents under national laws established for robot use on sidewalks, serving a population of 5.6 million. Meanwhile, the UK has far fewer robots catering to its 69 million population.
“We’re ready to invest in the UK for large-scale expansion, but we require regulatory clarity,” Heinla stated. “The number of robots in the UK is lower than in Finland, but there’s potential for growth. Many more robots could operate here.”
He highlighted a potential client in the UK that initially plans to deploy robots at 200 locations, with aspirations to expand to 800 sites, including areas beyond major towns and cities.
Testing a Starship Technology robot crossing the road in Northampton, UK. Photo: Brian Tomlinson/Starship Technologies
“That’s the unique capability of a robot,” Heinla stated. “Our goal is to introduce delivery services to small towns in the UK. We are prepared to invest in scaling these operations.”
While many economists and futurists warn about robots replacing human jobs, Heinla contends that Starship robots are addressing the growing demand for deliveries, allowing humans to focus on longer and more complex tasks. He further asserts that these robots help smaller businesses “thrive economically and compete against larger establishments,” enhancing overall capabilities.
Starship has raised just 200 million euros (£175 million) in funding, a modest sum compared to the billions amassed recently by rapid delivery companies that still rely on human workers. Many of these companies have fizzled out after initially attracting substantial investments, such as Getir and Gorillas.
The initial investment in a robot is relatively high—thousands of pounds, though not exceeding 10,000 euros, according to Heinla. However, the cost per delivery can compete with traditional human services. He declined to provide precise figures but stated that the Starship delivery model is cash-generative.
“While we’re not fully profitable yet, we are confident,” he clarified.
Some retailers question whether robots can outperform human delivery services offered by companies like Recrioo and Uber Eats. Nonetheless, Heinla argues that robots eliminate costs associated with downtime, making them viable options for urban restaurants and retailers in low-density areas.
“Almost every delivery service could benefit from this,” he asserted. “At a certain point, using robots becomes significantly cheaper, making it the obvious choice.”
One of the disheartening truths of the 21st century is that what we perceive as social media is essentially just mass media, albeit in a fractured state. Fortunately, journalists and creators are gradually transforming outdated media paradigms and forging ahead into innovative territory.
The phrase “mass media” gained traction in the 1920s to characterize popular culture in the industrial age. This involved mass-produced books, films, and radio shows, providing a shared experience for audiences where many could engage with identical media content simultaneously. Prior to the 20th century, most entertainment was experienced live, with performances varying slightly from one event to the next. However, movies and radio broadcasts ensured uniformity, accessible to everyone at any given time. Just like purchasing standardized products for mass consumption, such as shoes and automobiles.
Social media did not significantly alter this model. Platforms like X, Facebook, and TikTok were designed for extensive reach and audience engagement. Every post, video, and live stream aims to captivate the broadest possible audience. While it is possible to tailor media for specific demographics or create filter bubbles, the fixation on follower counts illustrates that we remain entrenched in a mass media mindset, seeking to engage the largest number of viewers. This isn’t genuine “social” interaction; it’s merely mass-produced content under a different guise.
What if we endeavored to foster a truly social media experience devoid of algorithmic noise or political agendas? One alternative could be termed Cozy Media, which encompasses apps and content specifically crafted for nurturing connections among small groups of friends in serene, inviting settings. Envision the media counterpart of a friendly gathering, complete with card crafting or fireside chats.
The hallmark Cozy Media experience intertwines gaming elements with low-stress missions against charming backdrops. Developers are striving to replicate these cozy aesthetics in social applications. From group discussions to online book clubs, the emphasis is on comfort. Yet, it transcends mere aesthetics; Cozy Media platforms intentionally restrict interactions with random strangers, directing users instead toward trustworthy friends.
One app I’ve been utilizing frequently is Retro. Unlike Instagram, where creators often first gained exposure, Retro is primarily designed for engagement among small circles of trusted friends. There’s no algorithm promoting random content from strangers; when I log into Retro, it feels as though I’m engaging with peers rather than filtering through a deluge of nonsensical content and advertisements. My posts there are meant for a select few, allowing for meaningful interactions rather than shouting into the void of giant algorithms.
Cozy media often helps you connect with a small group of friends in a friendly and calm environment.
While Cozy Media may provide solace in chaotic times, the need for news and analytical perspectives remains. Regrettably, numerous reliable news outlets are facing turmoil. For instance, some American journalists, including those from the Washington Post, New York Times, and National Public Radio, cite dwindling resources and editorial independence.
Additionally, there are economists like Paul Krugman and tech researchers like Molly White, who have successfully launched crowdfunded newsletters. Nonetheless, many journalists prefer not to work alone, as quality reporting often necessitates collaboration. As a result, several have banded together in worker-owned cooperatives to establish new publications while benefiting from institutional resources such as legal support, editing, and camaraderie. This model is also advantageous for consumers, sparing them from the need to search for and subscribe to various individual newsletters just to keep abreast of current affairs.
The worker-owned cooperative model has already proven successful for several publications that have emerged in recent years. For example, 404 Media delivers vital news regarding the fields of technology and science. Defector is another worker-owned cooperative focused on sports and politics. Aftermath covers gaming issues, while Listen to Things specializes in music. Flaming Hydra (my contribution) publishes political analyses, interviews, and cultural critiques. Additionally, Coyote Media aims to launch in the San Francisco Bay Area to cover local news, and there are many other worker-owned local media cooperatives emerging.
Just like mass media, social media also contributes to feelings of loneliness and isolation. The essence of Cozy Media and worker-owned publications lies in the restoration of community and trust. We might be witnessing the dawn of a new information ecosystem aimed at helping us comprehend the world once more.
Annaly’s Week
What I’m reading
The Wonderful History of Mesopotamia by Moudhy Al-Rashid, between two rivers.
What I’m seeing
A new media podcast from former CNN reporter Oliver Darcy titled Power Lines.
What I’m working on
Writing an article for publication at once in Flaming Hydra.
Annalee Newitz is a science journalist and author. Their latest book is Automatic Noodles. They are co-hosts of Hugo Award-winning podcasts, and we are right. You can follow them @annaleen, and their website is techsploitation.com.
Pere Santamaria was 15 years old when she developed myasthenia. This autoimmune condition can cause extreme muscle weakness and sometimes lead to difficulty breathing. In Santa Maria's case, it affected the muscles in the eye that controlled his vision, causing him to look double.
“It personally had a huge impact on me,” he says. “I was in adolescence and suddenly I couldn't play sports and couldn't live a normal life. I had to take very high doses of corticosteroids, so I was able to have balloons. It's inflated like that.”
Worse, these drugs simply attenuate the body's general immune response, rather than addressing the causes of autoimmune. In other words, Santa Maria did not expect that taking them would cure his condition.
As years went by, Santa Maria developed an additional autoimmune state. “I just wanted to understand the disease and mechanisms, and hopefully I can help others in the end,” he says.
He is now progressing towards that goal. He works as an immunologist at the University of Calgary, Canada. Santa Maria It is at the forefront of pushing to reprogram the immune system and develop new therapies to encourage the human body to end a destructive war against its own organization.
As these treatments move to clinical trials, there are signs of promise. Certainly, some are very effective, so with a single dose, in some cases, people have been symptomatically gone for years. So, is the end of an autoimmune state visible now?
Innate and Adaptive Immunity Systems
Our bodies have several lines of defense against pathogens. …
IIn the 1990s, turn-based RPGs were unstoppable. From Pokemon to the multi-million selling PlayStation Final Fantasy game, there's never been anything cooler than using drop-down menus to defeat blocky beasts. And then the new millennium arrived. As computing power blossomed and Western games became more popular, traditional Japanese RPGs slowly but surely became obsolete.
“What Final Fantasy used to do, which was make the turn-based genre more realistic and grounded, no one is doing that anymore. That's where we want to be,” said Guillaume Broche, CEO of Sandfall Interactive and creative director of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Citing the 2007 Xbox 360 classic Lost Odyssey as the last true big-budget turn-based RPG, the former Ubisoft employee founded a studio with a mission to advance the genre.
The result is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Although the name is enigmatic, this ambitious French epic takes inspiration from France's 20th century Belle Époque and Surrealist painters. A lavishly staged adventurer's party traverses shimmering worlds in a dreamlike setting, from a Little Mermaid-esque underwater kingdom to a grand Gothic mansion.
What sets Expedition 33 apart from the pack is not just its setting and aesthetics, but its fast, fluid combat. “I played so many turn-based RPGs that I got a little burnt out,” shrugs Broche. “So we wanted to make turn-based combat feel more interactive and different, requiring skill and offering something fresh for players like me.”
Shimmering with a dreamlike quality…Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Photo: Sandfall Interactive
Each attack requires a well-timed button press to be successful. Dodge and parry are performed in real time during enemy attacks, and if you successfully parry or dodge, your HP will be recovered and you will be able to counterattack. Jumping was introduced midway through the demo, adding more dynamism as each party member jumps out of the way of an attack.
“Aspects of Belle Époque and Art Deco are present throughout, from the costumes to the decor to the environment,” says Brochu. We wanted to push that aesthetic as deep as possible into every aspect of the game. ”
The developers are being tight-lipped about specific plot details, but the plot focuses on an expedition team with one year left to live. Every year, a mysterious painter paints a new figure on a distant tower, and people of that age disappear into ashes. Seeking answers, the group attempts to locate and kill the painter, and discovers the bodies of the previous explorers.
“The story we developed is darker in tone, writing, and characters than traditional JRPGs,” Broche says. “[Games such as] “Star Sea'' and “Octopus Traveler'' are so-called love letters that remind us of the past. We don't think of ourselves as a love letter at all. We're certainly inspired by it, but we're taking a different approach when it comes to art style, presentation, and gameplay. ”
The high fidelity and sombre tone are reminiscent of the aforementioned Lost Odyssey, an impressive feat for a game made by just 30 people. The opaque cutscenes we've been shown so far have left me scratching my head, but there's a flair and dynamism to this world that's hard to resist. If you have any interest in this genre, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a must-see.
TIt's a long-standing joke that Bethesda's Skyrim has become so popular that it can do anything. It started with the humble Xbox 360 and expanded to the Nintendo Switch, virtual reality headsets, PS5, and even Amazon's Alexa. Over 13 years later, its sequel is still nowhere to be seen, so role-playing game veterans Obsidian are offering fans an alternative in the form of Avowed.
Considering it's derived from the somewhat staid computer RPG Pillars of Eternity, it's surprising how fun and refreshing this game is. Entering the game's colorful world of Eora, I explore dense caverns, jump across canyons and scale rock walls without breaking a sweat alongside an incredibly athletic wizard. I find myself doing it.
While Skyrim's dull color palette and clunky combat betray its 2011 origins, Avowed's kineticism and vibrancy create a sense of first-person spellcasting fun. Whether you're unleashing a burst of acid at a horde of charging skeletons or a barrage of ice missiles at an apocalyptic cult, chopping and toggling between spells is as easy as holding the trigger and pressing a button. It's as simple as that, and each attack is animated with an explosion of light and color.
“I think players will really enjoy the moment-by-moment combat experience,” said game director Carey Patel. “We wanted to take the sense of momentum and impact from more action-forward games and add the player-driven progression and choices found in our RPG roots.”
Refreshing and cheerful… I admitted it. Photo: Obsidian
My demo is accompanied by a cynical and sarcastic companion named Kai, complete with classic dialogue choices. There’s more than just Mass Effect elements here, with the actor who voiced Garrus in BioWare’s sci-fi epic providing an equally endearing companion for Kai. “Players will see the effects of their choices play out before their eyes, even if it’s early on,” Patel says. “Later in the game, the choices you make along the way will affect which characters trust you.”
While Bethesda approaches fantasy with a furrowed brow, Obsidian opts for a more irreverent tone. The level of banter is somewhere between Guardians of the Galaxy and the 2023 film Dungeons & Dragons, with a more sour Avengers-style dialogue style than a fully established one. It may be unpleasant for those who are not. The success or failure of this will depend on your friends and their personalities.
“I’m really looking forward to our players meeting the companions we’ve created for them,” Patel says.“We had a lot of fun building these characters and trying to create interesting moments between them. As you move through the world, they talk to each other, giving you time to get to know them and also give you time to watch them get to know each other.”
In many ways, what I’m looking at here is more Skyrim Zero than Diet Skyrim – less extravagant and without the dodgy aftertaste. With elements of Uncharted and Mass Effect, it’s a refreshing and hilarious take on a familiar fantasy setting.
The Moon, Earth’s steadfast companion that remains in orbit, has been a popular subject of discussion since the early days of space exploration. Missions have been planned, rovers have explored its surface, and even a flag has been planted there.
But why all the interest? The Moon is over 400,000 km away from Earth, a considerable distance to travel, and it poses many challenges as a potential habitat for humans, such as exposure to solar radiation.
However, the Moon offers other advantages. Being largely untouched, it presents opportunities for planetary research, scientific experiments, and notably, mining for valuable resources.
There is a growing interest in lunar exploration, raising the important question of lunar ownership. Philosopher and author AC Grayling addresses this topic in his new book, “Who owns the moon?”
SF: Why are we interested in going to the moon, and will it ever happen?
ACG: The Moon holds vast resources, making it a lucrative target for mining operations. Coupled with the rapid pace of technological advancements, the obstacles to lunar exploration are likely to be overcome. Significant investments are being made in this endeavor, indicating the potential benefits that could be derived.
While some argue that lunar exploration is not feasible, the lure of valuable resources like Helium-3 for clean nuclear fusion makes the Moon an attractive destination for mining activities.
SF: So who actually owns the moon?
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, agreed upon by the United Nations, asserts that the Moon cannot be militarized or claimed for sovereignty or ownership. It is considered a shared resource belonging to all of humanity.
With various nations eyeing lunar exploration and exploitation, concerns about potential conflicts arise, highlighting the need for clearer regulations and agreements.
What are the next steps? Will the law be strengthened?
Efforts are being made to establish binding regulations, but the presence of multiple space agencies and rivalries between nations complicate the process. Initiatives like the Artemis Accords aim to set guidelines for responsible behavior in space.
However, the prospect of a new space race between major powers like the US, China, and Russia raises concerns about the potential for conflict and competition in space.
Can history give us any indication of what might happen?
The Antarctic Treaty serves as a model for international cooperation in preserving shared resources. However, challenges to extend the treaty’s scope and conflicting claims in Antarctica hint at the complexities of managing common territories.
Similar issues could arise in lunar exploration, especially with the potential for valuable mineral resources like Helium-3. The absence of clear regulations and the lack of a universal agreement on space governance present significant hurdles.
Is there an argument to leave the moon alone?
Given the Moon’s vast and barren nature, concerns about environmental impacts are minimal compared to Earth. Utilizing lunar resources for space exploration and sustainable practices could be more beneficial in the long run.
What’s the next step after the moon?
The Moon’s potential as a refueling station for Mars missions opens up new possibilities for further space exploration. As colonies on celestial bodies evolve, questions of independence and governance will arise, shaping the future of human presence in space.
In conclusion, the direction of space activities will determine whether they align with values upheld on Earth or devolve into profit-driven ventures. Clear regulations and international cooperation are essential to ensure a sustainable and equitable future in space.
About our expert, A.C. Grayling
AC Grayling is a philosopher and author of the book “Whose Moon is It?” He is also the founder of the New College of the Humanities and a respected figure in literary criticism and intellectual discourse.
The Moon, Earth’s loyal companion that remains steadfast in its orbit around our planet, has been a topic of fascination and exploration ever since the early days of space travel. Missions have been planned, rovers have traversed its surface, and even a flag has been planted on its barren landscape.
But what is the appeal of the Moon? Situated about 400,000 km away from Earth, it poses numerous challenges for human habitation, such as high levels of solar radiation. However, the Moon offers a unique opportunity for planetary research, scientific experiments, and potentially lucrative mining ventures due to its untapped resources.
With the allure of untapped resources comes a race to be the first to claim ownership of the Moon. This begs the question: Who does the Moon truly belong to? Philosopher and author AC Grayling explores this complex issue in his latest book, Who owns the moon?
SF: Why the interest in the Moon, and will we ever reach it?
ACG: The Moon holds vast potential for mining operations as it is rich in resources, presenting a more feasible option compared to Earth. Despite logistical challenges, rapid technological advancements and substantial investments indicate that lunar exploration is imminent.
Some argue that a robotic base alone may not suffice for the extraction of valuable resources like Helium-3, crucial for clean nuclear fusion. The lure of economic gains raises concerns about potential conflicts over lunar territory.
SF: So, who lays claim to the Moon?
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, ratified by the United Nations, prohibits militarization and territorial ownership of the Moon, declaring it a common heritage of mankind. This ambiguity has spurred competition among nations to pioneer lunar technologies.
Efforts to establish guidelines were made in 1979, yet the absence of binding agreements leaves room for potential disputes over lunar resources, particularly valuable elements like Helium-3. The lack of a regulatory framework raises concerns about future conflicts, extending beyond Earth.
Credit: Gremlin
What’s next, and will legal frameworks evolve?
The need for stringent regulations is apparent, given the burgeoning interest in lunar exploration by various space agencies. Proposals for lunar space stations and the Artemis Accords, a collaborative effort among nations for responsible space conduct, hint at evolving norms to govern lunar activities.
Historically, the 1961 Antarctic Treaty provides a model for international cooperation in preserving a common resource. However, challenges arise as countries like China and Russia seek to assert territorial claims in Antarctica, signaling potential conflicts over resource exploitation.
The Moon’s status as a shared resource prompts calls for inclusive lunar laws and international treaties to ensure equitable benefits. Efforts to establish regulatory frameworks face obstacles, mirroring past struggles in maritime law and resource management.
Is there a case for leaving the Moon untouched?
The Moon’s vast expanse and desolate nature diminish concerns over environmental impact, distinguishing it from Earth. Despite existing space debris, the Moon’s remote location offers ample space for exploration and development.
What lies beyond the Moon?
Envisioning a future where lunar infrastructure facilitates Mars exploration through water extraction for fuel production, heralds a new era of space colonization. Echoing historical precedents, colonies in space may strive for autonomy, shaping interplanetary relations akin to terrestrial geopolitics.
As humanity embarks on extraterrestrial endeavors, adherence to ethical principles and equitable resource-sharing remains pivotal for a sustainable cosmic future.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
About our expert, A.C. Grayling
AC Grayling, a distinguished philosopher and author, sheds light on lunar ownership in his book “Whose Moon is It?” He is also the founder of the New College of the Humanities, recognized for his contributions to literary criticism and philosophical discourse.
Thanks to a new visualization created on a NASA supercomputer, we can now dive into the event horizon, the point of no return for a black hole.
“People often ask about this, but simulating these hard-to-imagine processes is the key to bringing the mathematics of relativity to reality,” said Dr. Jeremy Schnitman, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “It helps us connect this with real-world consequences in the universe.”
“So I simulated two different scenarios: one in which the camera, standing in for the daring astronaut, misses the event horizon and the slingshot recedes; This is a scenario in which your fate will be determined.
To create the visualization, Dr. Schnitman worked with scientist Brian Powell at Goddard Space Flight Center and used the Discover supercomputer at the NASA Climate Simulation Center.
It took about five days to generate about 10 terabytes of data and run on just 0.3% of Discover’s 129,000 processors. It would take a typical laptop more than a decade to do the same thing.
The destination is a supermassive black hole with a mass 4.3 million times that of the Sun, comparable to the monster at the center of the Milky Way.
“If I had a choice, I would want to fall into a supermassive black hole,” Dr. Schnitman said.
“Stellar-mass black holes, containing up to about 30 solar masses, have much smaller event horizons and stronger tidal forces, and can tear apart approaching objects before they reach the horizon.”
This occurs because the gravitational force at the edge of the object near the black hole is much stronger than at the opposite edge. Falling objects stretch like noodles, a process astrophysicists call spaghettification.
The simulated black hole’s event horizon spans about 16 million miles (25 million km), or about 17% of the distance from Earth to the sun.
A flat, swirling cloud of hot, glowing gas called an accretion disk surrounds it and serves as a visual reference as it falls.
The same goes for glowing structures called photon rings, which are formed near black holes by light that has circled the hole one or more times.
A starry sky background seen from Earth completes the scene.
As the camera approaches the black hole, approaching the speed of light itself, the glow from the accretion disk and background stars is amplified, similar to the pitch of the sound of an approaching race car increasing.
If you look in the direction of travel, the light will appear brighter and whiter.
The film begins with a camera located some 640 million km (400 million miles) away, and a black hole quickly fills the field of view.
In the process, the black hole’s disk, photon ring, and night sky become increasingly distorted, even forming multiple images as light traverses an increasingly distorted space-time.
In real time, the camera takes about three hours to fall to the event horizon, performing nearly two full 30-minute orbits along the way. But for those observing from afar, it will never get there.
As the space-time distortion increases as you approach the horizon, the camera’s image slows down and appears to stop in front of you. This is why astronomers originally called black holes “frozen stars.”
At the event horizon, even space-time itself flows inward at the speed of light, the speed limit of the universe.
Once inside, both the camera and the spacetime it moves through hurtle towards the center of the black hole. A one-dimensional point called a singularity, where the laws of physics as we know them no longer work.
NASA’s visualization shows a camera tracking a supermassive black hole, similar in mass to that at the center of our galaxy, as it approaches, briefly orbits, and crosses the event horizon (point of no return). Masu. Image credit: J. Schnittman & B. Powell, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
“Once the camera crosses the horizon, there are only 12.8 seconds left before spaghettification destruction,” Dr. Schnitman said.
From there, the singularity is only 128,000 km (79,500 miles) away. The last leg of this voyage is over in the blink of an eye.
In another scenario, the camera orbits close to the event horizon, but never crosses it and flees to safety.
If an astronaut were to fly this six-hour round trip, and her co-worker on the mother ship was far away from the black hole, she would return 36 minutes younger than her co-worker.
That’s because time slows down when you move near a strong source of gravity or at speeds close to the speed of light.
“This situation could become even more extreme,” Dr. Schnitman says.
“If a black hole were rotating rapidly, like the one shown in the 2014 movie, interstellar, she would return many years younger than the sailors. ”
According to astronomers’ best models of black hole evolution, the magnetic field within the accretion disk must be strong enough to push the accreted plasma out into the surroundings. New results from Sagittarius A*, the 4.3 million solar mass black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, and its much larger cousin M87* provide the first direct observational evidence supporting these models.
This image from the Event Horizon Telescope shows a polarized view of Sagittarius A*. The lines superimposed on this image show the direction of polarization associated with the magnetic field around the black hole’s shadow. Image credit: EHT Collaboration.
In 2022, EHT collaboration The first image of Sagittarius A*, about 27,000 light-years from Earth, has been released, showing that the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole looks very good despite being more than 1/1000th smaller and lighter in mass than M87. revealed that they are similar.
This led scientists to wonder if the two men had more in common than just their looks. To find out, they decided to study Sagittarius A* in polarized light.
Previous studies of the light surrounding M87* revealed that the magnetic field around the supermassive black hole causes powerful jets of matter to be ejected into the surrounding environment.
Based on this study, new EHT images reveal that the same may be true for Sagittarius A*.
“What we’re seeing now is a strong, twisted, organized magnetic field near the black hole at the center of the Milky Way,” said astronomers at the Harvard University & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. said Dr. Sarah Isaun.
“In addition to having a polarization structure that is strikingly similar to that seen in the much larger and more powerful M87* black hole, Sagittarius A* has a polarization structure that is strikingly similar to that seen in the much larger and more powerful M87* black hole. We found that strong, well-ordered magnetic fields are important for how they act.”
Light is a vibrating or moving electromagnetic wave that allows us to see objects. Light can oscillate in a particular direction, which scientists call polarization.
Polarized light is all around us, but to the human eye it is indistinguishable from “normal” light.
In the plasma around these black holes, particles swirling around magnetic field lines impart a polarization pattern perpendicular to the magnetic field.
This will allow astronomers to see in clearer detail what’s happening in the black hole region and map its magnetic field lines.
“By imaging polarized light from glowing gas near a black hole, we are directly inferring the structure and strength of the magnetic field that flows through the streams of gas and matter that the black hole feeds and ejects.” said Dr. Angelo Ricarte. Astronomer at Harvard University and the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
“Polarized light can tell us much more about astrophysics, the properties of the gas, and the mechanisms that occur when black holes feed.”
But imaging black holes under polarized light isn’t as easy as wearing polarized sunglasses. This is especially true for Sagittarius A*. Sagittarius A* changes so quickly that you can’t stand still and take a photo.
Imaging supermassive black holes requires sophisticated tools beyond those previously used to capture a more stable target, M87*.
“Sagittarius A*s are like enthusiastic toddlers,” said Avery Broderick, a professor at the University of Waterloo.
“For the first time, we see invisible structures that guide matter within a black hole’s disk, drive plasma to the event horizon, and help the plasma grow.”
“Sagittarius A* moves around while trying to photograph it, so it was difficult to even construct an unpolarized image,” said astronomer Dr. Jeffrey Bower of the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica in Taipei. Told.
“The first image is an average of multiple images from the movement of Sagittarius A*.”
“I was relieved that polarized imaging was also possible. Some models had too much scrambling and turbulence to build polarized images, but nature isn’t that cruel. did.”
Professor Maria Felicia de Laurentiis, University of Naples Federico II, said: “Using samples of two black holes with very different masses and host galaxies, we can determine what they agree on and what they do not agree on.” It’s important.
“Since both point us toward strong magnetic fields, this suggests that this may be a universal and perhaps fundamental feature of this type of system.”
“One similarity between these two black holes could be a jet. But while we imaged a very obvious black hole in M87*, we have yet to find one in Sagittarius A*. not.”
Collaboration with Event Horizon Telescope. 2024. Horizon telescope results for the first Sagittarius A* event. VII. Polarization of the ring. APJL 964, L25; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad2df0
Collaboration with Event Horizon Telescope. 2024. Horizon telescope results for the first Sagittarius A* event. VIII. Physical interpretation of polarization rings. APJL 964, L26; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad2df1
It is estimated that one in two people will develop cancer during their lifetime. However, advancements in diagnosis and treatment have led to more people surviving cancer than ever before. The question now is, will this trend of increasing survival rates continue, and how close are we to finding a cure?
The trend of improving survival rates is likely to continue, but the discovery of a cure for cancer is complicated due to the fact that cancer is not a single disease, but rather a group of over 200 diseases, each with its own unique characteristics. Despite this complexity, all cancers originate from mutant cells that divide uncontrollably.
While cancer cells evade normal controls on cell division, targeted cancer therapy has emerged as a promising treatment approach. This therapy focuses on inhibiting genetic mutations that drive cancer growth and has shown to be more effective with fewer side effects than traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Targeted therapies like hormone therapy and drugs such as imatinib have revolutionized the treatment of certain types of cancer, improving survival rates significantly. The development of new drugs and the repurposing of existing ones have been accelerated by genetic technologies that utilize big data to understand genetic changes driving cancer.
The power of big data
Advances in cancer treatment have been further propelled by genetic technologies and clinical trials that utilize big data to develop new drugs and repurpose existing ones. The Cancer Genome Atlas Project, for example, provides valuable genetic information for various types of cancer, allowing for targeted treatments based on individual genetic profiles.
Credit: Getty Images
While drug treatments have seen significant advancements, immunotherapy has also emerged as a promising approach in cancer treatment. Immunotherapy aims to boost the patient’s immune system to detect and destroy cancer cells more effectively. This field is rapidly evolving, with treatments like immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell therapy showing promising results.
Vax is on track
Developments in cancer immunization, including mRNA-based vaccines, are changing the landscape of cancer treatment by utilizing the body’s immune system to target cancer cells. Early diagnosis remains crucial in cancer treatment, with advancements in AI technology offering improved diagnostic capabilities.
Prevention is also a key focus in the fight against cancer, with vaccines against infectious causes of cancer such as HPV and HBV showing promising results. Additionally, cancer prevention strategies using drugs or vaccines to eliminate cancer cells before they form detectable tumors are gaining traction.
While a single “cure” for cancer may be unlikely, ongoing advancements in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention offer new hope to cancer patients worldwide. The future of cancer treatment holds the promise of personalized medicine, targeted therapies, and innovative approaches to combat this complex disease.
WWill 2024 be boom or bust for big tech companies? estimate
the industry has seen more than 7,500 layoffs since the start of the year, a spate of pink slips that many had hoped would stop after deep job cuts in 2023.
But as earnings season for major U.S. tech companies begins this week, some analysts are predicting strong numbers. This set of quarterly financial results may indicate that the industry has shed pandemic-era hiring overhangs and reorganized around cloud computing and AI, with cuts in sectors where the outlook is less positive. It has become necessary. Analysts passionate about AI say we are at the beginning of a tech bull market.
Since the beginning of this year, Google has laid off more than 1,000 employees in various departments. The job cuts are small compared to January last year, but Google CEO Sundar Pichai warned that more layoffs are coming. He told employees in an internal memo last week that Alphabet was “removing layers to simplify execution and increase speed in some areas.”
“We have ambitious goals and will invest in big priorities this year,” Pichai said in the memo. Obtained from Verge.
“The reality is that we have to make difficult choices to create the capacity for this investment.” However, the reductions “are not the size of last year's cuts and will not impact every team.” he added.
Alphabet workers union called dismissal “needless” in Wednesday's post on X (formerly Twitter).
Amazon also announced new layoffs affecting hundreds of employees in its Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios divisions. This is part of a move away from excessive spending on entertainment and a refocus on core priorities such as online shopping logistics and new businesses such as AI.
At Meta, where more than 20,000 layoffs were made last year, departmental cuts appear to have slowed, but have not stopped. Instagram eliminated its management layer in mid-January, cutting 60 technical program managers. Last year, the company announced it was adding employees to support “priority areas” and changing its workforce to include more “high-cost technical roles.”
And that may be the true story of the technology industry in 2024. If Wedbush analyst Dan Ives is right, the layoffs are almost complete and earnings season will be a time for a “popcorn break.”
“Not only will there be companies that will benefit from the AI revolution, but there will also be companies that will be at a disadvantage.Therefore, companies will need to reduce costs in non-revenue-generating areas and redouble their use of AI.” says.
“This is more of a redistribution than anything else because 95% of the cost savings are in the rearview mirror. But the strong will get stronger and the weak will be exposed.”
But which hand is it? Apple may be looking to boost sales that have been lagging behind this month's launch of the Vision Pro headset and new iPhone models with generative AI capabilities. China's economic downturn has forced the company to cut the prices of many smartphones and hope for a recovery.
Last week, Bank of America securities analyst Wamsi Mohan expressed optimism about Apple's year ahead, suggesting that “promising AI capabilities” could lead to “an enhanced multi-year iPhone upgrade cycle.” did.
Ives said increased demand for enterprise software and cybersecurity, as well as a surge in demand related to major AI projects, will be key to earnings season and will continue to do so as the AI revolution gains momentum.
Winners have already emerged. Last week, Microsoft surpassed Apple as the world's most valuable company for the first time since 2021, with a market capitalization of nearly $3 trillion. Microsoft cut 16,000 jobs from 232,000 employees last year, but Wedbush recently said that Microsoft's lead in AI will boost the company's revenue by $25 billion by 2025. I calculated that it was possible.
“The move to cloud and AI is having a huge impact on technology, including the reallocation of jobs and many changes to Apple and Google,” Ives said. “AI monetization has begun with his Nvidia and Microsoft, and we believe we are seeing the beginning of a new tech bull market starting in the summer of 2023.”
TThe Post Office Horizon scandal has long been a frustrating one to follow as a technology reporter. Because even though it stems from the failure to deploy a large-scale government IT project, it’s not about technology at all.
In such stories there is a desire to uncover the specific fault lines that caused the disaster to occur. Taking Grenfell Tower as an example, the entire system was flawed and the investigation into the fire revealed gory details, but it is also clear that the fatal error was in covering the building with combustible panels. Identifying that fulcrum leads both ways to further questions (how were the panels deemed safe, and was the building able to be safely evacuated despite their flaws?), but the catastrophic It is clear where it is.
I feel like there should be comparable focus points in the Horizon system. “What happened at Horizon that led to so many false accounts?” is a question I’ve asked many times over the decade since I first learned of the scandal. Thanks to Computer Weekly for the coverage. I searched for systems in the hopes of finding some important crux, a terrible decision around which all subsequent problems swirl, that could be sensibly explained to provide a technical foundation for a very human story of malice and greed. I’ve been looking into architecture.
Still, the conclusion I’m forced to draw is that Horizon was really, really broken. From toe to toe, the system was terrible. Each postmaster had fundamentally different flaws, so a plethora of technical errors, worst practice decisions, and lazy cutbacks were probably part of the reason the Postal Service continued to fight for so long. Masu.
One system continued to accept input even when the screen froze, writing transactions to the database invisibly, while other systems simply had edge-case bugs in the underlying system that caused transactions to change. It just couldn’t lock when it shouldn’t have. There was also a problem with the network with the central database, causing transactions to be dropped without warning whenever there was a problem with the data connection.
Still, if you want to trace the point in time when bad IT became a crisis, you need to look completely into the technology past. The Post Office declared Horizon to be functional as legal tender. Everything that happened after that was a logical conclusion. If Horizon works, the cause of the error should be in the subpostmaster operation. If they say they haven’t made a mistake, they must have committed fraud. If they committed fraud, a conviction is morally right.
But Horizon didn’t work.
Today’s big technology companies aren’t so cocky as to claim that their software is perfect. In fact, the opposite is accepted as reality. The phrase “all software has bugs” is repeated too often and casually, implying that users are demanding too much of the technology they rely and work reliably on.
But they often still act as if they believe the opposite. My inbox is constantly filled with unmanageable people who have been falsely flagged as spammers, scammers, or robots by Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Apple’s automated systems. These people have lost years of shopping, lost access to friends and family, and lost the pages and profiles on which they built their careers. I can’t help them all and still do my day job, but strangely enough, the cases I decide I can contact a large company for are almost always easily resolved. It turns out.
No one would argue that even the worst software Google has put out is as broken as Horizon. (The Post Office says the current version of the software, created in 2017, has been found to be “robust compared to comparable systems.”) But the real culprit is broken software with flaws. If you’re acting like something isn’t supposed to be there, that’s serious. The tech industry may have more lessons to learn from this scandal than it’s willing to admit.
For over 16 years, a large corporation relentlessly accused 900 postmasters of theft, false accounting, and fraud, despite the fact that the branch shortages were actually due to an accounting bug. It’s easy to understand the possible consequences of such accusations. The software enforced by the company is now being considered “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history.”
However, Rishi Sunak lacks imagination. On the other hand, the U.S. Marine Corps has coined an economic term that perfectly describes the Horizon fiasco as a “clusterfuck.” The Cambridge Dictionary primarily defines this as “a very rude word for a complete failure or a very serious problem.” Many mistakes and problems occurring at the same time.
Horizon was a product of the flawed and sometimes ignorant IT procurement system that the British state relied on for decades. The system procured from its ICL offshoot, owned by the Japanese giant Fujitsu, was a sprawling, computer bug-filled monster.
The plan was to replace the post office’s paper-based accounting system, but the hasty rollout for 13,000 busy, non-technical postmasters starting in 1999 was inadequately trained for the scale of the workflow transformation involved. Users quickly discovered bugs and flaws in the system, but the post office administrators showed a blind trust in the technology, leading to the prosecution of the sub-postmasters, ruining their lives and even leading to suicides.
Horizon was an electronic POS system that replaced paper-based cash registers and was networked, theoretically allowing the Post Office to keep an overall record of cash flows across the country. However, it seemed the system was “simply not up to the task it was asked to do,” according to The Guardian’s Alex Hearn.
By 2001, a team led by one of the system’s developers had discovered “hundreds” of bugs. Although a full list has not been compiled, court records revealed several examples, including the “Dalmellington Bug,” which caused the screen to freeze while the operator was trying to confirm receipt of cash. Each time the user pressed the Enter key on a frozen screen, the record was silently updated, making the subpostmaster responsible for the result.
The most peculiar part of the story is how long it took for the truth to emerge in the political system. Journalists have continued to tell the stories of Horizon’s victims, and a class action lawsuit was filed against the post office, with a public investigation beginning in 2020.
It wasn’t until ITV aired “Mr Bates vs. Post Office” that the issue became a hot political topic. The power of drama changed public opinion and revitalized the government. If there’s one major lesson to be learned from this mess, it’s the blind faith in technology that companies purchased at high prices. Now, organizations are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence, which may lead to further injustices in the future.
I
In any major scandal that has the power to monopolize national attention, there are always key moments when events could have been stopped in their tracks. But few early warnings were as prescient as his seven-page memo handed to postal workers 25 years ago.
During an acrimonious meeting at Newcastle Rugby Club in 1999, the memo set out a number of concerns raised by postmasters in the north-east of England who were trialling the now infamous Horizon accounting system. It had been. Problems such as account balances caused stress for some people, forcing them to work late into the night.
Shortly after these concerns were raised, the subpostmasters met again to discuss the potential severity of the problem.
“The hardship and trauma that some postmasters are experiencing has raised concerns about their health and mental well-being,” the meeting was informed.
“Some felt that unless something changed soon, tragedy was not far away. The software was of poor quality and was not intended to run such a large network. Ta.”
Warnings of potential tragedy come as the flawed software – later found to have the potential to cause false losses that were blamed on postal workers – is rolled out across the Post Office network. done before.
But from the moment of the fateful decision to press forward with this destiny, a disastrous combination of legal change, geopolitics, a catastrophic lack of political curiosity, and above all outright deception, ultimately led to Thousands of innocent workers were victimized and prosecuted, with devastating effects.
At least four people took their own lives this week, the week in which Westminster finally acknowledged that unprecedented mass exonerations were needed to right more than two decades of injustice. Sadly, it was too late for the dozens of postmasters who were wronged and died, including one who died.
Former Posts Minister Paul Scally announced an independent inquiry into the Horizon scandal in 2020. Photo: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Legal experts are calling for immediate changes to the law to recognize that the computer was at fault, otherwise risking a repeat of the Horizon incident.
Under English and Welsh law, computers are presumed to be ‘trusted’ unless proven otherwise, leading to criticism that it reverses the burden of proof in criminal cases.
Stephen Mason, a barrister and electronic evidence expert, stated, “If someone says, ‘There’s something wrong with this computer,’ they’re supposed to have to prove it, even if it’s the person accusing them who has the information.”
Mason, along with eight other legal and computer experts, proposed changes to the law in 2020 after the High Court’s ruling against the Post Office. However, their recommendations were never implemented.
The legal presumption of computer reliability comes from the old common law principle that “mechanical instruments” should be presumed to be in good working order unless proven otherwise.
An Act in 1984 ruled that computer evidence was admissible only if it could be shown that the computer was working properly, but this law was repealed in 1999.
The international influence of English common law means that the presumption of reliability is widespread, with examples from New Zealand, Singapore, and the United States supporting this standard.
Noah Weisberg, CEO of legal AI platform Zuva, emphasized the urgency of re-evaluating the law in the context of AI systems and the need to avoid assuming error-free computer programs.
Weisberg also stated, “It would be difficult to say that it would be reliable enough to support a conviction.”
James Christie, a software consultant, suggested two stages of changes to the law, requiring those providing evidence to demonstrate responsible development and maintenance of the system, as well as disclosing records of known bugs.
The Ministry of Justice declined to comment on the matter.
The team's graphene device grown on a silicon carbide substrate chip
Georgia Tech
A functioning, scalable semiconductor has been created from graphene for the first time, potentially paving the way for new types of computers that are faster and more efficient than today's silicon chips.
Graphene is a material made from a single layer of carbon atoms that is stronger than an equivalent thickness of steel. It is an excellent conductor of electricity and has excellent resistance to heat and acids. But despite its benefits, practical graphene semiconductors that can be controlled to conduct or insulate electricity at will have eluded scientists. Such semiconductors are key to creating the logic chips that power computers.
The problem is the lack of something known as a bandgap. Semiconductors have higher and lower energy bands and points at which excited electrons can hop from one to the other, or band gaps. This effectively turns the flow of current on and off, making it conductive or non-conducting, creating the binary number system of zeros and ones used in digital computers.
Previous research has shown that graphene can be made to behave like a semiconductor on small scales, but it has never been scaled up to a size that could be used in computer chips. Previous research has shown that wrinkles, domes, and holes in graphene sheets can have unusual effects on the flow of electricity, and that creating the right conditions for defects could lead to the creation of logical chips. It is shown. But so far nothing has scaled up.
now, Walter de Heer His colleagues at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta created graphene with a bandgap and demonstrated its operation as a transistor, an on/off switch that prevents or allows current to flow. Their process relies on technology similar to that used to create silicon chips, which should make it even more useful for scaling up.
De Heer's group used heated silicon carbide wafers to force the silicon to evaporate before the carbon, effectively leaving a layer of graphene on top. At the time of writing, Mr. de Heer was not available for an interview. said in a statement The electrical properties of graphene semiconductors were much better than those of silicon chips. “It's like driving on a gravel road versus driving on a highway,” he said.
Silicon chips are cheap to manufacture and supported by huge manufacturing infrastructures around the world, but we are reaching the limits of what these chips can do. Moore's Law states that the number of transistors in a circuit doubles approximately every two years, but the rate of miniaturization has slowed in recent years as circuit densities have been reached where engineers cannot reliably control the electrons. are doing. Graphene circuits have the potential to reignite progress, but hurdles remain.
“The fact that we're using wafers is important because it's really scalable,” he says. david carey At the University of Surrey, UK. “We can scale up this process using all the technologies that the entire semiconductor industry is familiar with.”
But Carey is skeptical that this development means the world will soon move from silicon to graphene chips. That's because new research requires many improvements in transistor size, quality, and manufacturing technology, and silicon has a huge head start.
“Most people who work in silicon research are exposed every day to new amazing materials that are trying to replace silicon, and nothing like this has ever happened before,” he says. . “If you're a silicon enthusiast, you'll be sitting pretty happily on top of the mountain. The idea of replacing your laptop with graphene isn't quite there yet.”
The federal tax credit for electric vehicles is about to change in certain ways that will make them much more attractive to buyers. Starting January 1, rebates of up to $7,500 on eligible new vehicles and up to $4,000 on eligible used EVs will be available. when buying a caras opposed to what you have to claim when filing your taxes.
Even better, Over 7,000 car dealers Companies representing nearly half of the country’s new car dealerships have already registered to ensure they can offer in-store rebates.
However, there is a catch. Not many cars may be eligible to receive the full $7,500 credit in the new year, as new restrictions take effect on the components that make up these zero-emission vehicles.
This is the result of these credits being reconsidered as part of President Biden’s anti-inflation law. This process involved a lot of negotiation, particularly with U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, over the ultimate purpose of the credits. Should they be the lubricant for the sale of zero-emission vehicles to help fight climate change, or a tool to help build an electric vehicle supply chain to North America?
As is often the case, the answer was somewhere in the vague middle. The credit was effectively split in two. If the automaker follows certain guidelines regarding the sourcing of battery materials, the vehicle will receive his $3,500 credit, and if it follows similar rules for battery parts, he will receive an additional $3,500 credit. given. (Beyond that, vehicles must be manufactured in North America to qualify.) Starting in 2024, these sourcing requirements will become even more stringent.
As a result, General Motors stated: Only this week That Chevrolet Volt will be fully tax deductible starting January 1st. Does not apply to the more expensive Cadillac Lyriq and brand new Chevrolet Blazer. GM, the country’s largest automaker, said it must accelerate plans to replace two minor parts in the Blazer and Lyriq to bring them into compliance with new regulations.
Meanwhile, Ford said only its F-150 Lightning is eligible for the full $7,500 credit. The Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring SUV is eligible for half the credit, but the Mustang Mach-E, Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring Plug-in Hybrid, and E-Transit van are not.
Even Tesla, a company particularly good at identifying and qualifying for clean energy credits and subsidies, initially said its long-range and rear-wheel drive Model 3 variants would lose half of their credits. A few days later In fact, they full credit. Tesla also signaled Model Y may be similarly ineligible.
As the new year approaches, more automakers are likely to share which electric vehicles are or are likely to be ineligible for the credit, and ultimately the Treasury Department will create a list on its website.
All of this uncertainty speaks to the level of complexity involved in manufacturing electric vehicles in a world where the majority of the supply chain remains in and around China. But it also highlights the guidelines’ somewhat troubling motivations.
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