Climate Change is Impacting the Deepest Reaches of the Arctic Ocean

Deep Waters of the Arctic Ocean Are Warming

Mozgova/Shutterstock

Warm waters from the Atlantic near Greenland are now heating the deep layers of the Arctic Ocean, an area once considered relatively insulated from climate change.

The Arctic Ocean has seen a reduction of about 40% in its sea ice cover over the past 40 years, primarily due to the impact of atmospheric warming on sea levels. Researchers at the Ocean University of China evaluated the latest data collected by icebreakers to assess the temperature increase of the ocean floor.

In the Eurasian Basin, which is one of the ocean’s two principal sections, temperatures at depths ranging from 1500 meters to 2600 meters have increased by 0.074 degrees Celsius since 1990.

While this temperature rise may seem minor, it equates to nearly 500 trillion megajoules of energy. Such energy could potentially melt up to one-third of the least extensive sea ice area.

“The deep ocean is more dynamic than previously assumed,” states Chen Xianyao, one of the research team members. “We suspected that the deep ocean was warming, but not at this pace.”


An underwater ridge separating Greenland and Siberia divides the Arctic Ocean into two basins. The Amerasian Basin is primarily cut off from the Pacific Ocean by the shallow Bering Strait. However, warm Atlantic waters can still flow north along the Scandinavian coast into the upper Eurasian Basin through an extension of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). During winter, when seawater freezes, the salts are released, resulting in denser water that sinks and drags some warmer Atlantic water down with it.

Geothermal heat from the Earth warms the deep waters of the Eurasian Basin.

Previously, these warming trends were balanced by cold water flowing down from a neighboring basin east of Greenland. Yet, as the Greenland ice sheet continues to melt, more freshwater is entering the Greenland Basin. This influx has slowed the downward movement of cold, salty water, raising the temperature of deep waters in the Greenland Basin from -1.1°C to -0.7°C—a significantly rapid increase. Consequently, the influx of cold Greenland waters is no longer counteracting the heat from geothermal sources or the warm Atlantic waters sinking into the Arctic.

“The rising temperatures in the Greenland Basin are now reaching the Arctic,” says Son Louise, another research team member.

This research uncovers new warming mechanisms deep within the Arctic Ocean, “indicating a broader trend of global warming,” according to James McWilliams from UCLA.

The ongoing warming might eventually contribute to the melting of both sea ice and permafrost found on the ocean floor, which contains ice-like structures known as clathrates. If disturbed, these can release methane into the atmosphere, a phenomenon believed to have contributed to the Permian mass extinction.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Evacuation Orders Lifted as California Canyon Fire Reaches 28% Containment

On Friday evening, evacuation orders were lifted in portions of Southern California as firefighters effectively managed the Canyon fires, which have consumed approximately 5,400 acres and are currently at 28% containment. This information comes from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (Cal Fire).

Evacuations that impacted thousands in Ventura and Los Angeles counties have been reduced to warnings, indicating ongoing risks to life and property.

The Canyon fires are active in the hilly areas north of Los Angeles and are progressing towards the Castatic community in LA County.

Officials from Ventura County reported on Friday that the use of water and fire retardant has significantly hindered the fire’s spread, supported by the consistent efforts of ground crews.

Despite this progress, the fire remains a considerable threat and is continuing to extend eastward.

In a Friday update on X, the LA County Fire Department noted that three firefighters sustained minor injuries while combating the blaze and were transported to a local hospital “out of an abundance of caution.” They are expected to make a full recovery.

The South Coast Air Quality Control District has issued advisories concerning wildfire smoke for parts of LA County, particularly along the I-5 corridor near Lake Castaic. Air quality issues are anticipated to persist until Sunday morning, as reported by the agency that tracks air quality for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.

Wildfire smoke is a significant pollution concern, as it contains fine particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers—about 4% of the width of an average human hair. Such pollution is hazardous, as these particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, exacerbating conditions like asthma, lung cancer, and other chronic respiratory diseases.

The Canyon Fire ignited near Holster Canyon on Thursday afternoon, rapidly consuming over 1,500 acres within a few hours.

This blaze is one of several significant fires currently affecting California, including the massive Gifford Fire, which started on August 1st in the Rospadres National Forest, burning over 100,000 acres and achieving only 21% containment. As per Cal Fire.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The Earth’s Atmosphere Reaches CO2 Levels Not Seen in Millions of Years

Recent data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at the University of California, San Diego, indicates that the Earth’s atmosphere contains millions, and potentially tens of millions, of carbon dioxide molecules.

For the first time ever, the global average concentration of carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas emitted from burning fossil fuels—surpassed 430 parts per million (ppm) in May. These measurements represent a record high, with an increase of over 3 ppm from last year.

The findings suggest that efforts to curtail greenhouse gas emissions and reverse the growing accumulation of CO2 are insufficient.

“Another year, another record,” stated Ralph Keeling, a professor of climate science, marine chemistry, and geochemistry at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, California; he commented. “I am saddened.”

Carbon dioxide, like other greenhouse gases, traps heat from the sun and can persist in the atmosphere for centuries. High levels of these gases contribute to rising global temperatures and other adverse effects of climate change, including increased sea levels, polar ice melt, and more frequent extreme weather events.

Since the pre-industrial era, CO2 levels in the atmosphere have sharply risen, primarily due to human activities that release greenhouse gases.

Just a few decades ago, crossing the 400 ppm threshold seemed unimaginable. This means that for every million molecules of gas in the atmosphere, over 400 would be carbon dioxide. The planet reached this daunting milestone in 2013. Current warnings suggest that CO2 levels could approach 500 ppm within the next 30 years.

Human society is now in uncharted territory.

According to Keeling, the planet likely experienced such high atmospheric CO2 levels over 30 million years ago, during a time with very different climatic conditions.

He noted the remarkable speed at which CO2 levels are rising.

“It’s changing very quickly,” he told NBC News. “If humans had evolved in an environment with high CO2 levels, the absence of suitable habitats would have likely shaped our evolution. We could have adapted to that world, but instead, we’ve constructed society and civilization based on the climate of the past.”

CO2 levels are typically illustrated using the Keeling Curve, named in honor of Keeling’s father, Charles David Keeling, who began daily atmospheric CO2 measurements in 1958 from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.

The Keeling Curve prominently displays the steep rise in CO2 since the Industrial Revolution, attributed to human-induced climate change.

Ralph Keeling and his colleagues at the Scripps Oceanographic Institute reported that the average atmospheric CO2 concentration for May was 430.2 ppm, while NOAA’s Global Monitoring Institute, which has been conducting separate daily measurements since 1974, noted an average of 430.5 ppm for the same month.

Monitoring atmospheric carbon dioxide levels is crucial for understanding how human activities impact the Earth’s climate. These measurements also serve as key indicators of the planet’s overall health.

“These measurements provide insight into the health of the entire system with just one data point,” Keeling explained. “We achieve a comprehensive view of the atmosphere through relatively simple measurement techniques.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Intuitive Machine: Athena Lander Reaches Moon, but Deems to Have Collapsed

IM-2 missions in low lunar orbits

An intuitive machine

The intuitive machine Athena Lander has reached the moon, but appears to have fallen. The Lander is still working, but it is not yet clear which part of the mission will still be able to achieve.

The spacecraft was mounted on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Cape Canaveral, Florida on February 27th. It landed on March 6th, but the landing was not completely successful, and the exact location or orientation of the lunar surface is still unknown.

“I don’t think we’re in the right attitude on the surface of the moon,” the CEO of the intuitive machine said. Stephen Altmus At a press conference just after landing. This is similar to the company’s last attempt at landing on the moon, the Odysseus spacecraft. It was the first time a private company had landed a spacecraft on the moon, but it turned over to its side and was unable to send much of the data back.

There are a variety of scientific instruments in Athena, but perhaps the most important of these are the regoliths and ice drills to explore new terrain (Trident), a NASA experiment designed to drill up to a maximum metre to a meter through the lunar soil. The purpose is to take samples from underground, analyze their contents, and search for water ice and other compounds.

“This experiment marks an important milestone as it will mark the first robotic drilling activity to be carried out in the Antarctic region of the lunar.” Jacqueline Quinn At KSC at a press conference on February 25th. If Trident is still working, “This is an important step in understanding and leveraging the moon’s resources to support future exploration,” she said.

As part of the IM-2 mission, Athena carried several rovers to the moon. One of them is called Grace after Grace Hopper, a computer scientist and mathematician, and unlike the rover that came before him, he is designed to fly around the surface, firing small boosters to dive into the air up to 100 meters, travelling about 200 meters. Grace aims to explore the strange, permanently shadowed craters of the moon.

Athena operators were able to send craft commands to turn it on and off and downlink some of their data to Earth. The solar panels also function to charge Lander electronics. That seems good news, but the team is still working to figure out which instruments can achieve some of their scientific goals, Altemus said.

This is part of a broader push to increase lunar exploration in preparation for planned human missions over the next decade. The Blue Ghost Lander at Firefly Aerospace arrived in the moon on March 2nd. Resilience Lander, a Japanese company Ispace, is on the way.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

First Test Flight of Jeff Bezos’ New Glenn Rocket Successfully Reaches Orbit

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA — Blue Origin successfully launched a massive new rocket on its inaugural test flight on Thursday, sending a prototype satellite into orbit thousands of miles above Earth.

Named after the first American to orbit the Earth, the New Glenn rocket took off from Florida and lifted off from the same launch pad that was used for NASA’s Mariner and Pioneer spacecraft half a century ago.

Developed over many years with substantial funding from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the 98-meter-long rocket carried an experimental platform designed to transport the satellite and deploy it into a designated orbit.

With all seven main engines firing at liftoff, the rocket ascended through the early morning sky, exciting the crowds gathered along the nearby beach. Bezos was actively involved in the launch control, and employees of Blue Origin cheered as the spacecraft successfully reached orbit 13 minutes later, earning praise from SpaceX’s Elon Musk.

Although the first stage booster failed to land on the barge in the Atlantic Ocean, the company emphasized that a more significant milestone was achieved. Bezos had mentioned before the flight that attempting to land the booster on the first try was “a bit wild.”

“We did it!” exclaimed Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp about reaching orbit with a thumbs up. “Heading to splashdown and trying again on the landing.”

For this test mission, the satellite was designed to remain attached to the second stage while orbiting the Earth. The plan was to place the second stage in a stable orbit high above, following NASA guidelines to reduce space debris.

New Glenn is set to conduct more missions in the future, carrying spacecraft and eventually enabling astronauts to orbit the Earth and beyond, including to the moon.

Founded by Bezos 25 years ago, Blue Origin plans to launch a paid passenger service starting in 2021, aiming to explore the far reaches of the universe. Their suborbital flights from Texas will use a smaller rocket named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space. The towering New Glenn, honoring John Glenn, stands five times taller.

Blue Origin has invested over $1 billion in the New Glenn launch site, refurbishing Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s historic Complex 36. The launch site is located 9 miles (14 kilometers) from the company’s control center and rocket factory near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center entrance.

The company plans to conduct six to eight New Glenn flights during this year, with the next one scheduled for the coming spring.

Bezos declined to disclose his personal investment in the program during a recent interview, emphasizing that Blue Origin does not see itself in direct competition with Musk’s SpaceX, which has long been a leader in rocket launches.

“There’s enough room for multiple winners,” Bezos stated, highlighting that this marks “the dawn of a new era in space exploration, where we collaborate as an industry to decrease the cost of space exploration and increase access to space.”

New Glenn joins the ranks of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan, Europe’s enhanced Ariane 6, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), and the Saturn V in enabling human spaceflight. It is the latest among several large new rockets launched in recent years, including SpaceX’s Starship.

Standing at approximately 400 feet (123 meters) tall, SpaceX’s Starship is the largest rocket to date. Musk mentioned a possible seventh test flight of the entire rocket from Texas later on Thursday, aiming to replicate the success of catching the returning booster with a giant mechanical arm in October.

NASA plans to utilize Starship for landing astronauts on the moon in the coming years as part of the Artemis program. Blue Origin’s lunar lander, named Blue Moon, will play a role in future moon missions as well.

As NASA transitions leadership, Administrator Bill Nelson has advocated for fostering competition in lunar landing capabilities, resembling the approach of contracting multiple companies for transporting astronauts to the International Space Station. Nelson will be stepping down when the new administration takes office.

Tech billionaire Jared Isaacman has been nominated by the President to lead NASA, pending Senate confirmation. Isaacman, who has embarked on two privately funded SpaceX flights to orbit, will oversee the agency’s future endeavors in space exploration.

Initially planned to send twin spacecraft to Mars for NASA, New Glenn’s debut was postponed due to delays. Nonetheless, Blue Origin intends to continue testing the New Glenn rocket, with potential future missions in the pipeline. The two small spacecraft, dubbed Escapade, will orbit Mars to study its atmosphere and magnetic field.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Bitcoin reaches new all-time high of over $82,000 thanks to “Trump Pump”

Bitcoin prices surged above $82,000 for the first time as traders speculated on Donald Trump’s potential support for the cryptocurrency upon his return to the White House.

Bitcoin hit a record high of $82,413 before dipping by approximately 2.8% to around $82,000 on Monday. The price has more than doubled from about $37,000 a year ago.

While Trump had previously criticized Bitcoin, he appeared to shift his stance during the US presidential campaign, engaging with the crypto community and attending industry events. This shift raised hopes of relaxed regulations for individual investors looking to enter the cryptocurrency market, although specific policies have not been announced by President Trump.

Following Trump’s anticipated victory, Trump trading has impacted global markets with a strengthening of the dollar as investors await significant government spending in the US.

In China, investors brace for increased tariffs as Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 1.5% on Monday in response to what some view as an insufficient reaction to China’s recent stimulus measures.

Despite China’s debt exchange programs worth approximately 10 trillion yuan (£1.1 trillion), Deutsche Bank economists note a lack of direct fiscal stimulus or housing enhancements, leading to market disappointment.

The values of alternative cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Dogecoin have also risen in the wake of the election. Dogecoin, previously supported by Elon Musk, saw a significant increase in value, fueling further interest in digital assets.

Trump’s open support for his family’s cryptocurrency venture and potential deregulation of digital assets could raise concerns over conflicts of interest. Nevertheless, there is growing interest in cryptocurrencies as an alternative to traditional banking systems.

Efforts to deregulate digital assets may expose Trump to criticism over potential conflicts of interest, particularly concerning his family’s cryptocurrency venture. His son, Donald Trump Jr., has advocated for cryptocurrencies as a conservative-friendly alternative to traditional banking systems.

In anticipation of potential policy changes, publicly traded crypto companies like Coinbase and MicroStrategy have seen significant increases in their stock prices.

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Market analysts suggest that Bitcoin price fluctuations are closely linked to the prevailing market sentiment, including investors’ reactions to political developments like the election results and potential policy changes under a new administration.

As Bitcoin’s price surge continues, interest in cryptocurrencies is on the rise. Online searches for “Bitcoin” have reached their highest levels in months, indicating growing curiosity and market activity in the digital asset space.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Bitcoin reaches all-time high of $75,000 as investors speculate on Trump’s win | Bitcoin

Bitcoin has reached record highs amidst speculation on Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, with many viewing him as a candidate supportive of cryptocurrencies.

The digital currency hit $75,005.08 on Wednesday morning, surpassing its previous peak of $73,797.98 achieved in March.

“Bitcoin’s price seems to be closely tied to President Trump’s standing in the polls and betting markets,” commented AJ Bell analyst Russ Mould ahead of the U.S. presidential election.


Investors believe that a Republican win could lead to increased demand for digital currencies,” he added.

Although Trump previously criticized cryptocurrencies as scams during his tenure, he has since shifted his position and even introduced his own platform for the currency.

Nigel Green from DeVere also stated before the election that “President Trump’s victory could propel the world’s first and largest cryptocurrency to new heights.”

Green added, “If re-elected, there would likely be a focus on deregulation, tax breaks, and economic policies favoring investments like Bitcoin.”

President Trump has vowed to make the United States the “Bitcoin and cryptocurrency capital of the world” and appoint Elon Musk to oversee a comprehensive audit of government spending.

Trump’s corporate tax cuts during his previous term boosted market liquidity and encouraged investment in high-growth assets such as cryptocurrencies.

In September, Trump announced the launch of a digital currency platform named World Liberty Financial with his son and other entrepreneurs, although initial sales were sluggish.

World Liberty Financial provides a lending and borrowing service for cryptocurrencies, akin to platforms like Aave.

Since their inception, cryptocurrencies have made headlines for extreme volatility and the collapse of major industry players, notably the FTX exchange platform.

Leading up to the election, Trump made a purchase at a New York restaurant, touting it as a “historic transaction” and possibly becoming the first former president to use Bitcoin for a transaction.

“Who wants a hamburger?” Trump exclaimed to his followers in September, shortly after the platform’s launch.

Read more of the Guardian’s 2024 US election coverage

Source: www.theguardian.com

Bitcoin reaches highest value in six weeks following President Trump’s endorsement of cryptocurrency

After Donald Trump’s statement this past weekend that he would stop targeting the cryptocurrency industry if re-elected, Bitcoin surged to its highest price in over six weeks.

On Monday, the price of the cryptocurrency increased by more than 3%, reaching a peak of around $69,745, marking its highest value since June 12 when it surpassed $69,800.

Trump made supportive remarks at the Bitcoin 2024 convention in Nashville, Tennessee, declaring his intention to make the United States a global leader in cryptocurrency and adopt a more pro-Bitcoin stance compared to his opponent, Sen. Kamala Harris.

The former president assured the Bitcoin community that if he takes office, the current anti-cryptocurrency initiatives by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris would come to an end. He emphasized the importance of embracing cryptocurrency technology to prevent other countries like China from dominating.

Trump also vowed to remove the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on his first day as president, specifically targeting Gary Gensler, who has been critical of cryptocurrencies despite past endorsements.

At the Bitcoin Conference, Trump proposed the creation of a Presidential Cryptocurrency Advisory Council and the establishment of a national Bitcoin reserve using confiscated cryptocurrency held by the U.S. government.

Echoing his support for Bitcoin, Trump advised against selling the cryptocurrency, promising to retain all Bitcoin owned or acquired by the U.S. government if elected.

According to the Financial Times, Harris’ advisors have been reaching out to major crypto companies to mend relations between the Democratic Party and the cryptocurrency industry, including Coinbase, Circle, and Ripple Labs.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Zircuit staking reaches over $2 billion TVL in only 2 months – Blockchain Updates, Insights, Shows, Careers

George Town, Grand Cayman, April 23, 2024, Chainwire

jill kitthe ZK rollup with parallel circuits and AI-enabled security was announced today. staking program In just two months, TVL has soared to over $2 billion.

As Zircuit progresses toward mainnet, ZK Rollup's staking program is rapidly gaining momentum, amassing over $2 billion in TVL in just two short months. Zircuit staking allows users to earn his Zircuit points by depositing assets and transfer those assets to her Zircuit's mainnet at launch. Users can earn Zircuit points by depositing ETH, Liquid Staking Tokens (LST), Liquid Restaking Tokens (LRT), and USDe (Ethena USD).

In March, Zircuit launched its Build to Earn program to encourage builders, founders, and community members to contribute to the Zircuit ecosystem. He has already received more than 1,000 applications for the program. Zircuit's growing pre-launch TVL and community allows approved projects to gain user engagement and benefit from a rich developer experience in one of the fastest growing L2s. Additionally, developers and ecosystem contributors who participate in Zircuit's Build to Earn program can receive rewards for their approved contributions. Projects that join Zircuit through Build to Earn will join a growing list of top-tier launch partners, including Ethena, Ether.fi, KelpDAO, Renzo, Hashflow, Galxe, Elixir, Blocto, Eigenpie, and more.

Zircuit is currently in testnet and plans to launch mainnet in summer 2024.

To participate in Build to Earn, users can visit: https://build.zircuit.com/

To participate in Zircuit staking, users can access: https://stake.zircuit.com/

About Jill Kit

Zircuit is a ZK rollup with parallelized circuitry and AI-enabled security at the sequencer level. Built by a team of Web3 security veterans and PhDs in computer science, algorithms, and cryptography, Zircuit is backed by Pantera Capital, Dragonfly Capital, and Maelstrom. If you want to know more, please visit here zircuit.com Or follow us on Twitter/X @Zircuit2

contact

jessica graber
jill kit
jessica@zircuit.com

Source: www.the-blockchain.com

UK reaches Sulfer dioxide from Icelandic volcanic eruption

Lava erupts from a fissure near Grindavik, Iceland, on March 20th.

Associated Press/Alamy Stock Photo

A recent eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland released a huge plume of sulfur dioxide (SO2) currently floating around Europe. Fortunately, no significant weather or health impacts are expected.

yes2 On March 20 in the EU, the plume moved across Ireland and the United Kingdom towards Scandinavia. Copernicus atmospheric monitoring service I said it today. It is scheduled to arrive in the Baltic states, Poland and Russia on Friday.

A person working at the Blue Lagoon Resort on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland was hospitalized March 20, after being exposed to high levels of SO.2 gas. However, the plumes moving over Europe are far above the ground and do not affect the air quality below.

Say, “The plume is at a higher altitude.” Mark Purrington At Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service.

Last November, a gigantic fissure, 15 kilometers long and several kilometers deep, formed under part of the Reykjanes Peninsula. Magma that had been accumulating deeper was poured into it at the fastest rate ever recorded.

On December 18, lava began erupting along part of the fissure. So far it has erupted four times, and the most recent and largest eruption began on March 17th.

“SO plume”2 All of Europe was created at an early stage [of the latest eruption]” Freistein Sigmundson At the University of Iceland in Reykjavik.

Freistein said the eruption continued as of the afternoon of March 21, although the flow slowed from its initial stages. “This eruption is different from previous ones,” he says. “It's longer than last time.”

Some volcanic eruptions release enough SO2 Although it has the potential to affect the global climate, the Icelandic eruption is not on this scale. Parrington said the plume's duration is too short to affect the weather.

Unlike the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokull, which disrupted air traffic over Europe for about a week, the Reykjanes eruption is of a different type and is not expected to produce large amounts of volcanic ash.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Third spacecraft launch successfully reaches space but fails to return during re-entry phase

SpaceX Starship takes off on March 14th

space x

SpaceX’s third and most ambitious Starship test flight appears to have been at least partially successful today, as it reached space, conducted fuel transfer tests, and traveled farther and faster than ever before. It looked like. However, the spacecraft failed to make its planned landing and appears to have either self-destructed or burned up in Earth’s atmosphere.

After launching from SpaceX’s property in Boca Chica, Texas, the first and second stages separate cleanly and the first stage (the booster that lifts the craft during the first part of its journey) descends to land at sea. started. SpaceX ultimately intends to recover and reuse both stages, but these early test flights are slated for a safer, easier water landing for both.

The first stage steered itself downhill, but seemed to struggle to slow its fall as intended and appeared to hit the sea at breakneck speed.

The second stage reached an altitude of approximately 230 kilometers and successfully opened and closed the payload door as a test. It was also possible to swap fuel from one tank to another, an experimental first step towards eventually refueling from one spacecraft to another. This is essential for long-range missions.

However, during reentry, the spacecraft reached such high temperatures that live video showed glowing plasma around the surface, and both video and telemetry data were lost.

The spacecraft would attempt to reignite the Raptor engines, something never before done in space, as it entered the atmosphere in a controlled manner at about 27,000 kilometers per hour. However, the relighting portion of this mission was omitted by the company, and the spacecraft was subsequently lost.

A view of SpaceX’s Starship taken nine minutes into the mission.

space x

US Federal Aviation Administration permission granted In preparation for the test flight on March 13th, the day before the scheduled launch date, tweeted SpaceX said it “met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements.”

starship It is the most powerful rocket ever made. The 121-meter-long ship consists of her two stages, a booster and a spacecraft, both of which are designed to be reusable, keeping costs down and allowing quick turnaround between flights. Masu.

Starship heated up during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere after a flight of approximately 47 minutes, leading to the loss of the spacecraft.

space x

Today’s announcement marks the company’s third Starship announcement. In the first test in April last year, the first and second stages exploded before they separated, and in the test in November, the upper second stage reached space, but, which self-destructed when it stopped transmitting data, following the explosion of the first stage. Immediately after separation.

The ultimate goal of this project is to land humans on the moon and later on Mars.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Third spacecraft launch successfully reaches space but is lost upon re-entry.

SpaceX Starship takes off on March 14th

space x

SpaceX's third and most ambitious Starship test flight appears to have been at least partially successful today, as it reached space, conducted fuel transfer tests, and traveled farther and faster than ever before. It looked like. However, the spacecraft failed to make its planned landing and appears to have either self-destructed or burned up in Earth's atmosphere.

After launching from SpaceX's property in Boca Chica, Texas, the first and second stages separate cleanly and the first stage (the booster that lifts the craft during the first part of its journey) descends to land at sea. started. SpaceX ultimately intends to recover and reuse both stages, but these early test flights are slated for a safer, easier water landing for both.

The first stage steered itself downhill, but seemed to struggle to slow its fall as intended and appeared to hit the sea at breakneck speed.

The second stage reached an altitude of approximately 230 kilometers and successfully opened and closed the payload door as a test. It was also possible to swap fuel from one tank to another, an experimental first step towards eventually refueling from one spacecraft to another. This is essential for long-range missions.

However, during reentry, the spacecraft reached such high temperatures that live video showed glowing plasma around the surface, and both video and telemetry data were lost.

The spacecraft would attempt to reignite the Raptor engines, something never before done in space, as it entered the atmosphere in a controlled manner at about 27,000 kilometers per hour. However, the relighting portion of this mission was omitted by the company, and the spacecraft was subsequently lost.

US Federal Aviation Administration permission granted In preparation for the test flight on March 13th, the day before the scheduled launch date, tweeted SpaceX said it “met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements.”

starship It is the most powerful rocket ever made. The 121-meter-long ship consists of her two stages, a booster and a spacecraft, both of which are designed to be reusable, keeping costs down and allowing quick turnaround between flights. Masu.

A view of SpaceX's Starship 9 minutes into its mission

space x

Today's announcement marks the company's third Starship announcement. In the first test in April last year, the first and second stages exploded before they separated, and in the test in November, the upper second stage reached space, but , which self-destructed when it stopped transmitting data, following the explosion of the first stage. Immediately after separation.

The ultimate goal of this project is to land humans on the moon and later on Mars.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Bitcoin reaches an all-time high above $70,000

Bitcoin has reached a new all-time high price exceeding $70,000 following the announcement from the UK financial regulator permitting trading in crypto-backed securities.

On Monday morning, the cryptocurrency was trading at $71,588, surpassing its previous peak of nearly $69,000 achieved last week in November 2021.

This recent price surge comes after the UK financial regulator stated that it has no objections to investment exchanges listing crypto-backed public market segments, such as cETNs – a financial product that can be traded similarly to stocks.


However, the Financial Conduct Authority clarified that the sale of cETNs to retail investors or the general public is not permitted.

In a statement, the FCA cautioned that crypto assets are highly risky and essentially unregulated, warning investors to be prepared for potential loss of all funds.

Bitcoin has gained support this year following the approval of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by U.S. financial regulators. ETFs are a collection of assets that mirror cryptocurrency prices and are tradable like stocks on exchanges.

Despite approval, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler expressed doubts about Bitcoin, viewing it as a speculative and volatile asset often used for illicit activities like ransomware and terrorist financing.

The upcoming “halving” of Bitcoin, which reduces the creation of new Bitcoins, is anticipated to bolster the currency by diminishing supply and consequently driving up prices.

Neil Wilson, a principal analyst at brokerage firm Finalt, viewed the FCA’s decision as a positive development for the crypto market. He remarked on the potential risks of parabolic market movements leading to significant declines, but expressed uncertainties regarding Bitcoin’s future.

Wilson also raised concerns about the availability of surplus funds for Bitcoin investments.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Green Bitcoin presale reaches $1 million while Bitcoin hits near all-time high – Blockchain News, Opinion, TV, Jobs

London, UK, February 29, 2024, Chainwire

Environmentally friendly virtual currency project green bitcoin More than $1 million was raised during the limited-time presale phase.

With an innovative gamified staking model and energy-efficient foundation, Green Bitcoin offers token holders a way to stake their tokens and generate revenue.

Gamified staking model offers a unique way to earn money

Green Bitcoin’s gamified staking model has a unique twist that allows token holders to attempt to predict Bitcoin’s daily price movements, and if successful, they receive a reward based on their accuracy and staking size. You can earn different rewards.

This system resets daily, ensuring continuous engagement.

Unlike common staking protocols with fixed yields, Green Bitcoin’s model offers dynamic yields.

As outlined in green bitcoin white paper the project has allocated over 27% of its total token supply to staking rewards, ensuring a huge amount of incentives for accurate BTC price prediction.

This pool of funds will be distributed over two years.

Green Bitcoin raises over $1 million as crypto market rapidly grows

Based on the revival of the cryptocurrency market, green bitcoin presale has crossed the $1 million mark and is offering discounted tokens to potential investors.

Unlike typical pre-sale setups, the team at Green Bitcoin encourages long-term holding by allowing users to immediately stake their purchased tokens.

Coinsult, a reputable blockchain security company, audited Token smart contract.

According to the company, there is growing interest in the project on Green Bitcoin’s social channels. of the project telegram groups I have seen growth over the past week. green bitcoin twitter account The number of followers has increased to 3,400.

Green Bitcoin is also featured in YouTube videos named: crypto boy praised its “Predict-to-Earn” model.

About Green Bitcoin

Green Bitcoin is a new crypto project on the Ethereum chain that offers a greener and more sustainable alternative to Bitcoin, as well as innovative “earn predictions” including staking rewards and weekly challenges for holders provide the element.

The Green Bitcoin Project was launched in late 2023 with a pre-sale hard cap goal of $7 million and has raised over $1 million to date. Smart contracts are audited by Coinsult.

Users can access Green Bitcoin Presale here

Green Bitcoin is the source of this content. This press release is for informational purposes only. This information does not constitute investment advice or investment recommendations.

contact

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Source: the-blockchain.com

Odysseus reaches the moon


A robotic spacecraft made history Thursday by becoming the first civilian spacecraft to land on the moon and the first U.S. vehicle to accomplish the feat in more than 50 years.

The lander, built by Intuitive Machines, touched down on the moon around 6:23 p.m. ET after overcoming a late-stage malfunction with its onboard laser equipment. The Nova-C lander, nicknamed Odysseus, was the first American spacecraft to reach the moon’s surface since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

“Houston, Odysseus has found a new home,” Tim Crane, the company’s chief technology officer, radioed back from the control room as employees cheered and celebrated.

It took several minutes to confirm the landing. As expected, mission controllers lost contact with the spacecraft as it made its final descent.

The company said it was able to detect a weak signal from one of Odysseus’ antennas, but needed more data to determine how the spacecraft landed and in what conditions. About two hours later, the team received good news.

“After troubleshooting communications, flight controllers confirmed that Odysseus was upright and beginning to transmit data,” Intuitive Machines said. mentioned in the X update. “Currently, we are working on downlinking the first images from the lunar surface.”

Intuitive Machines CEO Stephen Altemus called the landing an “outstanding effort” and praised the entire team. “I know this was a blow, but we’re on the ground and communicating. Welcome to the moon,” Artemus said.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson also congratulated Intuitive Machines on their landing, calling the milestone a “victory.”

“Odysseus took the moon,” Nelson said in a video message played during a live broadcast of the event. “This feat is a huge step forward for all humanity.”

Odysseus was launched into space on February 15th aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The 14-foot-tall lander then traveled more than 620,000 miles over six days to reach the moon.

The landing time was adjusted several times on Thursday as Intuitive Machines adjusted the spacecraft’s orbit around the moon.

When Odysseus descended to the moon’s surface, he targeted a landing site near a crater called Malapart A, near the moon’s south pole. The moon’s south polar region has long intrigued scientists because water ice is thought to be relatively abundant in the region’s permanently shadowed craters. .

Odysseus travels with a combination of commercial cargo and NASA scientific equipment. The lander is expected to spend about a week collecting data on the lunar surface before lunar night begins and the spacecraft powers down.

About an hour before landing, the company also scrambled to resolve a problem with its laser equipment, which is designed to help the rover assess the lunar surface terrain and find a safe, non-hazardous landing site. . Odysseus’s laser rangefinder was inoperable, but a sensor from NASA’s scientific instruments aboard the lander was reused.

The mission is part of the Commercial Lunar Landing Services Program, established by NASA to help private companies develop lunar landers. NASA will eventually hire these companies to transport cargo and scientific equipment to the moon’s surface as part of the agency’s broader ambitions to return astronauts to the moon.

NASA awarded Intuitive Machines $118 million to perform the moon landing.

Last month, another company tried unsuccessfully to send a lander to the moon under the same NASA program. The spacecraft, built by Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology, suffered a catastrophic failure shortly after launch, forcing the company to abort the entire mission.

In addition to being the first commercial spacecraft on the moon, Odysseus also joined an elite club. To date, only the space agencies of the United States, the former Soviet Union, China, India, and Japan have successfully made a controlled or “soft landing” on the moon. Moon.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Nvidia Reports Record Revenue as AI Reaches Tipping Point

The artificial intelligence boom has pushed demand for Nvidia products beyond Wall Street’s already high expectations.

The company announced fourth-quarter results on Wednesday that significantly beat analysts’ expectations, with revenue of $22.1 billion versus the $20.55 billion expected and earnings of $4.93 per share versus the $4.64 expected. became. Revenue increased 22% sequentially and 265% year over year.

Revenue from data centers, Nvidia’s most-watched revenue, increased more than 400% year-over-year to $18.4 billion.


Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said in a press release: “Accelerated computing and generative AI have reached a tipping point. Demand is surging around the world across companies, industries, and nations.”

Nvidia’s earnings and stock demand are seen as a bellwether for overall interest in artificial intelligence, as the company relies heavily on its products to develop AI. Microsoft, OpenAI, Amazon, Meta, and Google have all signed deals to buy the company’s chips in bulk as they race to release new AI products and features.

Some major companies, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, are launching their own AI chip ventures to compete with established Nvidia, which would likely cost hundreds of billions of dollars. .

Nvidia plans to ship a new chip, the B100, which will be the top of its product line, in 2024, raising expectations for explosive growth. Nokia and Nvidia on Wednesday announced a partnership to develop AI solutions that can improve communications infrastructure.

Wall Street has come to expect big growth from Nvidia. Analysts’ baseline forecast on Wednesday was for sales to increase his 240%. Tech companies are rushing to develop AI products that leverage the company’s proprietary AI chips and software, considered the best on the market.

Nvidia’s revenue tripled last quarter, and its profits for the past four quarters have exceeded analyst expectations.

The company’s stock price has more than tripled over the past year, valuing the company at more than $1.5 trillion. The company surpassed Google and Amazon in market capitalization last week, making it the world’s third-largest company by value within days.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Witness the growth of this plant-inspired robot as it reaches towards the light like a vine

Robots that can grow around trees and rocks like vines could be used to construct buildings or measure pollution in hard-to-reach natural environments.

Vine-like robots are not new, but they are often designed to rely only on a single sense, such as heat or light, to grow upwards, making them less effective than others in certain environments. It doesn't work well.

Emanuela del Dottore The Italian Institute of Technology and colleagues have developed a new version called FiloBot that can use light, shadow, or gravity as a guide. It grows by wrapping a plastic filament into a cylindrical shape, adding a new layer to the body just behind the head that contains the sensor.

“Our robot has a built-in microcontroller that can process multiple stimuli and direct growth at a precise location, namely at the tip, ensuring that the structure of the body is preserved.” she says.

According to Dottore, having such fine control over the direction of the tip means the robot can easily navigate unfamiliar terrain by wrapping around trees and using shadowed areas of leaves as guideposts. This means that it can be moved.

FiloBot grows at approximately 7 millimeters per minute. Although slower than many traditional robots, this gentler progress could mean less disruption to sensitive natural environments, she says.

The researchers don't know exactly what the robot will be used for at this point, but they hope it can be deployed to collect data in areas that are difficult for humans to reach, such as the tops of trees.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Firefly’s Alpha Rocket Successfully Reaches Orbit for the Fourth Consecutive Time

firefly aerospace launched its Alpha rocket into orbit this morning, carrying a payload from Lockheed Martin into space. However, the company has not yet announced whether it was able to successfully deploy the satellite into its intended orbit, which could indicate a problem with the rocket’s second stage.

Today’s launch marks the fourth ever flight of Firefly’s Alpha rocket. The vehicle took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:32 a.m. local time. The mission, dubbed “Fly the Lightning,” was a commercial launch for customer Lockheed Martin. The rocket carried a Lockheed demonstrator payload called the Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA) Technology Demonstrator to low Earth orbit.

Around 9:40 a.m. local time, Firefly tweeted Alpha’s second stage engine will be re-ignited and it will complete the orbit in about 40 minutes. From there, the Lockheed Martin payload was supposed to be deployed. However, the company still hasn’t provided an update after four hours.

ESA is a type of electronically steered antenna array. Lockheed says its unique design allows new ESA sensors to be calibrated in a fraction of the time compared to traditional orbital sensors, which can take months to power up and become operational. The payload of the company’s ESA demonstrator was integrated into a satellite bus built by Terran Orbital (Lockheed owns nearly 7% of Terran’s outstanding stock).

While the primary objective of the mission is to deploy the payload, Firefly says the mission team also tracks the total effort time from receiving the payload until it is ready for launch, providing space-saving launch capabilities. He said he would continue to demonstrate this to the military. .

Rapid launches are a top priority for the Space Force. Firefly has already demonstrated once during the previous Alpha mission, setting a new record for launch readiness. For this mission, Firefly had just 24 hours to complete its final preparations for launch, encapsulate its payload, and attach it to the rocket.

Source: techcrunch.com

Bluesky, X’s competitor, reaches 2 million users; federation to launch in early next year

Bluesky is a company building a decentralized alternative to Twitter/X. announced It now has 2 million users, an increase of another 1 million since September, despite still being an invite-only app. It also revealed deadlines for other important goals, saying it plans to have a public web interface up and running by the end of this month and start federation by early next year.

The latter is one of the most important differentiators between Bluesky and X, as it allows Bluesky to function as a more open social network. This means it works more like Mastodon, where users can choose which servers to join and move their accounts around freely. This is what Bluesky today claims is “billionaire-proof” and criticizes Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter, now known as X.

“Rather than being bound to the whims and black-box algorithms of private companies, you have the freedom to choose (and exit) at any time.” Explained in company blog post. “And wherever you go, your friends and relationships will be there too,” it states.

Similar to Mastodon, a decentralized service, federation allows anyone to run their own service and connect to other services running the same protocol. For Bluesky, this is done like this: AT protocol The company is also developing consumer services and mobile apps in parallel. But his other major decentralized social network, Mastodon, uses an established protocol, his ActivityPub, which has grown significantly in the months since Musk’s acquisition of Twitter. It is attracting attention.

Since then, other companies have adopted ActivityPub and Mastodon, including Mozilla, Flipboard, Medium, and Automattic (WordPress.com’s parent company). Unless Bluesky makes the AT protocol and ActivityPub interoperable in some way, there could be challenges regarding Bluesky’s ultimate reach. Bridging Maybe the two of you Technically It’s possible, but it’s more likely to be in the future, not in the near future.

Meanwhile, Bluesky is working to make its services more accessible, including launching a public web interface later this month. This will allow anyone to view his Bluesky posts, even if they don’t have an account. This could make the network more promising in terms of being a true competitor to X in breaking news and conversation, but it could expose Bluesky users’ posts to the outside world in ways they are not ready for. There is also. (This app currently does not have an option to set your profile to “private” like Twitter/X does. some users is not Happy about this. )

Despite its growth, Bluesky’s reluctance to drop its invite-only status and open its network to more users has allowed other competitors of X to gain a foothold. Last month, for example, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Instagram Threads, an alternative to X, had just under 100 million monthly active users. He believes he can reach 1 billion users in the next few years. Threads also plans to interoperate with ActivityPub in the future.

Bluesky’s announcement follows Threads’ rapid release of features to make the app more competitive with X, including a chronological feed, support for displaying likes, search, and (free) Includes an edit button, web version, voting, GIF support, and more. , topic tags, and soon a developer API. Mastodon also took advantage of the opportunity presented by the Twitter acquisition and launched an easier-to-use version of its service in September of this year. However, Mastodon currently has 1.6 million monthly active usersHowever, it is much smaller than a thread.

In addition to today’s news, Mr. Bluesky also provides mobile push notifications, shareable user lists, email verification, advanced feed and thread settings for sorting and filtering posts, a media tab in user profiles, and a user profile for your own users. We also mentioned other recently released features, such as a Likes tab for profiles. , the suggestions below, and various accessibility improvements.

Bluesky started life as a Twitter project under Jack Dorsey, but the company was spun off from Twitter. $13 million How to start research and development. Mr. Dorsey sits on its board of directors. This year, the company raised an $8 million seed round led by Neo to further its development and transformed from a public benefit LLC to a public benefit C Corp.

Source: techcrunch.com