OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned during a visit to the United Arab Emirates that AI poses an “existential risk” to humanity and suggested the establishment of an international agency, similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to oversee AI. “We face serious risk. We face existential risk,” said Altman, Read more…
Artificial photosynthesis, inspired by the natural process that enables plants to convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into oxygen and energy, could be crucial for space exploration and colonization. By using semiconductor materials and metallic catalysts, these devices could efficiently produce oxygen and recycle carbon dioxide, reducing reliance on heavy Read more…
Nation-state representatives have taken the first concrete step toward a legally binding treaty to regulate plastic, described as the most important green deal since the 2015 international climate agreement. The banging of a recycled-plastic gavel, on Friday night at Unesco headquarters in Paris, signalled the end of a fraught process, Read more…
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have successfully demonstrated the capability of steering power in a microwave beam from a satellite to targets in space, as well as transmitting some of that power to a detector on Earth. The Caltech mission, funded by the Donald Bren Foundation and Read more…
Mycorrhizal fungi have been supporting life on land for at least 450 million years by helping to supply plants with soil nutrients essential for growth. In recent years, scientists have found that in addition to forming symbiotic relationships with nearly all land plants, these fungi are important conduits to transport Read more…
A former intelligence official turned whistleblower, David Charles Grusch, has provided extensive classified information to Congress and the Intelligence Community Inspector General about covert programs involving the retrieval of intact and partially intact vehicles of non-human origin. Grusch alleges that this information has been illegally withheld from Congress, and he Read more…
The Washington Post looks at “Americans who want to lower their carbon footprints — but are stymied by their landlords.” Homes and apartments burn oil and gas, suck up electricity, and account for about one-fifth of the United States’ total greenhouse gas emissions. But current attempts to green America’s homes, Read more…