Technology

Twenty years ago, South Africa had forty qualified astronomers, all white. How it opened up space science and developed skills since then

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South African large telescope. SAAO, author provided South African astronomy embarked on an important journey twenty years ago when an initiative to attract and train future scientists in the field welcomed its first group of students under the National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme. This period saw the establishment of world-class facilities, the most notable … Read more

For the first time in 221 years, two cicada broods are emerging together – and they’re meeting in Illinois

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Cicada Safari Press, Tyler Le/BI For the first time in 221 years, two broods of periodical cicadas appear at the same time. Broods XIII and XIX overlap in a small part of Illinois, around Chicago. People can help scientists monitor these insects using citizen science apps. 2024 is the year of the cicada apocalypse. That’s … Read more

The locals of the UNESCO World Heritage Site are too afraid to visit

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(Getty Images) This article first appeared on our partner site, Independent Arabia Myths and legends were our ancestors’ main source of entertainment and escape in times before the Internet, television or radio. The most compelling of these folktales are those with a hint of the supernatural, especially those related to ghosts and spirits known as … Read more

Icelandic scientists want to drill a hole into a reservoir of molten magma about a mile underground. It could generate unlimited energy.

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Clouds of smoke rise from a borehole created when scientists accidentally drilled into a magma chamber in 2009.KMT Scientists in Iceland want to drill directly into an underground magma chamber. The project could provide clues about how volcanoes work and create geothermal energy. The biggest hurdles are getting financing for the project and figuring out … Read more

Scientists explain why 2023’s record-breaking heat has them on edge

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The latest calculations from several scientific agencies showing that Earth shattered global heat records last year may seem frightening. But scientists fear what’s behind these numbers could be even worse. The Associated Press news agency spoke to more than three dozen scientists about what the destroyed records mean. Most say they fear an acceleration of … Read more

‘On Ozempic I immediately lost all desire for alcohol’

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A surge of interest in the drug’s potential as a treatment for alcoholics comes amid published research and anecdotal evidence – AFP Michelle Udden had become accustomed to drinking every night. “If I’m honest, it was almost becoming a habit,” says Udden, 51, who lives in New Hampshire, US, and works for a higher education … Read more

The moon has entered a new era, scientists say

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Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific developments and more. For thousands of years, the moon inspired people from afar, but the bright beacon in Earth’s night sky – more than 200,000 miles (321,868 kilometers) away – remained out of reach. That all changed on … Read more

NASA is disputing the rumor that the ISS was sabotaged by a female astronaut who wanted to go home

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NASA Claim: A female NASA astronaut sabotaged the International Space Station Judgement: Rating: unproven In 2018, the question of whether a hole had been deliberately drilled in the Russian spacecraft Soyuz MS-09 by a saboteur led to an investigation led by the Russian space agency Roscosmos. Iterations of the claim appeared on X and a … Read more

From corny jokes to job applications, ChatGPT’s new store sells specialized AI software

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OpenAI has launched an online store for customized versions of ChatGPT. Some observers believe the new platform has complicated ethical and legal implications. (Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images – image credits) Leading artificial intelligence company OpenAI has launched a new way for developers to sell and distribute their own customized versions of AI software through … Read more