NASA’s Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission has taken its first images in space, providing a glimpse into the solar corona and heliosphere. The four-satellite constellation is equipped with cutting-edge instruments that will help researchers understand how the sun’s energy behaves. The PUNCH spacecraft consists of four satellites orbiting each other, forming … Read more
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has requested relevant information from Harvard University about foreign students involved in “known illegal” or “dangerous” activity. In a letter sent to the university, Noem demanded details about student visa holders who have been involved in such activities, including whether the incidents occurred on campus. The request comes as … Read more
Scientists have long believed that scent plays a role in attraction, but a new study suggests its influence extends to friendships too. Researchers found that when two women meet for the first time, their sense of smell helps them decide if they’ll be friends. This is achieved by analyzing “diplomatic odor,” which takes into account … Read more
Microsoft Research has introduced BitNet b1.58 2B4T, a new language model with 2 billion parameters that uses only 1.58 bits of weight per layer instead of the usual 16 or 32. Despite its reduced size, it matches the performance of full-precision models and runs efficiently on both GPUs and CPUs. The model was trained on … Read more
The Social Security Administration will start requiring some recipients to verify their identity in person, starting this month. Those who don’t comply risk having their monthly payments suspended or terminated. New applicants and those making changes must now go through the verification process, no matter how long they’ve been receiving benefits. The change is part … Read more
Katy Perry’s Blue Origin space tour has sparked a public backlash over what critics call “mission tone-deaf.” The singer, joined by fellow astronaut Gayle King, returned from an 11-minute journey aboard the New Shepard spacecraft. While intended as a historic moment for women in space exploration, the tour was marred by controversy after Wendy’s tweeted … Read more
The Lyrid meteor shower is set to be the first major event of spring, offering a glimpse of shooting stars on Tuesday morning. According to Thaddeus LaCoursiere, planetarium program coordinator at the Bell Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota, viewers can expect around six meteors per hour during the peak. The waning crescent moon will be … Read more
Measles cases have been reported in Gallatin County, Montana, marking the first confirmed instances of the infectious disease in the state since 1990. Five individuals, including children and adults, have tested positive for measles after being exposed to the virus while traveling out of state. According to the state Department of Public Health and Human … Read more
Tokyo restaurant owner Arata Hirano has taken the bold step of switching to an American variety of rice, doubling its price since his first purchase last summer. Despite this, imported rice is becoming increasingly popular among restaurants and supermarkets in Japan, driven by a severe rice shortage and rising prices at home. Wholesale domestic prices … Read more
The Lyrid meteor shower is set to illuminate the night sky starting this week. One of the oldest annual meteor showers known to humans, it will be visible on Wednesday nights and lasting through April 25. The meteors are thought to be debris left behind by Comet Thatcher, which was first documented in 1861. As … Read more