Late tonight, moonless skies offer great deep-sky observer. Try for open cluster NGC 6939, neighbor to the famous Fireworks Galaxy.
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Akita eyes AI data center that could become Japan’s largest
A plan is underway to build an artificial intelligence data center in Akita Prefecture that could become Japan’s largest.
The plan is being led by S2, a server management firm based in the city of Akita, and U.S. startup Bitgrit, with the total construction cost estimated at ¥2 trillion ($12.5 billion).
The firms are cooperating with Akita Prefecture and the city of Akita with an aim to make the data center a hub to attract AI-related businesses and human resources.
Chinese scientists employ new technology to scan cultural heritage sites for first time
Chinese scientists have successfully employed 3D hyperspectral imaging technology for the first time to create comprehensive digital archives of two ancient Buddhist grottoes at the Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi Province. This was reported by Science and Technology Daily, a partner of TV BRICS.
According to Li Lihong, a researcher at the Yungang Grottoes Research Institute, the technology can simultaneously record the geometric shapes, materials and distribution of defects in the heritage sites, creating a “spectral fingerprint” for every point on the surface.
Caves No. 7 and No. 8, carved between 471 and 494 AD, constitute the first pair of twin caves at Yungang. They blend Greek-style columns, Indian Gandhara Buddhist statues and traditional architectural elements from the Central Plains, bearing witness to the exchange between Eastern and Western civilisations and holding great significance in the history of the Yungang Grottoes. However, due to their complex curved surfaces and vast surface area, it had long been impossible to create a complete digital replica using standard equipment.
