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TAMPA, Fla. — Spacecoin said it is successfully communicating with its recently launched debut connectivity satellite, designed to test technology for a decentralized space-based network shared by multiple investors.

“We have established regular communication with the satellite,” Spacecoin founder Tae Oh said, following SpaceX’s Dec. 21 Falcon 9 rideshare mission to low Earth orbit.

The venture aims to start testing its CTC-0 small satellite early next year, initially demonstrating space-enabled text messaging to a specialized handheld antenna but ultimately directly to standard smartphones.

Every year, the International Space Station produces some of the world’s best photography.

Astronauts tend to be technically skilled with a camera, yes. Many of them are engineers, after all.

Their real photography advantage, though, is the glorious view from space as they circle our planet every 90 minutes.

Botanists discovered a new lipstick vine species, Aeschynanthus pentatrichomatus, in the Philippine rainforest. Found during a 2022 expedition, the plant is critically endangered and underscores the need for conservation in biodiversity hotspots.

Scientists have announced the discovery of a previously unknown species of lipstick vine, uncovered in the depths of the Philippine rainforest. The groundbreaking findings were published in the Nordic Journal of Botany.

A team of botanists from Oxford University and the University of the Philippines Los Baños made the discovery during a 2022 expedition to the remote Barangay Balbalasang rainforest on Luzon Island. Accessing this nearly impenetrable wilderness required several days of travel and the use of machetes to clear a path. During their exploration, the team was hosted by the Banao Tribe, an indigenous community who protect their local forest.

Scientists and botanists are continuously exploring nature’s vast variety, making tree and plant discoveries that highlight the richness of our planet’s biodiversity.

These findings spark excitement and curiosity, offering fresh perspectives on the vast array of plant species still awaiting exploration. Most recently, experts have added to the world of botanical discoveries by naming six new tree species. These species were identified during an exhaustive comparison of dried plant specimens gathered from across the Neotropics.

Researchers used electromagnetic signals to steal and replicate AI models from a Google Edge TPU with 99.91% accuracy, exposing significant vulnerabilities in AI systems and calling for urgent protective measures.

Researchers have shown that it’s possible to steal an artificial intelligence (AI) model without directly hacking the device it runs on. This innovative technique requires no prior knowledge of the software or architecture supporting the AI, making it a significant advancement in model extraction methods.

“AI models are valuable, we don’t want people to steal them,” says Aydin Aysu, co-author of a paper on the work and an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University. “Building a model is expensive and requires significant computing sources. But just as importantly, when a model is leaked, or stolen, the model also becomes more vulnerable to attacks – because third parties can study the model and identify any weaknesses.”

Researchers at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider explore subtle energy signals to search for new physics beyond the Standard Model.

A giant anaconda, a vampire hedgehog, a dwarf squirrel, and a tiger cat were among the new species named by science in 2024. Found from the depths of the Pacific Ocean to the mountaintops of Southeast Asia, each new species shows us that even our well-known world contains unexplored chambers of life.

This year, in Peru’s Alto Mayo Landscape alone, scientists uncovered 27 new-to-science species, including four new mammals, during a two month expedition. Meanwhile, the Greater Mekong region yielded 234 new species, and scientists from the California Academy of Sciences described 138 new species globally. The ocean depths continued to surprise, with more than 100 potentially new species found on an unexplored underwater mountain off Chile’s coast. Two new mammal species were found in India this year, including the world’s smallest otter.

Scientists estimate only a small fraction of Earth’s species have been documented, perhaps 20% at best. Even among mammals, the best-known group of animals, scientists think we’ve only found 80% of species. Yet most of the hidden species are likely bats, rodents, shrews, moles and hedgehogs.

In a paper published in the journal Neuroscience of Consciousness psychology researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) worked with 54 participants to examine the effects of surveillance on an essential function of human sensory perception – the ability to detect another person’s gaze.

Lead author, Associate Professor of neuroscience and behaviour Kiley Seymour, said previous research has established the effects on conscious behaviour when people know they are being watched, but the new study provided the first direct evidence that being watched also has an involuntary response.

“We know CCTV changes our behaviour, and that’s the main driver for retailers and others wanting to deploy such technology to prevent unwanted behaviour,” Associate Professor Seymour said.

Continue reading “Big brother: the effects of surveillance on fundamental aspects of social vision” »

The future of AI in 2025 is set to bring transformative advancements, including humanoid robots, infinite-memory systems, and breakthroughs in superintelligence. OpenAI is pushing the boundaries with innovations in voice AI, web agents, and scalable applications across industries like robotics and healthcare. With AGI milestones like the O₃ system and growing focus on AI safety and energy efficiency, the next phase of artificial intelligence promises to reshape technology and society.

Key Topics:
OpenAI’s vision for the future of AI, from infinite-memory systems to humanoid robots.
The role of AGI in accelerating advancements in robotics, biology, and voice AI
Challenges like energy demands, AI safety, and the race toward superintelligence.

Continue reading “AGI ACHIEVED: What’s Next for AI in 2025? (Superintelligence Ahead)” »