Blog posts will be on hold until further notice due to the busy schedules of our writers.
WEEKLY STEM FACT #9: Did you know? There are more possible iterations of a standard deck of 52 playing cards than there are atoms on Earth.
Happy Sunday! This week was Pi Day and St. Patrick's Day! We hope everyone enjoyed some good pies, whether a pizza pie or a key-lime pie.
Here’s what we’ll be covering:
SpaceX Starship
Interlune Space-Mining
TikTok & The White House
EU Investigation of AI
Roku Data Breach
SpaceX Starship
This week, according to the BBC, was SpaceX's third test flight for Starship. The launch from Texas saw the vehicle's upper portion circling the globe before re-entry over the Indian Ocean. Despite radio contact being lost towards the end, SpaceX hailed the flight's success. Elon Musk expressed excitement, envisioning Starship's role in future Mars missions. While not all objectives were met, such as the controlled descent of the booster, engineers remain confident in the rocket's development. Starship's potential to revolutionize space travel is high, with its reusable design and high payload capacity.
SpaceX Falcon Heavy. @SpaceX
Interlune Space-Mining
One of the main reasons for investing in space is the possible extraction of rare resources from different planets, meteors, and other bodies in space. According to The Washington Post, Interlune, a new private venture founded by former Blue Origin executives and an Apollo astronaut, has announced plans to mine Helium-3 from the moon, aiming to become the first commercial entity to extract lunar resources and bring them back to Earth. Helium-3, a resource abundant on the moon and scarce on Earth, holds potential for nuclear fusion reactors and quantum computing. The company intends to conduct prospecting missions as early as 2026, with the goal of full-scale operations by 2030. While challenges exist, such as technology development and high costs, Interlune believes in the growing demand for Helium-3 and advancements in space transportation.
TikTok & The White House
Everyone’s used TikTok at one point, and it seems like every year the US government is trying to ban the platform one way or another. According to The Washington Post, the White House has passed a bill requiring TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the app within six months. However, experts say that six months is unrealistic due to the complexity of selling such a large platform. Moreover, the high valuation of TikTok, estimated at over $100 billion, and the limited number of potential buyers further complicate matters. Because of this, Beijing opposes the forced sale, citing unfair treatment and potential retaliation against U.S. companies in China.
TikTok application in shopping mall. @Olivier Bergeron
EU Investigation of AI
According to CCN, The European Union is investigating major tech firms' use of AI, focusing on generative AI's potential for spreading misinformation with deepfakes, which could disrupt elections. Companies like Meta and Microsoft are under scrutiny for their mitigation measures. The investigation, seeking responses by April, also covers user privacy and children's safety. It warns of potential fines under the Digital Services Act for AI-related mishaps and is linked to an ongoing probe into social media manipulation.
EU flags at the European Commission Berlaymont building. @Guillaume Périgois
Roku Data Breach
Do you or your family use Roku? It’s a streaming TV service that has been popular for a couple of years now. According to FOX News, a significant data breach affected Roku users, where hackers accessed sensitive information like credit card details and passwords. Roku responded by securing affected accounts and initiating password resets. Now, it is recommended to secure Roku devices and take immediate action if hacked, this includes changing passwords, monitoring accounts, and contacting Roku customer support.
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Sources used:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/03/17/tiktok-sale-ban-challenges/
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68547482
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/03/13/moon-mining-plans-interlune/
https://www.foxnews.com/tech/is-your-roku-safe-massive-data-breach-exposes-thousands-accounts