Science & Technology

– Manuscript – Last week, Japan’s space agency launched a rocket carrying a spacecraft designed to explore the moon. The lunar lander is known as the Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM). It aims to touch down on the moon’s surface early next year. If successful, it would make Japan the fifth nation to land a spacecraft on the moon. So far, only the United … [Read more...] about What Is the Goal of Japan’s New Moon Mission?

– Manuscript – Throughout history, technological progress has brought new wealth but has not always improved people’s lives. Economists now say it is not clear whether artificial intelligence (AI) will help or hurt society. Simon Johnson teaches economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology near Boston. He said AI has a lot of possibilities. But he added, “We are … [Read more...] about Economists Wonder If Few or Many Will Benefit from AI

– Manuscript – Scientists have discovered fossils that might have belonged to the heaviest animal in Earth’s history. The blue whale holds the current record as the largest creature to live on Earth. But a collection of bones found in Peru might break that record. Researchers recently introduced the whale species in a study in the publication Nature. It is called … [Read more...] about Ancient Whale May Be Heaviest Animal Ever Found

– Manuscript – Newly-developed artificial intelligence (AI) systems have demonstrated the ability to perform at human-like levels in some areas. But one serious problem with the tools remains – they can produce false or harmful information repeatedly. The development of such systems, known as “chatbots,” has progressed greatly in recent months. Chatbots have shown the … [Read more...] about Can AI Chatbots Learn to Be More Truthful?

– Manuscript – Russia recently launched its first moon-landing spacecraft in 47 years. The launch comes during a time of competition by major powers including the United States, China and India to discover more about the resources held on the moon. Russia said that it would launch further moon missions and then explore the possibility of a joint Russian-China crewed … [Read more...] about Why Are Major Powers Interested in the Moon?