NASA Unveils Lunar Exploration Vehicle for Artemis Campaign

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NASA announced the development of a lunar exploration vehicle to aid scientific research during the Artemis campaign on the Moon and in preparation for human missions to Mars. Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, expressed anticipation for the vehicle’s role in advancing lunar exploration and enhancing astronauts’ ability to conduct research on the lunar surface.

The vehicle, scheduled for use during Artemis V, will operate remotely between missions to support scientific objectives and may also engage in commercial lunar activities. NASA aims to utilize the vehicle to access remote locations and facilitate new scientific discoveries during the Artemis missions, which will include the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut to explore the Moon.

X Platform Launches Community Notes Feature in India Ahead of Elections

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Elon Musk announced the activation of the Community Notes feature on his X platform in India, coinciding with the country’s upcoming general elections. The platform also welcomed new contributors from India for this user-based fact-checking program.

Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, confirmed the launch of Community Notes in India, with the company stating that the first contributors from the country are joining and expansion will continue gradually. The platform, operating in 69 countries globally, aims to ensure note quality by considering diverse perspectives and regularly adding contributors.

Introduced in December 2022, Community Notes enable users to provide context to potentially misleading posts collaboratively. Notes deemed helpful by contributors from various viewpoints will be publicly displayed on posts, with X intervening only if a post violates platform rules.

President Unveils India’s First Affordable Gene Therapy for Cancer

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In a moment of promise for cancer patients, President Droupadi Murmu unveiled India’s first domestically produced and affordable gene therapy, “CAR-T cell therapy,” at IIT Bombay. President Murmu expressed confidence in the treatment’s potential to offer renewed hope to countless patients, marking a significant advancement in healthcare innovation under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Developed through collaboration between IIT Bombay, Tata Memorial Hospital, and industry partner ImmunoACT, the CAR-T cell therapy signifies a commendable academia-industry partnership, bringing cutting-edge medical technology within reach of Indian patients. President Murmu highlighted India’s growing prowess in technological innovation, facilitated by the expertise of institutions like IIT Bombay.

CAR-T cell therapy, a form of immunotherapy and gene therapy, involves sophisticated genetic engineering to enhance the patient’s immune cells, particularly T cells, for combating cancer. President Murmu lauded the efforts of Indian scientists and physicians in developing this therapy, underscoring its approval in October 2023 as a testament to India’s scientific capabilities.

With cancer claiming a significant number of lives worldwide, including 14.6 lakh in India in 2022, the introduction of this therapy signifies a crucial milestone in advancing medical care in the country. President Murmu stressed that it positions India on the global stage of advanced healthcare and aligns with the nation’s trajectory toward healthcare innovation.

Anand Mahindra and Elon Musk Discuss Manufacturing Realities

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Elon Musk, the head honcho of Tesla and SpaceX, recently sparked a conversation online about how movies tend to glorify inventors and their “Eureka!” moments, while overlooking the real challenge: manufacturing.

Anand Mahindra, the big boss of Mahindra Group, totally agreed. He chimed in, revealing he actually began his career on the factory floor of a car plant. Mahindra highlighted the immense effort and problem-solving that goes into mass producing things, praising these “unsung heroes” of manufacturing.

Interestingly, videos showcasing car manufacturing are quite popular on YouTube, proving there’s an audience for these stories. Many people agreed with Mahindra, noting that manufacturing deserves more credit and there are countless tales waiting to be told!

Infosys & Handelsblatt Join Forces: Decoding Complex Economics with AI

Infosys Teams Up with Handelsblatt to Make Financial News More Engaging

Indian tech company Infosys just inked a deal with Handelsblatt Media Group, a major German media company, to bring artificial intelligence (AI) to their financial journalism.

Infosys’ AI platform, Topaz, will be used by Handelsblatt Research Institute (HRI) to make their complex economic and financial reports easier to understand for everyday readers.

Imagine being able to grasp complex financial topics without needing a degree in economics! Infosys says their AI will take HRI’s research and turn it into clear, engaging stories that will inform and entertain Handelsblatt’s audience.

This partnership is a big win for both companies. Handelsblatt will be able to reach a wider audience with their reports, and Infosys will be at the forefront of using AI to revolutionize storytelling in the media industry.

Elon Musk Announces Free Premium Features for X Users

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Elon Musk announced on Thursday that users of the X platform with 2,500 or more verified subscriber followers will receive Premium features for free. Additionally, those with over 5,000 verified subscriber followers will get access to Premium+ at no cost. This move aims to reward users with significant followings on the platform.

The announcement was met with enthusiasm from many users, although some sought clarification on the criteria for verified subscribers. One user questioned whether “verified subscribers” referred to followers verified by the platform or subscribers within the context of X subscriptions.

With over 550 million monthly users on the X platform, this announcement signifies a significant development in its subscription model. Musk’s decision to offer Premium features to users with large followings aims to enhance the user experience and attract more creators to the platform.

Musk’s recent announcement follows plans to expand the capabilities of the platform’s ‘Grok’ AI chatbot to compete with similar technologies like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Overall, this initiative reflects the platform’s commitment to rewarding and empowering its most influential creators, enhancing the user experience, and expanding its reach in the competitive landscape of social media and AI technologies.

Kia K4 Compact Sedan Unveils at New York Auto Show

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Kia, the second-largest carmaker in South Korea, unveiled its latest offering, the K4 compact sedan, at the New York Auto Show. With plans for a North American launch this year, the K4 will be manufactured in Mexico and made available to customers in the US and Canada in the latter half of the year.

Boasting two engine options, a 2.0-liter gasoline variant, and a 1.6-liter turbocharged option, the K4 aims to capture attention in the competitive compact sedan segment. Despite its absence in the Korean market, Kia plans to showcase a diverse lineup at the motor show, including electric cars like the EV6 and EV9, along with the popular Telluride SUV.

From Hyderabad to Space: Skyroot Aerospace’s Journey to Orbital Rocket Launch

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Skyroot Aerospace, a prominent space technology firm headquartered in Hyderabad, achieved a significant milestone by successfully conducting the Stage-2 test of the Vikram-1 space launch vehicle, dubbed Kalam-250, at ISRO’s propulsion testbed in Sriharikota. This accomplishment marks a crucial advancement towards India’s inaugural private orbital rocket launch, building upon Skyroot’s previous suborbital space launch of the Vikram-S in November 2022.

During the 85-second test, the Stage-2 recorded a peak sea-level thrust of 186 kilonewtons (kN), indicating an expected flight thrust of approximately 235kN. The Kalam-250 boasts a robust carbon composite rocket motor utilizing solid fuel, along with an Ethylene-Propylene-Diene terpolymers (EPDM) thermal protection system (TPS). It incorporates a carbon ablative flex nozzle and electro-mechanical actuators for thrust vector control, crucial for guiding the rocket’s trajectory during ascent.

The collaboration with the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) saw the integration of their proprietary head-mounted safe arm (HMSA) to ensure safe rocket stage operation. Additionally, the solid propellant for Kalam-250 was processed by Solar Industries at their Nagpur facility. Skyroot had previously achieved success with the testing of Kalam-100, the third stage of Vikram-1, in June 2021.

Stage-2 plays a pivotal role in propelling the launch vehicle from the atmospheric phase into the vacuum of outer space. Pawan Chandana, Co-Founder and CEO of Skyroot, underscored the milestone’s significance for the Indian space industry, highlighting it as the largest propulsion system ever designed and manufactured by the Indian private sector, as well as the first carbon-composite-built motor tested at ISRO.

Naga Bharath Daka, Co-Founder and COO of Skyroot, emphasized the successful validation of the flex nozzle control system during firing as a crucial step towards the maiden orbital launch of Vikram-1 slated for 2024. Skyroot’s progress is attributed to the dedication of its team and the steadfast support from IN-SPACe and ISRO, with a collective focus on achieving further milestones in the upcoming months.

Elon Musk: AI Chatbot Grok Set to Reach More Users with Premium Access

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Elon Musk’s platform X is set to level up its game against OpenAI’s ChatGPT by making its AI Chatbot Grok, more widely accessible to paying subscribers. Musk announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Grok will soon be available to all Premium subscribers, expanding its reach beyond the current Premium+ users.

This move comes after xAI recently made Grok open-source for developers and researchers, allowing them to access its 314 billion parameter Mixture-of-Experts model, Grok-1, on Github. Additionally, last year, X introduced Grok to several countries, including India, Australia, and Canada, further broadening its global presence.

Despite some usage declines reported in the US, Musk’s efforts to enhance Grok’s accessibility and functionality demonstrate his commitment to advancing AI capabilities on the platform.

The of OpenAI: Insights from CEO Sam Altman

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OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman revealed in a recent interview that Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, expressed doubts about the company’s success and eventually chose to part ways due to differences in vision.

According to Altman, Musk believed that OpenAI was destined to fail and sought greater control to steer its direction, including merging it with Tesla or turning it into a for-profit entity. However, OpenAI remained committed to its original mission of democratizing access to powerful technology for the public good.

Despite the legal dispute initiated by Musk alleging breach of contractual agreements, OpenAI maintains its stance on providing free and accessible tools to empower individuals, while rejecting proposals that would compromise its mission.