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Researchers investigate impacts of space travel on eye health – Tech Explorist

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As the frequency of space travel increases, its crucial to understand the effects of altered gravity on the human body. Dr. Ana Diaz Artiles and her team at Texas A&M University are investigating the impact of space flight on eye health, particularly the consequences of gravitational changes.

During space travel, shifts in bodily fluids due to altered gravity can affect the cardiovascular system, potentially leading to changes in the vessels around the eyes.

As space travel becomes more accessible to individuals outside of traditional astronaut training, such as commercial space travelers, its essential to recognize the potential impact on cardiovascular and eye health, especially for those who may not have the same level of physical fitness as professional astronauts.

When we experience microgravity conditions, we see changes in the cardiovascular system because gravity is not pulling down all these fluids as it typically does on Earth when we are in an upright position, said Diaz Artiles, an assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and a Williams Brothers Construction Company Faculty Fellow. When were upright, a large part of our fluids are stored in our legs, but in microgravity, we get a redistribution of fluids into the upper body.

The intriguing phenomenon of Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS) has drawn significant attention due to its impact on astronauts eye health during space missions. Researchers, led by Diaz Artiles, are unraveling the underlying mechanisms of SANS in hopes of developing effective countermeasures.

A recent study explored the potential of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) as a promising intervention to mitigate the adverse effects of microgravity-induced fluid shifts. This research holds promise for ensuring astronauts ocular health and overall well-being during prolonged space missions.

While the exact role of ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) in the development of Spaceflight-associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS) is still uncertain, Diaz Artiles and her team have suggested that exposure to microgravity might result in a slight but persistent increase in OPP compared to upright postures, potentially contributing to the development of SANS.

However, their recently published study found that lower body negative pressure (LBNP), while successful in shifting fluid towards the lower body, did not effectively reduce OPP. If elevated OPP is indeed linked to SANS, it suggests that LBNP may not be an effective countermeasure for this syndrome. The team underscores the need for future research to better understand the relationship between OPP and SANS, as well as the impact of LBNP on these ocular responses, for the development of effective countermeasures.

This research is just one experiment of a three-part study to better understand the effects of fluid shift in the body and its relationship to SANS. Previous experiments in this study included the use of a tilt table for researchers to understand the cardiovascular effects of fluid shifts at different altered gravity levels, recreated by using different tilt angles, said Diaz Artiles.

The current study and ongoing research are dedicated to developing effective countermeasures for the fluid shift phenomenon, primarily focusing on lower body negative pressure. In the near future, the researchers plan to assess the effectiveness of using a centrifuge to address the fluid shift and its associated effects.

Diaz Artiles and her team are determined to gather comprehensive data on cardiovascular responses to each countermeasure and compare their impact on ocular perfusion pressure and other crucial cardiovascular functions affected by microgravity environments. As these studies are conducted on Earth, the researchers anticipate that gravitational variations in space may yield different results. As a result, they are eager to conduct future studies in true microgravity conditions, such as parabolic flights.

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Researchers investigate impacts of space travel on eye health - Tech Explorist

NASA and Boeing will discuss Starliner’s delayed ISS departure today, and you can listen live – Space.com

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NASA will talk about the delayed return to Earth of Boeing's Starliner capsule during a press conference today (June 18), and you can listen to it live.

NASA and Boeing representatives will discuss the progress of Starliner's mission at the International Space Station (ISS), which docked June 6 after experiencing several helium leaks and issues with five onboard reaction control system (RCS) thrusters. The press conference begins at 12 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT) and you can listen to it live here at Space.com, via NASA Television.

Starliner's first docking attempt was waved off due to the RCS thruster issues, but the rendezvous was accomplished successfully on the second try a few hours later on June 6. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have since done testing of the thrusters to evaluate the issues and the spacecraft's performance.

Starliner was expected to spend about a week at the ISS, but NASA and Boeing have extended the capsule's orbital stay until at least June 22. During the extended mission, "the crew will perform additional hatch operations to better understand its handling, repeat some 'safe haven' testing and assess piloting using the forward window," Steve Stich, manager of NASAs Commercial Crew Program, said in a recent agency statement.

Related: Thruster glitches and helium leaks can't stop Boeing's Starliner astronaut test flight but why are they happening?

Starliner and SpaceX's Dragon capsules are the two private vehicles NASA picked to ferry agency astronauts to and from the ISS. (Russia's venerable Soyuz spacecraft also provides this service, on missions led by cosmonauts.) Starliner is on a test mission right now, known as Crew Flight Test (CFT), aiming to certify the capsule before the first operational mission, called Starliner-1, which is expected in 2025.

CFT has the flexibility to stay for months if needed. The crew and NASA have repeatedly said that safety always trumps any previously stated timeline for launching, docking, landing or other mission events.

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Both Starliner and Dragon were funded by NASA in 2014 for expected missions no earlier than 2017, although technical and funding issues delayed that timeline by years. SpaceX, basing its design on its own robotic ISS cargo spacecraft, sent its first crewed Dragon mission to space in 2020 after a single uncrewed test flight to the orbiting lab.

Starliner, a new spacecraft design, required much more work. Its December 2019 uncrewed test mission did not reach the ISS as planned after computer glitches stranded Starliner in the wrong orbit. The next uncrewed mission did not launch until 2022, after the glitches experienced on the first flight were addressed and the coronavirus pandemic broke out. While that second mission went to plan, new problems with flammable tape and parachute loading delayed CFT to 2024.

CFT's launch was set for May 6, but that day's try was scrubbed just two hours before launch due to a valve issue on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

NASA and Boeing then uncovered a small helium leak on Starliner that affected one of its thrusters, which required lengthy evaluation. Team members then also found a design issue potentially affecting reentry that required certifying a new mode of coming back to Earth, which the astronauts tested on the ground before leaving home. The mission ultimately launched June 5, on its third launch day attempt.

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NASA and Boeing will discuss Starliner's delayed ISS departure today, and you can listen live - Space.com

20 Years Ago, One Moment Changed Spaceflight Forever – Inverse

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For the entirety of the 20th century, from Yuri Gagarin to Alan Shepard to Sally Ride and Mae Jemison, humans that traveled outside of Earths atmosphere did so in spacecraft owned and created by a government. Spanning NASA heroes to the pioneers of Roscosmos to the CNSA in China, before 2004, boldly going into space was in many ways an act of statecraft. Although civilians joined the various space agencies over the decades, the earliest astronauts were rooted in a military tradition.

Twenty years ago, all of that changed, as a new spaceflight era was sparked by the launch of SpaceShipOne, the first private sub-orbital spacecraft ever. Today, non-government space launches and independent aerospace companies are the norm from Elon Musk launching cars into orbit with SpaceX to William Shatner hitting the final frontier with Blue Origin. In short, were in the midst of a new space race. And it all started twenty years ago with SpaceShipOne.

Billionaire Richard Branson holds a model of SpaceShipOne.

Today, we tend to think of SpaceShipOne as the first ship in mogul Richard Bransons growing Virgin Galactic fleet. But, at that time, SpaceShipOne was created by Scaled Composites, aerospace engineering legend Burt Rutans private aerospace firm, which was partially funded by Microsofts Paul Allen. Both Allen and Rutan also co-founded Mojave Aerospace Ventures, which managed the basic logistics of SpaceShipOne. Based in Mojave, California, Rutan and Allens goal was relatively simple: Use existing flight technology to allow suborbital spacecraft to launch from the back of a conventional airplane.

Because it launched from a plane (White Knight) and landed like a plane, in a way, SpaceShipOne was a kind of spiritual step-cousin NASAs space shuttle, though not focused on actually entering orbit. Thats because everything about SpaceShipOne was focused on creating a passenger-oriented experience. As Rutan put it in an op-ed for National Geographic in 2004 he wanted to prove that privately built spaceships could achieve what the U.S. government has not: develop technology to make spaceflight affordable and safe for the masses.

After the third manned flight flown by self-taught pilot Mike Melvill on October 4, 2004, Rutan secured $10 million from the Ansari X Prize. Shortly thereafter, Richard Bronson acquired the venture, and Virgin Galactic was born. At that point, SpaceShipOne turned the tinkering of billionaires into a viable movement that changed the landscape of spaceflight. As Michael Lopez-Alegria, former president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation told Space.com in 2014, I would not be surprised if, 50 years from now, people look back and that will be identified as the moment that the era of commercial spaceflight started.

Echoing that sentiment, Mike Moses the current president of Spaceline at Virgin Galactic tells Inverse, SpaceShipOne heralded a new era of human spaceflight that still inspires us today.

SpaceShipOne ascending on June 21, 2004 in Mojave, California.

While it may be hard for the average person to get too excited about billionaires throwing a bunch of money to figure out how to get into space, one thing that remains inspirational about SpaceShipOne is its unique out-of-the-box approach to suborbital flight.

It was a pioneering feat of engineering, Moses tells Inverse.That same sophisticated design even today has some influence in our next generation of Delta spaceships, which will set the bar for repeatability, accessibility, and experience for generations to come.

The feat of engineering Moses refers to is twofold. First, SpaceShipOne used hybrid rocket motors to leave the atmosphere, but, like a painting out of some kind of pulpy science fiction magazine, its fuel tank was integrated fully into its fuselage. This elegance and simplicity means that with SpaceShipOne form and function were the same thing. Unlike the NASA capsules of the 20th century, SpaceShipOnes short-term purpose meant that its design and appearance oddly resemble our shared visions of what a spaceship should look like.

Adding to its sci-fi mystique, SpaceShipOne used a feather system with its rear wings. Basically, this means that in order to safely reenter the atmosphere after its brief flights (and not burn up), SpaceShipOne rotated its rear wings to optimize its aerodynamic shape. This idea came from Rutan who was inspired by the shape of a shuttlecock from badminton.

An illustration of the VSS Enterprise, the first SpaceShipTwo spaceplane.

In addition to inspiring competition from other space agencies like Blue Origin and SpaceX, the Virgin takeover of Scaled Composites and Mojave Aerospace Ventures has resulted in its own self-sufficient space empire. As Moses says, Two decades later, the core principles behind SpaceShipOnes innovation and design can be seen in SpaceShipTwo Virgin Galactics pathfinding spaceship VSS Unity.

Moses points out that the VSS Unity has, to date, taken 37 passengers to space. Presumably, this number will continue to grow as the technology becomes more affordable to those of us who arent investors in major tech companies or happen to be sitting on billions of dollars.

Cynicism aside, for those who love real-life spaceships, there remains something unique about the way SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo look something that stands in stark contrast from what had come before. When the original SpaceShipOne made it into the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in 2005, it stood out.

White Knight and SpaceShipOne.

Unlike the stark gunmetal military feeling of a Mercury capsule or the spider-like Lunar Module of the Apollo landing, SpaceShipOne looks like a childlike dream of a spaceship, a notion of what human ingenuity can accomplish when it doesnt have a political agenda. SpaceShipOne may not be the best or most famous spaceship in the history of spaceflight, but in a hundred years, we will continue to look back on this as a moment of divergence when space wasnt claimed in the name of a nation. In 2004, Mike Melvill held a sign that triumphantly declared SpaceShipOne, Government Zero.

Twenty years later, weve seen various governments around the world become reliant on private spacecraft for various space missions great and small. This is the world that SpaceShipOne built. Were just living in it.

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20 Years Ago, One Moment Changed Spaceflight Forever - Inverse

Join the FAA’s virtual public meeting about SpaceX’s Starship this evening – Space.com

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The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is holding a virtual public meeting this evening (June 17) about the potential environmental impact of SpaceX's Starship operations in Florida, and you can participate online.

SpaceX wants to launch its giant Starship megarocket from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Florida's Space Coast. The FAA announced recently that it plans to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) about these proposed operations, and this evening's meeting gives regular folks a chance to learn more and to weigh in.

The meeting will be held on June 17 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT (2200 to 0000 GMT) via Zoom. You can find the link here.

SpaceX is developing the fully reusable, 400-foot-tall (122-meter-tall) Starship to help humanity settle the moon and Mars, as well as carry out a variety of other more prosaic spaceflight tasks.

The giant vehicle has launched on four test flights to date, most recently on June 6. All of these liftoffs have occurred from Starbase, SpaceX's site in South Texas, which is currently the center of Starship manufacturing and flight operations.

SpaceX intends to fly Starship very frequently in the near future, however, so the company wants to get multiple launch sites up and running. Pad 39A is a natural choice for SpaceX, given that the company already launches its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets from the site.

Related: SpaceX's Starship 4th flight test looks epic in these stunning photos

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The Pad 39A plan has been in the works for a while. In 2019, for example, a NASA-led environmental assessment (EA) concluded that Starship operations at KSC wouldn't significantly affect the Space Coast ecosystem.

But things have changed since then, the FAA has stressed. The plan examined by the 2019 EA envisioned about 24 Starship launches per year from Pad 39A, for instance, whereas SpaceX now plans to fly the huge rocket about 44 times per year from the site. So, the FAA decided to prepare an EIS, which is a more in-depth review than an EA.

This evening's virtual public meeting follows two in-person gatherings about the Pad 39A Starship plan, which were held on the Space Coast on June 12 and June 13.

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Join the FAA's virtual public meeting about SpaceX's Starship this evening - Space.com

GAO Discusses Orion Heat Shield Anomaly Root Cause, Artemis 3 Internal Schedule – AmericaSpace

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Earlier today (June 20th), the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a sweeping report on the status of the largest NASA programs which are currently in development [1].The report itself was not unexpected; the GAO produces similar documents on an annual basis.However, this report provided unique insights into the challenges which NASA is encountering as it attempts to implement Artemis, the most ambitious human spaceflight initiative in half a century.Many of these pieces of information had not been previously released to the public.Most notably, the report disclosed one probable root cause for the unexpected behavior of Artemis 1s heat shield: the low permeability of its ablative material.It also revealed that NASAs internal baseline target date for Artemis 3, the programs first lunar landing, is February of 2028.This casts doubt on the feasibility of a lunar landing in 2026, as is publicly planned.Finally, the report stated that Axiom Space is facing challenges with recruiting engineers to develop the lunar EVA suits which astronauts will wear during Artemis 3.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent agency, butit provides a crucial service for NASAand other federal agencies.Its mission is to investigate allegations of corruption and to verify that taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently and responsibly by the government.For the past 16 years, the GAO has produced annual reports on NASAs major projects.This responsibility was created at the behest of the House Appropriations Committee in its 2009 appropriations bill [2].In this context, major projects are defined as missions which costs at least 250 million dollars, take multiple years to complete, and are in development rather than operations.

The GAOs most recent assessment began in April of 2023 and continued through June of 2024.Cost overruns and schedule slips (if any) were documented for 36 major projects.In addition, the report contained information on pending issues which could potentially impact the schedule and budget for each mission in the future.Broadly, NASA is improving its management of its portfolio.In aggregate, the missions which were audited this year have produced $4.4 billion in cost overruns and 14.6 years of delays.This is an improvement over last years report, which documented $7.6 billion in cumulative cost overruns and 20.9 years of delays.This is largely due to the fact that the SLS rocket, NASAs largest single program,graduated from development to operations with the launch of Artemis 1and is therefore no longer under the GAOs purview.

Beyond these top-level statistics, the report contained several noteworthy details on the status of the Artemis program.Three programs which are required for Americas return to the Moon on Artemis 3 were assessed by the GAO:the Orion crew capsule,the Starship lunar lander, and the AxEMU space suit.The agencys concise summaries disclosed key pieces of information which were not previously disclosed in public circles.

First and foremost, the report appeared to disclose the probable root cause for the unexpected damage to Artemis 1s heat shield.Since the middle of last year,the performance of the heat shield has been NASAs most persistent concernin the lead-up to Artemis 2, the programs first crewed mission.Orions heat shield is coated in an ablative material called Avcoat, which must contend with the unique thermal stress of a lunar reentry.When it enters Earths atmosphere, Orion will be travelling at Mach 38, with 2.3 times the kinetic energy of an equivalent capsule in low Earth orbit.

As it is heated, an ablative heat shield is supposed to slowly char, liberating microscopic flakes and gases; these products then carry thermal energy away from the spacecraft.Instead, Artemis 1s heat shield lost numerous large chunks of Avcoat in a process known as spallation.In post-flight imagery of the heat shield, released by NASAs Office of the Inspector General (OIG) last month, over 100 pits are visible [3].Since these observations did not match the Orion programs predictions about the heat shield and because a more damaging incarnation of this behavior could put the crew at risk, NASA would like to understand the root cause of the spallation before launching Artemis 2.

The heat shield anomaly investigation was conducted using the world-class arc jet facilities at NASAs Ames Research Center.The tests wrapped up last year, but as of this writing, NASA has not publicly disclosed the root cause of the spallation.According to the GAO, the Orion program plans to brief NASA leadership about their findings this month; the investigation should be closed out this summer [4].An independent review board led by former Space Shuttle Flight Director Paul Hill is concurrently verifying the NASA teams conclusions.

We would be remiss if we did not note that the investigation is still in its final stages, and that some analyses may still be underway.However, the Orion programs leaders evidently felt comfortable enough to disclose the most likely root cause of the anomaly to the GAO.According to officials, analysis indicated that the permeability of the material was lower than their models had indicated, the auditors wrote [1].Due to its broad scope, the report did not elaborate on this observation, and it did not discuss the physical mechanism which links the low permeability to the spallation.If the outermost layer of the heat shield was not sufficiently permeable to oncoming plasma, it would have led to a sharper thermal gradient across its surface, but it is unknown whether this alone could result in the observed loss of Avcoat.

The GAO confirms that NASA is investigating whether they can modify Artemis 2s reentry trajectory to reduce the magnitude of the spallation.These options were previously described in detail byArtemis 2 Pilot Victor Gloverin an interview with Ars Technicas Stephen Clark [5].As for future missions, the GAO noted, Officials said an option for Artemis III and beyond may be to modify their manufacturing process to increase and optimize the permeability in heat shield materials.

The audit also included a major clarification about the schedule for Artemis 3.Since January, NASAs leadership hasconsistently claimed that the mission will take place in September of 2026, one year after Artemis 2.SpaceX is signed up to land in September of 2026, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told Congress on April 30th[6].While SLS, Orion, Starship, and the AxEMU must all be available prior to Artemis 3, the lander is currently expected to be the pacing item due to thecomplex series of ship-to-ship cryogenic refueling operationswhich must be conducted in orbit prior to the mission.

According to the GAO, achieving the 2026 goal is unlikely; in fact, the Human Landing System program has a different internal schedule estimate for human lunar return.In December 2023, NASA established cost and schedule baselines for the HLS Initial Capability at the 70 percent joint cost and schedule confidence level, as required by NASA policy, the report stated [1].The cost baseline is $4.9 billion, and the schedule baseline is February 2028 for the lunar orbit checkout review.Currently, there is a 17-month gap between the official Artemis 3 launch date and this internal baseline target date.

Establishing 70 percent confidence levels following a spacecrafts Preliminary Design Review is standard practice for any NASA program.For HLS, this metric essentially states that there is a 70% probability that Artemis 3 will be completed prior to February of 2028, and that there is a 30% probability that the landing will happen after this date.As one might expect, there is a large amount of uncertainty in this schedule due to the unforeseen challenges which will inevitably arise in the construction of a machine which is as complex as a crewed lunar lander.However, the 70 percent joint confidence level is still valuable, as it allows NASA to set realistic and reasonable deadlines for its workforce.For large and ambitious projects, these estimates have proven to be correct more often than they are not.In 2014, the SLS program projected that Artemis 1 would launch in November of 2018 with 70% confidence [7]; in reality, the mission flew four years later.The James Webb Space Telescopehad a baseline launch date of July 2021, and it launched in December of that year [8].

SpaceXs HLS contract hasa total value of 2.9 billion dollars.It is worth noting that this contract has a fixed price and that it did not grown as Artemis 3 was delayed beyondits aspirational 2024 launch date.Rather, the $4.9 billion also includes NASAs contributions to the development of HLS.While the agencys involvement in commercial programs is often overlooked, the development of Starship is a true partnership between SpaceX and NASA, combining the formers innovative culture and rapid iteration with the latters meticulous analysis and six decades of heritage.

According to the GAO, NASAs engineers have made substantial contributions to the Starship program.In December 2023, the program reported that SpaceX used significant NASA technical expertise to support its technology development. SpaceXs second integrated flight test incorporated NASA technology for accurately estimating propellant mass in space, according to HLS program officials. Further, the HLS program tested large propellant valves at Marshall Space Flight Center, and generated independent models to assess propellant aggregation, usage, and storage.

The report also touched on sources of uncertainty for the sustainable HLS, which will be leveraged for Artemis 4 and subsequent missions.It noted, The program found significant issues with SpaceXs supporting evidence that its mission can be achieved within schedule and acceptable risk. HLS officials noted that SpaceXs schedule lacked sufficient detail to assess progress, and, as a result, SpaceX agreed to provide more detailed schedule data for its SLD (Sustaining Lunar Development) lander.It is unclear whether these risks will also impact Artemis 3.The Starship vehicles which will land astronauts on the Moon during Artemis 3 and 4 share numerous common systems, including propellant tanks, engines, landing gear, and elevators.However, the sustainable lander may feature enhancements to its life support system, its autonomous landing software, its power storage, and other components [9], which might be driving the risks which are cited by the GAO.

Finally, the report documented an evolving issue concerning the development of the space suits which the Artemis 3 astronauts will wear on the lunar surface.The Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) is being developed by Axiom Space under a contract with NASA.While Axiom is a young company, it is a capable organization which wasfounded by a group of former NASA engineersled by former ISS program manager Mike Suffredini.The suit is heavily based upon the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU), a prototype lunar space suit developed by NASA.

However, like many start-ups, Axiom is still filling out its ranks.This poses challenges for the AxEMU program.According to the GAO, Axiom is working to address workforce gaps in its specialized technical disciplines. NASA and Axiom established meetings between contractor and NASA subject matter experts to cover gaps in technical expertise. Axiom is still working to establish hiring plans for the additional personnel it needs.It is unclear if or how this will impact the development schedule for the EVA suit.

The GAO report provides unique insights into the current status of the Artemis program.It is noteworthy that many recent issues with Artemis hardware have only been disclosed thanks to government watchdogs; for instance, the first photographs of the Artemis 1 heat shield were released by the OIG in May.While it appears that astronauts will not return to the lunar surface until the final years of this decade, setbacks are to be expected.Artemis is an immensely complex national effort which requires close cooperation between multiple programs and companies, as well as novel technologies such as segmented lunar heat shields and orbital refueling.

With Artemis, NASA is trying to rebuild a foundation for the human exploration of another world which was lost with the termination of Apollo.The next few years will be critical for the program as it attempts to close its technology gaps, fly astronauts safely, and set a realistic schedule.However, to invokethe words of President John F. Kennedy, these challenges are worth facing not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.

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GAO Discusses Orion Heat Shield Anomaly Root Cause, Artemis 3 Internal Schedule - AmericaSpace

OpenAI Scientist Ousted After Failed Coup Against Sam Altman Is Starting a New AI Company

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After leaving OpenAI, founding member and former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever is starting his own firm to build

Keep It Vague

After leaving OpenAI under a dark cloud, founding member and former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever is starting his own firm to bring about "safe" artificial superintelligence.

In a post on X-formerly-Twitter, the man who orchestrated OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's temporary ouster — and who was left in limbo for six months over it before his ultimate departure last month — said that he's "starting a new company" that he calls Safe Superintelligence Inc, or SSI for short.

"We will pursue safe superintelligence in a straight shot, with one focus, one goal, and one product," Sutskever continued in a subsequent tweet. "We will do it through revolutionary breakthroughs produced by a small cracked team."

Questions abound. Did Sutskever mean a "crack team"? Or his new team "cracked" in some way? Regardless, in an interview with Bloomberg about the new venture, Sutskever elaborated somewhat but kept things familiarly vague.

"At the most basic level, safe superintelligence should have the property that it will not harm humanity at a large scale,” he told the outlet. "After this, we can say we would like it to be a force for good. We would like to be operating on top of some key values. Some of the values we were thinking about are maybe the values that have been so successful in the past few hundred years that underpin liberal democracies, like liberty, democracy, freedom."

So, you know, nothing too difficult.

AI Guys

Though not stated explicitly, that comment harkens back somewhat to the headline-grabbing Altman sacking that Sutskever led last fall.

While it remains unclear exactly why Sutskever and some of his fellow former OpenAI board members turned against Altman in last November's "turkey-shoot clusterf*ck," there was some speculation that it had to do with safety concerns about a secretive high-level AI project called Q* — pronounced "queue-star" — that Altman et al have refused to speak about. With the emphasis on "safety" in Sutskever's new venture making its way into the project's very name, it's easy to see a link between the two.

In that same Bloomberg interview, Sutskever was vague not only about his specific reasons for founding the new firm but also about how it plans to make money — though according to one of his cofounders, former Apple AI lead Daniel Gross, money is no issue.

"Out of all the problems we face," Gross told the outlet, "raising capital is not going to be one of them."

While SSI certainly isn't the only OpenAI competitor pursuing higher-level AI, its founders' resumes lend it a certain cachet — and its route to incorporation has been, it seems, paved with some lofty intentions.

More on OpenAI: It Turns Out Apple Is Only Paying OpenAI in Exposure

The post OpenAI Scientist Ousted After Failed Coup Against Sam Altman Is Starting a New AI Company appeared first on Futurism.

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OpenAI Scientist Ousted After Failed Coup Against Sam Altman Is Starting a New AI Company

Journalist Says Trump Suffered "Severe Memory Problems" During Extensive Interviews

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The writer of a new Donald Trump biography said the ex-president couldn't remember him on their second meeting.

A journalist who spent hours interviewing Donald Trump for an upcoming book about "The Apprentice" said there were times when the ex-president couldn't remember him — even though they'd already met.

In multiple TV hits promoting his forthcoming book "Apprentice in Wonderland," Variety co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh told fellow reporters that Trump seemed to have some cognitive issues during his time with the former president.

Speaking to MSNBC's "Morning Joe," which is hosted by former Trump friend Joe Scarborough, Setoodeh  said that his time getting to know the former "Apprentice" host post-presidency makes his comments about President Joe Biden's own alleged cognitive issues all the more ironic.

"Trump had severe memory issues," the Variety editor said. "As the journalist who spent the most time with him, I have to say, he couldn't remember things, he couldn't even remember me."

Recalling that the second of six times he met Trump in 2021, Setoodeh said that although they'd spoken for an hour just a few months prior to their second meeting, the former president admitted that he didn't recognize him.

"He had a vacant look on his face, and I said, 'Do you remember me?'" the reporter recounted. "And he said 'no' — he had no recollection of our lengthy interview that we had, and he wasn't doing a lot of interviews at that time."

"I got to know Donald Trump post-presidency... and Trump had severe memory issues. As the journalist who spent the most time with him, he couldn't remember things, he couldn't even remember me."

— @RaminSetoodeh on interviewing Trump for his book, 'Apprentice in Wonderland' pic.twitter.com/yUnxZ5K5QR

— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) June 17, 2024

In another interview, this time with CNN's Kaitlan Collins, Setoodeh affirmed the impressions from a recent CNBC report about CEOs who were "not impressed" by Trump's "meandering" train of thought.

"He goes from one story to the next," the reporter said. "He struggles with the chronology of events. He seems very upset that he wasn't respected by certain celebrities in the White House."

Setoodeh added that although it was never exactly easy to interview Trump, the situation seems to have gotten worse after he left the White House and relaunched his rematch with Biden.

"There were some cognitive questions about where he was and what he was thinking," the biographer said, "and he would, from time to time, become confused."

Far be it from us to offer unschooled armchair diagnoses about the mental states of people we only know via celebrity, but Setoodeh's remarks don't inspire confidence. Then again, neither are those about the person currently occupying the Oval Office, either.

More on cognition: Scientists Discover That When You Don't Sleep, You Turn Into a Bigtime Dumbass

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Journalist Says Trump Suffered "Severe Memory Problems" During Extensive Interviews

Toddler Trapped in Scorching Tesla When Battery Dies

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A toddler was trapped inside a Tesla Model Y after the vehicle's battery died without warning — in the middle of an Arizona heat wave.

Death Trap

A 20-month-old girl was trapped inside a Tesla Model Y after the vehicle's battery died without warning — in the middle of an Arizona heat wave.

As local CBS-affiliated news station AZFamily reports, the girl's grandmother was horrified after discovering there was no way to get into the car.

"And I closed the door, went around the car, get in the front seat, and my car was dead," Renee Sanchez, who was on her way to the Phoenix Zoo with her granddaughter, told the outlet. "I could not get in. My phone key wouldn’t open it. My card key wouldn’t open it."

Sanchez called 911 and fortunately, the local Scottsdale fire department responded right away.

"And when they got here, the first thing they said was, 'Uggh, it’s a Tesla. We can’t get in these cars,'" Sanchez recalled. "And I said, 'I don’t care if you have to cut my car in half. Just get her out.'"

Locked Out

Fortunately, the girl was rescued safely by firefighters who broke a window with an axe.

Despite the happy ending, the incident highlights a glaring safety oversight. Usually, Tesla owners are alerted if the 12-volt battery that takes care of the vehicle's electrical systems is low — but Sanchez never got such a warning, something a Tesla representative reportedly confirmed to her later.

"When that battery goes, you’re dead in the water," she told AZFamily.

There's a manual latch on the driver's side that allows passengers to get out. But given the girl's young age, that wasn't an option.

We've already seen plenty of reports of people getting trapped inside Teslas, suggesting the EV maker isn't doing enough to redesign the system or educate drivers on how to access the hidden manual release.

"You don't know it's there unless you know it's there," Arizona local and Tesla owner Rick Meggison, told Phoenix's ABC15 last year after getting trapped during 100-degree heat.

As Fortune reports, the latest incident involving Sanchez's granddaughter highlights an ongoing debate. Is it up to the fire department to keep up with Tesla's emergency response guide, or is Tesla to blame for choosing "electronic door latches that don’t have proper emergency safeguards" and putting "form over function," as Center for Auto Safety executive director Michael Brooks told Fortune?

Either way, it's not like knowledge of the manual latch would've helped in this particular case.

"When there’s not a federal standard that specifies how these vehicles are to be made, Tesla very rarely chooses routes that are safe," Brooks added. "They're usually choosing something glitzy: safety comes last."

More on Tesla: Prices for Used EVs Are Cratering

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New AI Snapchat Filter Transforms You in Real Time

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The new generative AI tech from Snapchat aims to bring an augmented reality to your videos using your phone's hardware.

Dream Machine

Snapchat filters are about to hit another level. The popular image-based messaging app has unveiled its upcoming AI model, intended to bring a trippy, augmented reality experience to its millions of users with tech that can transform footage from their smartphone cameras into pretty much whatever they want — so long as they're okay with it looking more than a little wonky.

As shown in an announcement demo, for instance, Snapchat's new AI can transport its subjects into the world of a "50s sci-fi film" at the whim of a simple text prompt, and even updates their wardrobes to fit in.

In practice, the results look more like a jerky piece of stop motion than anything approaching a seamless video. But arguably, the real achievement here is that not only is this being rendered in real-time, but that it's being generated on the smartphones themselves, rather than on a remote cloud server.

Snapchat considers these real-time, local generative AI capabilities a "milestone," and says they were made possible by its team's "breakthroughs to optimize faster, more performant GenAI techniques."

The app makers could be onto something: getting power-hungry AI models to run on small, popular devices is something that tech companies have been scrambling to achieve — and there's perhaps no better way to endear people to this lucrative new possibility than by using it to make them look cooler.

Lens Lab

Snapchat has been trying out AI features for at least a year now. In a rocky start, it released a chatbot called "My AI" last April, which pretty much immediately pissed off most of its users. Undeterred, it's since released the option to send entirely AI-generated snaps for paid users, and also released a feature for AI-generated selfies called "Dreams."

Taking those capabilities and applying them to video is a logical but steep progression, and doing it in real-time is even more of a bold leap. But the results are currently less impressive than what's possible with still images, which is unsurprising. Coherent video generation is something that AI models continue to struggle with, even without time constraints.

There's a lot of experimenting to be done, and Snapchat wants users to be part of the process. It will be releasing a new version of its Lens Studio that let creators make AR Lenses — essentially filters — and even build their own, tailor-made AI models to 'supercharge' AR creation.

Regular users, meanwhile, will get a taste of these AI-powered AR features through Lenses in the coming months, according to TechCrunch. So prepare for a bunch of really, really weird videos — and perhaps a surge in what's possible with generative AI on your smartphones.

More on AI: OpenAI Imprisons AI That Was Running for Mayor in Washington

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Premiere of Movie With AI-Generated Script Canceled Amid Outrage

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The premier of a movie featuring an entirely AI-generated script was canceled last week due to public backlash, reports say.

London Has Spoken

The premier of a movie featuring an entirely AI-generated script was canceled last week amid public backlash, The Daily Beast reports.

Per the Beast, the not-for-profit movie, titled "The Last Screenwriter," was due to debut this weekend at London's Prince Charles Cinema. But just a few days prior to the planned event, the showing was suddenly canceled. The cinema's reason for axing it, according to director Peter Luisi? Complaints. Lots of them.

Luisi told the Beast that the theater — which reportedly received over 200 complaints in total — reached out to him on Tuesday, explaining that "overnight they had another 160 people complaining, so they had to cancel the screening."

"I was totally surprised," Luisi added. "I didn't expect that."

In short, Londoners have spoken — and it seems that enough of them aren't interested in a film that credits GPT-4 as its writer.

Strong Concern

Luisi, for his part, says that people misunderstood the film's intentions.

"I think people don't know enough about the project," the director told the Beast. "All they hear is 'first film written entirely by AI' and they immediately see the enemy, and their anger goes towards us. But I don't feel like that way at all. I feel like the film is not at all saying 'this is how movies should be.'"

The director also described the film as an exploration of the "man versus machine" trope, telling the Beast that in "all of these movies, a human imagined how this scenario would be."

His is "the first movie" in which "not the human, but the AI imagined how this would be."

Of course, it could be argued that because GPT-4 is trained on troves upon troves of human data — including humanity's creative output — whatever screenplay the AI spits it is ultimately still imagined by humans. A large language model (LLM)-powered AI, then, is simply remixing that creative labor and regurgitating a version of it.

But we digress! As AI continues its ever-faster creep into the film industry, not to mention Hollywood labor disputes and union battles, this certainly won't be the last AI-forward project that we see bubble up. A fair warning to the AI-curious filmmaker, however: as it turns out, a lot of people still want their movies created by human beings.

"The feedback we received over the last 24 hrs once we advertised the film," the Prince Charles Cinema told The Guardian in a statement, "has highlighted the strong concern held by many of our audience on the use of AI in place of a writer which speaks to a wider issue within the industry.?"

More on AI and movies: Ashton Kutcher Threatens That Soon, Ai Will Spit out Entire Movies

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Scientists Invent Smartphone Chip That Peers Through Barriers With Electromagnetic Waves

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A group of scientists have created a chip that can fit into smartphone and

For more than 15 years, a group of scientists in Texas have been hard at work creating smaller and smaller devices to "see" through barriers using medium-frequency electromagnetic waves — and now, they seem closer than ever to cracking the code.

In an interview with Futurism, electrical engineering professor Kenneth O of the University of Texas explained that the tiny new imager chip he made with the help of his research team, which can detect the outlines of items through barriers like cardboard, was the result of repeat advances and breakthroughs in microprocessor technology over the better half of the last two decades.

"This is actually similar technology as what they're using at the airport for security inspection," O told us.

The chip is similar to the large screening devices that we've all had to walk through at airport gates for the past 15 years or so — though those operate at much lower frequents than this device, which uses electromagnetic frequencies between microwave and infrared, which are invisible to the eye and "considered safe for humans," per the university's press release.  

As a nod to his colleagues in the electrical engineering field, O credited "the whole community" for its "phenomenal progress" in improving the underlying technology behind the imager chip — though of course, it was his team that "happen[ed] to be the first to put it all together."

As New Atlas recently explained, the chip is powered by complementary metal-oxide semiconductors (CMOS), an affordable technology used in computer processing and memory chips. While CMOS tech is often used in tandem with lenses to power smartphone cameras, in this case the researchers are using it to detect objects without actually seeing them.

"This technology is like Superman’s X-ray vision," enthused O in the university's press release about the imager. "Of course, we use signals at 200 gigahertz to 400 gigahertz instead of X-rays, which can be harmful."

Indeed, the Man of Steel came up multiple times in our discussion with the electrical engineer, who indicated that safety was priority number one when it came to developing this still-experimental technology.

For instance, as New Atlas noted, the chip's wave-reading capabilities have been deliberately curtailed so that it can only detect objects through barriers from a few centimeters away, assuaging concerns that a thief might try to use it to look through someone's bags or packages.

When we asked O whether the imager had been tested on anything living, or perhaps even human skin, he said that it had not — but that's mostly because the water content in human skin tissues would absorb the terahertz waves it uses. This comes as something of a relief, given that the idea of someone using their smartphone to look at your bones or organs without your knowledge is pretty terrifying.

And speaking of security, the engineer iterated that rather than seeking swift commercialization, keeping the imager chip's capabilities as hemmed in as possible to make sure it's not used for nefarious purposes is far more important — though he acknowledges it's impossible to entirely prevent inventive bad actors from figuring out their own versions.

"Trying to make technologies so that people do not use it in unintended ways, it's a very important aspect of developing technologies," O told Futurism. "At the end, you have to do your best. But if somebody really wants to do something... yeah, it's really hard to prevent."

While it's good news that this imager technology is, for now, limited to seeing through boxes and more insubstantial mediums like dust or smoke, the researcher said that it should be able to see through walls too — though, admittedly, he and his team haven't tried to yet.

More on wave-reading: The Earth May Be Swimming Through Dark Matter, Scientists Say

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Scientists Accused of Ignoring Gay Animals

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Scientists have long observed animals having gay sex — but those observations have rarely made their way into academic papers.

Kingdom Come

Scientists have long observed animals engaging in same-sex behavior — but for complex reasons, those observations have rarely made their way into academic literature.

In a new paper in the journal PLOS One, anthropology researchers at the University of Toronto spoke to 65 experts about the frequency of observed homosexual animal behavior in the animal kingdom and their experiences documenting it.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there was a gigantic gulf: 77 percent had observed same-sex animal behavior, but only 48 percent collected data on it and just 19 percent ended up publishing their findings.

Though none of the survey respondents themselves reported any "discomfort or sociopolitical concerns" of their own, many said that journals were biased against publishing anecdotal evidence of these same-sex animal couplings and preferred instead to rely on systematic findings. That trend is compounded by the fact that many countries have anti-gay laws on the books.

"Researchers working in countries where homosexuality is criminalized may be less likely to, or unable to, publish papers on this topic if they wish to maintain good working relationships in that region," the paper reads. "The political or social values of the institutions where researchers work may pose a barrier to their ability to publish on this topic."

It's Natural

The effect of this apparent bias is clear: despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, same-sex animal behavior has been considered "unnatural," or rare with key exceptions like penguins and Japanese macaques, which are both known for their homosexuality.

According to Karyn Anderson, a Toronto anthropology grad student and the paper's first author, this erroneous belief seems to extend to humans, too.

"I think that record should be corrected," Anderson told The Guardian. "One thing I think we can say for certain is that same-sex sexual behavior is widespread and natural in the animal kingdom."

While the PLOS One paper looks at a relatively narrow cohort as exemplary of this seeming trend, other experts also suggest the lack of academic acknowledgment of near-universal animal homosexuality is bizarre.

"Around 1,500 species have been observed showing homosexual [behaviors], but this is certainly an underestimate because it’s seen in almost every branch of the evolutionary tree — spiders, squids, monkeys," recounted Josh Davis, who works at London's Natural History Museum and wrote a book titled "A Little Gay Natural History."

"There’s a growing suggestion it’s normal and natural to almost every species," Davis, who was not involved in the research, told The Guardian. "It’s probably more rare to be a purely heterosexual species."

Be that as it may, there remain clear barriers to getting this well-observed reality into the mainstream — but hopefully, that tide will soon turn.

More on animal behavior: Orcas Strike Again, Sinking Yacht as Oil Tanker Called for Rescue

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Oops! Geoengineering Trick to Cool Brutal Heat Could Spike Temperature Elsewhere, Scientists Say

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Researchers are warning that geoengineering efforts to help cool temperatures in California could trigger heatwaves in Europe.

Brighter Clouds Ahead

Researchers are warning that geoengineering efforts to help cool temperatures in California could trigger heatwaves in Europe, a "scary" implication given the sheer lack of regulation controlling such measures across the globe.

As The Guardian reports, scientists have suggested spraying aerosols into clouds over the ocean to cool down the surface below, a practice called "marine cloud brightening." As the name suggests, the idea is to brighten clouds to make them reflect more of the Sun's radiation back into space.

Last month, a team of University of Washington researchers attempted to do just that in the San Francisco Bay using a machine that sprays tiny sea-salt particles, amid criticism from environmentalists. The experiment was later shut down by city officials, citing health concerns.

Now, as detailed in a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change today, it turns out the practice could have unintended consequences. While under present-day conditions it may reduce heat exposure significantly, the "same interventions under mid-century warming minimally reduce or even increase heat stress in the Western United States and across the world."

In other words, while it may work now, given worsening conditions, that equation may flip on its head by the year 2050, highlighting the potential risks of geoengineering.

"It shows that marine cloud brightening can be very effective for the US West Coast if done now, but it may be ineffective there in the future and could cause heatwaves in Europe, " team lead and UC San Diego oceanographer Jessica Wan told The Guardian.

Darker Skies

The team examined computer models of the climate in 2010 and 2050. They simulated geoengineering operations in the north-eastern Pacific and near Alaska, but found that "teleconnections," which link climate systems in disparate parts of the world, may actually make the situation worse instead of better by the latter half of the century.

While heat exposure could be dropped by 55 percent under current conditions near Alaska, results would be diminished considerably by 2050 due to fewer clouds and higher base temperatures. In California, however, geoengineering could actually trigger temperatures to climb — not fall — in other parts of the world.

That's because the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a prominent surface-to-deep current that circulates water within the Atlantic and can affect atmospheric weather, could be slowed down.

The researchers are hoping to highlight the glaring lack of international regulation controlling geoengineering efforts.

"There is really no solar geoengineering governance right now," Wan told The Guardian. "That is scary. Science and policy need to be developed together."

More on geoengineering: Scientists Working on Desperate Plan to Refreeze Arctic

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Something Strange Appears to Be Powering "Immortal" Stars at the Center of Our Galaxy

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Stars at the Milky Way's center stay young forever, scientists claim, by feeding off dark matter particles that are abundant there.

Eternal Flame

The swirling vortex center of the Milky Way is a weird place, with a supermassive black hole that vacuums up interstellar matter and supernovae torpedoing hapless stars to the edges of our galaxy.

Add another strange thing about our galaxy's nucleus, according to new research: stars that stay young indefinitely by feeding off dark matter particles, akin to continuously shooting lighter fluid into a flaming BBQ grill.

A team of scientists from Stanford and Stockholm University posed this possible scenario on why certain stars in the Milky Way's center are improbably young by using computer simulations and factoring in the presence of copious dark matter in the galactic nucleus, as detailed in a new, yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper they posted online where it was spotted by Live Science.

The researchers were drawn to the strange fact that stars near our galaxy's black hole appear to be very young — and yet they live in a neighborhood not friendly to the formation of baby stars and have "spectroscopic features of more evolved stars," the paper reads.

The scientists' conclusion? That a strange force is keeping these stars "immortal," in the paper's choice of phrasing.

Forever Young

Other researchers have differing theories on why there are so many young stars at the center of the Milky Way. One theory is that the stars were pushed into the vicinity of the nucleus, and this journey sparked the formation of these baby stars.

But Isabelle John, a doctoral student in astroparticle physics at Stockholm University and the new study's lead author, told Live Science that she and fellow researchers wanted to see if dark matter was a factor in this strange phenomenon.

They ran computer simulations, which strongly suggested that these stars may be older than they appear — and maintain their vibrant glow by feeding on surrounding dark matter.

These stars capture dark matter particles with their gravitational pull, the theory goes, and the particles smash against each other and release powerful bursts of energy inside the stars.

This energy works like interstellar botox, keeping these stars in a suspended state of youth — essentially staying "immortal" — even when they run out of internal fuel for nuclear fusion.

"Stars burn hydrogen in nuclear fusion," John told Live Science. "The outward pressure from this balances out the inward pressure from the gravitational forces, and keeps the stars in a stable equilibrium."

Advanced new telescopes may be able to confirm these computer simulations, the researchers say — shedding fascinating new light on at least one mystery at the heart of our galaxy.

More on dark matter: The Earth May Be Swimming Through Dark Matter, Scientists Say

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Researcher Discovers Terrifying Apple Vision Pro Hack That Can Fill Your Entire Home Office With Fearsome Spiders

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A researcher claims to have found the

A cybersecurity researcher and bug hunter named Ryan Pickren claims to have found the "world's first spatial computing hack," allowing malicious actors to fill the offices of their Apple Vision Pro headset-wearing victims with creepy-crawling spiders.

"I found a bug in visionOS Safari that allows a malicious website to bypass all warnings and forcefully fill your room with an arbitrary number of animated 3D objects," Pickren wrote in a blog post. "These objects persist in your space even after you exit Safari."

Fortunately for Vision Pro users, Pickren reported the bug to Apple back in February, and the company fixed it in June, as official documentation on the company's website shows.

Nonetheless, it shows that malicious actors could've easily exploited the browser baked into the headset's VisionOS operating system and sent their victims a wild surprise.

"If the victim just views our website in Vision Pro, we can instantly fill their room with hundreds of crawling spiders and screeching bats!" Pickren wrote. "Freaky stuff."

Pickren came up with a short exploit code that could send animated files through a simple website to the headset without the wearer ever knowing.

"It turns out it was surprisingly easy to find a loophole in the visionOS Spatial Computing permissions model," Pickren wrote.

"This issue was introduced when an old iOS feature was ported to visionOS via the latest WebKit build," Pickren told Futurism in an email, referring to the engine that powers Apple's Safari browser. "The bug doesn’t really exist in iOS, it’s the intersection of the new spatial computing platform and the old feature that creates the privacy/security violation."

The news comes after other hackers found similar exploits that also affect Apple's WebKit. Just one day after the release of reviews for the Vision Pro, Apple released a security patch, citing a vulnerability that "may have been exploited" by hackers already.

A PhD student at MIT also claimed to have hacked the headset in February, with a "kernel exploit" that caused it to crash and reboot.

The latest hack, however, is far more fear-inducing than that. Pickren shared several videos showing spiders "literally crawling out of my malicious website," and spreading out across his desk.

Another clip shows "hundreds of screeching bats" filling his office and circling his head.

Worse yet, to exterminate the unwanted visitors, users would have to manually run "around the room to physically tap each one" as simply "closing Safari does not get rid of them."

It's an equal parts hilarious and terrifying hack that highlights some glaring oversights when it comes to a $3,500 device that takes up your entire field of vision.

However, Pickren has an idea about why the bug flew under the radar until now.

"I think triaging bug reports is really hard and rigid vulnerability classification taxonomies don’t always work," Pickren told Futurism. "You won’t find 'the issue fills the victim’s room full of spiders' in the [Common Vulnerability Scoring System] framework, which understandably makes it difficult for security analysts to quickly classify nuanced issues that exclusively impact entirely new computing platforms."

As for the future of the headset itself, The Information reported this week that Apple is giving up on a next-gen device and is focusing on a cheaper, less ambitious version instead. The tech giant has been struggling with sluggish sales and a drop in interest.

Complicating matters, the company still has plenty of bugs to squash.

"I hope Apple uses this report as an opportunity to more holistically evaluate impact and protect the customer experience," Pickren told Futurism. "I look forward to working with Apple again in the future."

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Scientists Reverse Alzheimer’s Synapse Damage in Mice

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Scientists in Japan reversed the signs of Alzheimer’s in lab mice by restoring the healthy function of neuron synapses in their brains.

Scientists in Japan say they have reversed the signs of Alzheimer’s disease in lab mice by restoring the healthy function of synapses, critical parts of neurons that shoot chemical messages to other neurons.

The secret was developing a synthetic peptide, a small package of amino acids — a mini-protein, if you will — and injecting it up the nostrils of the mice, in an experiment they detailed in a study published in the journal Brain Research.

Needless to say, mice are very different from humans. But if the treatment successfully survives the gauntlet of clinical studies with human participants, it could potentially lead to a new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, a tragic degenerative condition that burdens tens of millions of people around the world.

"We strongly hope that our peptide could go through the tests and reach AD (Alzheimer’s disease) patients without much delay and rescue their cognitive symptoms, which is the primary concern of patients and their families," Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology neuroscience professor and the study's principal investigator Tomoyuki Takahashi said in a statement.

For the study, researchers focused on how the protein tau disrupts the chemical communication between neurons.

In Alzheimer’s disease, tau accumulates in the brain and interferes with the normal processes within synapses by using up a type of enzyme called dynamin, a key component in healthy neuron synaptic function.

Injection of the peptide seems to prevent this interaction with dynamin, which then leads to the reversal of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms in mice and restores their cognitive function, as long as they're treated early.

Members of the research team seem very optimistic that the study could be translated into a viable medication that could treat this devastating disease, but acknowledge that it's going to take a long time.

Going from experiments with mice to clinical trials and then finally into a drug that's commercially available can take decades.

"The coronavirus vaccine showed us that treatments can be rapidly developed, without sacrificing scientific rigor or safety," said Chia-Jung Chang, Okinawa Institute research scientist and the study's first author, in a statement. "We don’t expect this to go as quickly, but we know that governments — especially in Japan — want to address Alzheimer’s disease, which is affecting so many people. And now, we have learned that it is possible to effectively reverse cognitive decline if treated at an early stage."

If it's too late for our grandparents and parents, that's terrible. But perhaps this treatment will be ready in time for us.

More on Alzheimer's disease: Weird Particle Floating Through Air May Cause Alzheimer’s

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Asked to Summarize a Webpage, Perplexity Instead Invented a Story About a Girl Who Follows a Trail of Glowing Mushrooms in a Magical Forest

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When Wired asked Perplexity's chatbot to summarize a test webpage that only contained one sentence, it came up with a perplexing answer.

Perplexity, an AI startup that has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from the likes of Jeff Bezos, is struggling with the fundamentals of the technology.

Its AI-powered search engine, developed to rival the likes of Google, still has a strong tendency to come up with fantastical lies drawn from seemingly nowhere.

The most incredible example yet might come from a Wired investigation into the company's product. When Wired asked it to summarize a test webpage that only contained the sentence, "I am a reporter with Wired," it came up with a perplexing answer: a "story about a young girl named Amelia who follows a trail of glowing mushrooms in a magical forest called Whisper Woods."

In fact, as Wired's logs showed, the search engine never even attempted to visit the page, despite Perplexity's assurances that its chatbot "searches the internet to give you an accessible, conversational, and verifiable answer."

The bizarre tale of Amelia in the magical forest perfectly illustrates a glaring discrepancy between the lofty promises Perplexity and its competitors make and what its chatbots are actually capable of in the real world.

A lot has been said about the ongoing hype surrounding AI, with investors pouring billions of dollars into the tech. But despite an astronomical amount of available funds, companies like Perplexity — nevermind much larger brethren like OpenAI, Microsoft and Google— are consistently stumbling.

For quite some time now, we've watched chatbots come up with confidently-told lies, which AI boosters optimistically call "hallucinations" — a convenient way to avoid the word "bullshit," in the estimation of Wired and certain AI researchers.

Meanwhile, Silicon Valley executives are becoming increasingly open to the possibility that the tech may never get to the point of never making crap up. Some experts concur.

It's particularly strange in the case of Perplexity, which was once held up as an exciting new startup that could provide a new business model for publishers still reeling from a flood of AI products that are ripping off their work.

But the company's chatbot has not held up to virtually any degree of scrutiny, with the Associated Press finding that it invented fake quotes from real people.

Worse yet, Forbes caught the tool selling off its reporting with barely any attribution, culminating in general counsel MariaRosa Cartolano accusing Perplexity of "willful infringement" in a letter obtained by Axios.

Should we take these companies by their word and believe that more trustworthy chatbots are around the corner — or should investors be prepared for the AI bubble to burst?

It's a strange state of affairs. Currently, these companies seem to be in the business of selling hopes and dreams for the future — not concrete products that actually work now.

More on Perplexity: There's Something Deeply Wrong With Perplexity

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Empowering every scientist with AI-augmented scientific discovery – The Official Microsoft Blog – Microsoft

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At Microsoft, our vision is to empower scientists with the latest breakthroughs in AI to unlock their full creative potential and tackle some of our most pressing challenges. This vision will require bringing the full power of generative AI together with quantum-classical hybrid computing to augment every stage of the scientific method. Whether expanding knowledge research, creating better hypotheses, or accelerating experimentation and analyses, doing so demands a purpose-built cloud platform for science. This is why we built Azure Quantum Elements for chemistry and materials science.

Today, were announcing Generative Chemistry and Accelerated DFT, which will expand the ways researchers can harness the full power of this platform. These breakthrough capabilities will empower scientists to compress the next 250 years of chemistry into the next 25.

With Generative Chemistry, we want to broaden the horizons of scientific exploration. Researchers can generate and explore novel molecules suited for specific industry applications using the latest AI models trained on hundreds of millions of compounds, and then evaluate the steps suggested by the workflow for synthesizing the most promising candidates in a lab more efficiently all in a matter of days rather than years.

With Accelerated DFT, researchers can expedite and scale their chemical discovery pipelines by simulating the quantum-mechanical properties of molecules at an unprecedented speed an order of magnitude faster compared to other Density Functional Theory (DFT) codes.

This brings us closer to a new paradigm for scientific discovery, where advanced AI and digital tools are more accessible than ever to scientists, students, and labs across industries. Below is our vision for how researchers will be able to leverage these breakthrough capabilities to design new molecules and enable the transformation of entire sectors from consumer goods and medicine, to manufacturing and energy, in turn addressing some of our most pressing societal challenges.

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Were working towards this vision today. As part of the private preview of Azure Quantum Elements, scientists and developers have the opportunity to explore Accelerated DFT today, with the potential to access Generative Chemistry in the coming weeks.

Were already putting our vision into practice by collaborating with Unilever, a global leader in consumer goods, which serves over 3.4 billion people every single day. Unilever is harnessing the power of Microsoft supercomputing and AI services to support their digital R&D transformation and product innovation.

From global ambitions like reversing climate change and pioneering renewable energy sources to personal ones like living more sustainably and using healthier and safer products, we all want to do our part to create a better world. Time is of the essence for many of these goals, with more than 8 million scientists1around the globe working to pioneer innovative solutions and unlock progress. At Microsoft, we aim to empower them with state-of-the-art digital tools to harness the full collective ingenuity of every researcher and lab around the world.

Just as generative AI has unleashed new waves of creativity and improved productivity with collaborative tools like Copilot, we are now bringing AI and natural language processing capabilities to science. Our goal is to integrate AI reasoning into every stage of the scientific method: this requires the power of next-generation AI models to speed up the scientific process from hypothesis to results. It starts with knowledge research and hypothesis generation, connecting the dots by generating millions of potential molecular candidate solutions, then narrowing down candidates with digital experiments and analyzing the outcomes all in a matter of days. We demonstrated how this approach can land real-world results in our collaboration with PNNL, where we screened over 32 million candidates to discover and synthesize a new material that holds the potential for better batteries a tangible example of the possibilities in this new era of scientific discovery.

When powered by natural language tools, this new paradigm will help create an autonomous reasoning loop with AI at every stage as a scientific assistant. It will redefine how we approach innovation by democratizing these capabilities for breakthrough discoveries.

Generative Chemistry will unleash a new wave of creativity for scientists tasked with discovering and designing new molecules. This will enable breakthrough growth across many industries, whether helping an oil and gas company discover a stronger fuel additive for enhancing the longevity of engine life, or an adhesive firm creating a new chemical for strengthening adhesion while removing unwanted residue.

We could compare this discovery process to searching for a small box in a large, crowded and dark warehouse with one small flashlight. We can only focus the light on a small area at a time while the rest of the warehouse remains completely dark and unknown. Generative AI gives us a much smarter light that can point in new directions, providing visibility where we may not have considered or have been able to look before.

Researchers can ask Generative Chemistry for molecules with desired characteristics, such as the ability to degrade rapidly or be recycled more easily. They can also provide information about their targeted application and let the system help determine relevant molecular properties. After a few more steps, they receive a set of candidates matching those parameters for further study.

However, simply generating candidates is not sufficient for transforming the discovery process with AI. The essential criteria for computational tools in chemistry are that they help scientists discover molecules that are novel, synthesizable and useful in the real world. This is why Im excited to see our approach to Generative Chemistry come to life, suggesting molecules that have not been seen before, with useful properties tuned for a specific application, and whose synthesis is feasible in a reasonable number of steps.

For this reason, Generative Chemistry will offer researchers potential steps to consider as they develop their recipe for synthesizing these molecular candidates in a laboratory. Support for this critical component has been developed from the capabilities of our AutoRXN software, exploring chemical reactions in reverse order, which can help to evaluate synthesis pathways for creating a target molecule.

This capability is truly groundbreaking for scientific discovery. Businesses and research groups can look for efficient, cost-effective and innovative methods to develop new molecules in a matter of days, compressing the iterative process of extensive database searches and trial-and-error laboratory experiments. This end-to-end workflow will provide scientists with entirely new compounds that could lead to the next breakthrough in manufacturing, medicine and more.

Were also announcing Accelerated DFT to offer a simplified and more powerful quantum chemistry solution for scientists. For the past few decades, DFT has been an extremely popular method used across a variety of molecular simulations, helping researchers to simulate and study the electronic structure of atoms, molecules and nanoparticles, as well as surfaces and interfaces.

We can liken molecular systems to traffic systems, where cars moving in various directions at different speeds represent electrons.
From a traffic helicopter, we can observe the overall flow of traffic even if we dont know each cars speed and destination. DFT provides this helicopter view of molecular systems, simplifying the complex task of tracking individual electrons by instead mapping out the density of them at a higher altitude.

Such DFT simulations can be complex to optimize and run, and often require supercomputer-scale resources. This is why our managed DFT service, based on innovation developed by Microsoft Research, enables researchers to perform substantially faster calculations than other DFT codes and offers a 20-fold average increase in speed compared to PySCF, a widely used open-source DFT code.

Accelerated DFT is already used by many organizations such as AspenTech, DTU Energy University of Denmark and Unilever. It seamlessly integrates into broader chemistry and materials science workflows, and paves the way for expediting innovations in therapeutics, environmental sustainability and beyond.

You can learn more about this announcement in the technical blog, Introducing two powerful new capabilities in Azure Quantum Elements: Generative Chemistry and Accelerated DFT.

Unilever stands at the forefront of the consumer goods industry, with a strong portfolio of household brands that are used by 3.4 billion people every day, including Dove, TRESemm, Omo, Degree, Hellmanns and Ben & Jerrys. Whether cleaning, beauty or care products, each requires the latest scientific breakthroughs to ensure the best possible consumer experience and enhance daily life.

Over the past two and a half years, Unilever has worked with Microsoft to identify new digital capabilities to drive product innovation forward. Unilever is bringing its digital vision to life through the transformational DataLab its digital counterpart to the companys physical laboratories with the help of Microsoft Azure. From unlocking the secrets of our skins microbiome to reducing the carbon footprint of a multi-billion-dollar business, Unilever is redefining what it means to be a consumer goods company in the modern world with leading science.

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With Copilot and the advanced simulation capabilities of Azure Quantum Elements, Unilever can query scientific information using natural language, performing thousands of computational simulations in the time it would take to run tens of laboratory experiments. Unilever scientists can use the data gathered from these simulations to fine-tune models that screen tens of thousands of materials at substantial speed or enable the exploration of intricate chemical reactions.

For example, R&D teams can expand their search space for novel molecules that restore natural bonds in hair fibers across more hair types, in turn redefining the standards of personalized hair care for brands like Dove and TRESemm. Furthermore, by placing scaled simulations at the forefront of the discovery funnel, Unilever will be further empowered to expedite the delivery of solutions within their key sustainability focus areas.

Digital tools are unlocking an unprecedented age of scientific discovery. Using advanced computing power and AI, we are able to compress decades of lab work into days, accessing a level of insight we could not previously have imagined. This technological leap, coupled with our vast repository of proprietary data and a century of expertise in personal and household care, means our scientists are able to lead the industry in developing the next generation of consumer goods. Alberto Prado, Global Head of R&D Digital and Partnerships at Unilever

We stand on the cusp of unprecedented innovation, and at Microsoft, we continue to pioneer state-of-the-art solutions to usher in a new era of scientific discovery. We remain focused on achieving scaled quantum computing and more breakthroughs on our path to engineering our topological qubits with inherent hardware-level stability.

Earlier this year, we demonstrated with Quantinuum the most reliable logical qubits on record, further advancing the state-of-the-art for quantum computing. And recently, we simulated a chemical catalyst combining classical supercomputers, AI and logical qubits created with Microsofts qubit-virtualization system and Quantinuums H1 hardware. This combination holds the key to unlocking scientific breakthroughs enabled by a new generation of hybrid-computing applications.

In the coming months, we will bring advanced logical qubit capabilities using our software and Quantinuums hardware in private preview in Azure Quantum Elements. As logical qubit capabilities scale to deliver increasingly reliable results, we will unlock simulation accuracy, moving us from scientific advantage to commercial advantage, and ultimately to solving some of the worlds most pressing problems.

Were committed to advancing these technologies responsibly, always focusing on innovation, empowerment and trust. Thats why we are committed to responsible computing practices and the Microsoft AI principles, to help ensure that safety measures adequately account for the increasing power of AI and quantum.

For more information about todays announcements:

Top image: Leaders from Unilever and Microsoft discuss the Azure Quantum Elements program.

Sources

1. Statistics and resources | 2021 Science Report. This translates into 8.854 million full-time equivalent (FTE) researchers by 2018.

Tags: Accelerated DFT, AI, Azure Quantum Elements, Generative Chemistry, quantum computing

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Empowering every scientist with AI-augmented scientific discovery - The Official Microsoft Blog - Microsoft

Microsoft bolsters quantum platform with gen AI, molecular simulation capabilities – CIO

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Researchers can ask Generative Chemistry for molecules with desired characteristics, as well as provide information about their targeted application and let the system help determine relevant molecular properties, according to Microsoft. The feature not only will provide them with candidates matching their parameters, but also suggest molecules that have not been seen before with useful properties tuned for a specific application, and whose synthesis is feasible in a reasonable number of steps.

Density Functional Theory (DFT) is a method used across a variety of molecular simulations that helps researchers to simulate and study the electronic structure of atoms, molecules and nanoparticles, as well as surfaces and interfaces. Such DFT simulations can be complex and compute-intensive to optimize and run, often requiring the use of supercomputers.

Microsoft has now added Accelerated DFT as a managed service to Azure Quantum Elements to run these simulations at what the company said is an unprecedented speed; that is, an order of magnitude faster compared to PySCF, a widely used open-source DFT code, according to the post.

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Microsoft bolsters quantum platform with gen AI, molecular simulation capabilities - CIO

Exploring Environmental Interfaces with Spectroscopy – AZoM

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From PittconJun 17 2024Reviewed by Danielle Ellis, B.Sc.

In this interview conducted at Pittcon 2024 in San Diego, we spoke to Professor Vicki Grassian, this year's recipient of the Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award, about how spectroscopy serves as a crucial tool in uncovering the chemistry and impacts of environmental interfaces.

My name is Vicki Grassian, and I am currently a distinguished professor at the University of California, San Diego. I started my career at Albany University, where I received my bachelors degree and then my masters degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before going to UC Berkeley for my Ph.D.

My research in this area evolved over time. When I began my academic career, my research focused on surfaces that were important in heterogeneous catalysis. I then realized I could apply my background in surface chemistry to understanding complex environmental interfaces, i.e., their chemistry and impacts. I then started this new research area around the time I became an associate professor. It was then that I began to develop a strong interest in the environment, striving to understand broadly how interfaces play a role in the chemistry of the environment.

First of all, there is a wide range of environmental interfaces, such as particulate matter in the air and the surfaces of those particles, as well as minerals in groundwater and the interface between those solid minerals and the water system above it that may contain contaminants. These interfaces significantly impact air quality and water quality. They can even affect the climate because particles can nucleate clouds. Particles in the stratosphere can also play a role in the ozone layer. Environmental interfaces have critical impacts on healthincluding human health, ecosystem health, and planetary health.

I think people are not aware of environmental interfaces. For example, here in San Diego, you can look out at the Pacific Ocean, which has an air-water interface. While polluted waters prompt warnings against swimming, there are less obvious processes occurring, like the exchange between the water and the air. Were becoming more aware of these interactions in San Diego, particularly as we confront issues with sewer runoff and contamination into the Pacific Ocean. This awareness is leading to a growing demand for improvements to ensure both the quality of the air we breathe and the water we use.

One of the biggest challenges was getting people to recognize the importance of this area and our approach. My expertise in surface science and surface chemistry was typically conducted in an ultra-high vacuum on pristine single-crystal surfaces and addressed issues related to heterogeneous catalysis. I aimed to apply this knowledge to more complex environmental systems, specifically environmental surfaces and interfaces. Initially, there was skepticism that this could be done.

Doubts often manifested in the peer review process. For instance, I would submit a paper, it would be reviewed, and then I would have to revise it, sometimes repeatedlymore times than typical. However, we persevered through these challenges. Ultimately, our papers were published, and, most gratifyingly, they became highly cited benchmark papers.

Regarding grant proposals, we often heard criticisms like, This is too complicated. You wouldnt be able to understand anything. Yes, it was complex, but we were able to design experiments that allowed us to learn a great deal. We, my graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral scientists, and I embraced these challenges, pushed forward, and paved the way in this new area of research with great tenacity.

In our research on atmospheric aerosols, weve developed a conceptual framework to understand the chemistry of various types of aerosols, such as mineral dust aerosols. Earth has numerous deserts and arid regions, which are likely to expand due to climate change. Once airborne, this dust can be transported at great distances, significantly affecting the particulate matter load in the atmosphere.

We have thus studied how reactions on these particles can alter their composition. For instance, we have demonstrated that calcium carbonate, a crucial mineral in regulating atmospheric CO2, can react with nitrogen oxides to form calcium nitrate. This transformation is significant from the particle perspective because while calcium carbonate is a solid, calcium nitrate is a liquid that absorbs water and becomes an aqueous particle. This liquid state facilitates the nucleation of aqueous clouds.

We have also examined iron-containing mineral dust particles to determine how the amount of soluble iron increases when these particles react with trace atmospheric gases. This has important environmental implications as it relates to elemental cycling and the bioavailability of iron.

Additionally, weve researched the spectral characteristics of mineral dust aerosol in the infrared spectral range, which aids in remote sensing. NASAs new program, EMIT, aims to determine the mineralogy of the Earths system to understand mineral dust aerosols better. Our data can help interpret some of the measurements they are currently making. This work underscores the broad implications of aerosol chemistry, from cloud formation to nutrient cycling in ecosystems to remote sensing analysis.

Overall, our research ties very nicely into sustainability issues, as highlighted in an Environmental Science and Technology viewpoint article I co-wrote with many others in 2007 titled Chemistry for a Sustainable Future. In that article, we highlighted the importance of research in green chemistry and processing, energy, and environmental molecular science. Our research fits into this latter category. Understanding environmental molecular processes often allows us to determine global impacts.

Image Credit:S. Singha/Shutterstock.com

Our approach to studying environmental interfaces and atmospheric aerosols specifically leverages vibrational spectroscopy as anin situprobe to understand the chemistry involved. We conduct extensive laboratory experiments aimed at deciphering the complexity of Earths atmosphere. These experiments are designed around the components we believe are crucial for understanding atmospheric chemistry.

A significant factor in our experiments is relative humidity, considering the substantial presence of water vapor in the atmosphere and its influence on chemical processes. We employ various forms of vibrational spectroscopy to achieve our research goals. This includesinfrared spectroscopy, where we utilize both transmission IR spectroscopy and attenuated total reflection IR spectroscopy and design/modify a variety of different types ofinfrared cells to do these studies.

Additionally, we integrate atomic force microscopy with infrared spectroscopy to enhance our analysis capabilities. This multi-faceted approach allows us to gain a deeper understanding of how atmospheric conditions affect chemical reactions on aerosol surfaces.

More recently, weve been incorporating optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy into our studies on environmental interfaces. These techniques, which adhere to different selection rules, complement each other and enhance our analytical capabilities based on the specific problems and length scales we are investigating. This combination has provided valuable insights into various chemical processesas well as climate-relevant properties.

Vibrational spectroscopy is particularly powerful because i
t probes individual molecules, ions, and specific functional group moieties, all of which have well-defined spectral characteristics. However, when these are placed in different environmental contexts, their vibrational spectra can change slightly. These subtle changes are informative as they reveal details about the local molecular environment, which influences their reactivity, light absorption, and even interaction with solar radiation in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum.

We utilize these techniques, which fall under the broad umbrella of vibrational spectroscopy, to effectively probe and understand the chemistry and dynamics at these crucial environmental interfaces.

Over the years, we have collaborated with theorists to understand and interpret our data better. We have also worked with atmospheric chemistry modelers to integrate our findings into their models. Additionally, we cooperate with researchers who conduct field measurements to enhance their understanding of atmospheric conditions.

As for machine learning and AI, these technologies are increasingly becoming part of everyones research toolkit, including ours. We incorporate them both through our modeling collaborations and in rethinking how we design our experiments.

Yes, we recently conducted a study on sulfur oxidation chemistry, a topic that has been well-understood for decades. However, traditionally, this chemistry has been explored in the lab in the bulk aqueous phase, i.e., essentially in a beaker.

Our approach has been different. We use spectroscopic probes to examine these reactions at much smaller, micron-size scales that are more relevant to atmospheric conditions, allowing us to see how the interface influences the chemistry. We have been utilizing confocal Raman spectroscopy to study aqueous aerosols ranging from one to a hundred microns in size and observing how size affects the rates of these reactions. This has led us to incorporate interfacial chemistry into our models.

In a recent talk, I presented a lot of unpublished data, including findings on environmental DNA, which exists free in the environment rather than within cells. There is a hypothesis suggesting that if DNA adheres to surfaces in the environment, it may be protected from degradation. So, we have begun investigating whether DNA adsorbed onto mineral oxide surfaces retains its structure, specifically its typical B-form, which has a distinct handedness and structure.

Our preliminary findings indicate that the interaction between DNA and the mineral surfaces can significantly affect the DNAs structure, and we are using spectroscopy to probe these interactions.

This is an exciting area of research for us, and we are currently drafting papers on our initial results. As we delve deeper, were uncovering more questions that were eager to explore. Its particularly gratifying for me as this ties back to one of my first research papers, written many years ago, which also focused onthe structure of DNA.

At the award symposium yesterday, the experience was incredibly gratifying. As they introduced me, they read from the nomination letter, highlighting my work with accolades and accomplishments. Sitting there, listening to them, I was beaming with pride. Knowing that your peers think so highly of your research is profoundly satisfying; it couldnt feel any better. Most importantly, it is a testament to the students and post-docs that I have worked with over the years. As the PI of the laboratory, I spend a lot of time guiding my students and post-docs, but they are the ones in the lab who make everything work and collect the spectra we analyze. What is most impressive is the labs that many of them now lead in academics, national laboratories, and industry. I am so amazed and proud of their successes and their efforts in developing and utilizing spectroscopic probes of environmental interfaces.

Pittcon Thought Leader: Vicki GrassianPlay

Pittcon is an essential meeting in the field, and it has been for over 75 years. It stands at the forefront ofanalytical chemistryand analytical techniques. If you are looking to discover what is new in the industry, you should attend Pittcon. At the exposition, you can see all the latest toolsnew software, advanced instruments, and more. It is a significant event for those in the industry as they prepare extensively to showcase their latest innovations at Pittcon.

Beyond the exposition, there are also exceptional technical talks. Pittcon uniquely brings together professionals from industry, academia, and national labs, offering a comprehensive view of the latest advancements in analytical chemistry and instrumentation. There truly is no other meeting like it.

Over the years, I have accumulated several memorable experiences at Pittcon. My first interaction with Pittcon was as a brand-new assistant professor. I had just started at the University of Iowa and decided to drive to Chicago for the conference. I was only two months into my role and was eager to explore the latest instrumentation and networking opportunities that Pittcon offered. I remember feeling quite intimidated by everything, including by the titans of the field present at the time.

Later on, I had the opportunity to be an invited speaker at Pittcon. They treated their invited speakers very well, providing not only a platform for technical talks but also organizing enjoyable social events. It was a fantastic experience.

In another year, I co-chaired a symposium with my colleague Kimberly Prather at Pittcon, also held in Chicago, which turned out to be a wonderfully successful event. Following the symposium, a promising individual approached me with his CV, inquiring about postdoctoral opportunities. Although I was not actively seeking a post-doc at the time, his resume impressed me enough to invite him for an interview. He turned out to be one of the brightest minds I have had the pleasure of working with. Interestingly, he now works for Thermo-Fisher and is most likely attending Pittcon.

Now, at Pittcon's 75th anniversary, as the recipient of the Spectroscopy Award, I reflect on these past 30 years attending the conference. It is truly remarkable to see how integral Pittcon has been to my professional journey, culminating in this significant recognition.

Vicki H. Grassian is a Distinguished Professor and the Distinguished Chair in Physical Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego. She is also the Associate Dean for Research in the School of Physical Sciences. Research in the Grassian group focuses on the chemistry and impacts of environmental interfaces as it relates to atmospheric aerosols, aqueous microdroplets, engineered and geochemical nanomaterials and indoor surfaces. She has developed and utilized a wide range of different spectroscopic techniques to probe these interfaces throughout her career. Her contributions have been recognized through multiple awards and honors including the 2024 Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award, 2023 ACS Geochemistry Division Medal, 2021 American Chemical Society National Award in Surface Chemistry, 2020 Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization Award, 2019 IUPAC Distinguished Woman in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Award, 2019 William H. Nichols Medal - New York Section of the American Chemical Society, and the 2018 American Institute of Chemists Chemical Pioneer Award. She is a fellow of several societies including the American Chemical Society, American Physical Society, Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She was ele
cted a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2020.

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Pittcon.

For more information on this source, please visit Pittcon.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited (T/A) AZoNetwork, the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and Conditions of use of this website.

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Exploring Environmental Interfaces with Spectroscopy - AZoM