National Sci-Tech
U.S. FAA: No Plans to Sign Communication Contract with Starlink for Now
National Sci-Tech
On July 16 local time, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated it has not considered replacing its existing contracts with L3 Harris Technologies and Verizon with SpaceX’s Starlink for aviation control systems. The FAA clarified it will not use Starlink or any satellite service as the sole communication technology for safety-critical air traffic services, nor will it abandon previous partners for SpaceX.more
National Sci-Tech
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced on July 14 it has awarded up to $200 million in AI contracts to OpenAI, Google parent company Alphabet, Anthropic, and xAI, aiming to accelerate the deployment of advanced AI capabilities across national security systems. The contracts, managed by the DoD’s Chief Digital and AI Office (CDAO), will fund the development of "agentic AI workflows" to address critical defense challenges, including cybersecurity, intelligence analysis, and operational decision-making .more
Meta Ignites Silicon Valley AI Talent War with $Billion Superintelligence Labs Push
National Sci-Tech
Meta has triggered a Silicon Valley talent crisis with its newly launched Superintelligence Labs (MSL), luring top AI researchers from Apple, OpenAI, and Google DeepMind with unprecedented compensation packages. The move, backed by multi-billion-dollar investments, aims to rebuild Meta’s generative AI capabilities after its Llama series models faced mounting competition.more
OpenAI Unveils AI Browser Ambitions to Dethrone Chrome
National Sci-Tech
OpenAI is poised to disrupt the global browser market with its upcoming AI-powered browser, designed to challenge Google Chrome’s 65.94% market dominance and reshape how users interact with the web. Built on the Chromium framework—the same foundation as Chrome—the browser integrates ChatGPT-style conversational interfaces and AI agent capabilities, aiming to transform passive browsing into an interactive, task-driven experience.more
Musk Debuts Grok 4 as 'PhD-Level' AI, Achieves 44.4% on Humanity's Last Exam, Perfect AIME Score
National Sci-Tech
lon Musk's xAI unveiled Grok 4 on July 9, positioning it as the "world's strongest AI" with PhD-level reasoning capabilities and multimodal advancements. The fourth major iteration of xAI's foundational model introduces five new voice modes, cuts response latency by half, and integrates real-time image/video processing, enabling culturally sensitive content analysis for social media platforms like Xmore
New Zealand Unveils First National AI Strategy to Boost Competitiveness
National Sci-Tech
The New Zealand government on July 8 launched its first national AI strategy, outlining a roadmap to accelerate AI adoption, enhance productivity, and strengthen global competitiveness. The initiative comes as the country lags behind other advanced economies in AI readiness, with many businesses yet to plan AI adoption. Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Shane Reti stated the government will provide regulatory guidance to encourage responsible AI use, along with the Responsible AI Guide to help businesses use, develop and innovate AI in an ethical, transparent way that meets internatimore
Europe Aims to Cut U.S. Reliance with Nordic Spaceport Projects
National Sci-Tech
As reported by Reuters on July 10, Europe is pushing forward with building domestic launch facilities in Sweden’s Esrange and Norway’s Andøya to reduce dependence on the U.S. and strengthen its independent space capabilities. The goal is to send satellites into orbit from the European continent for the first time. Previously, Europe’s only launch site was in French Guiana, South America—its remote location and high costs made it hard to meet rising commercial and military needs.more
Singapore Launches Asia Pacific Sustainable Aviation Centre to Drive Regional Decarbonization
National Sci-Tech
Singapore’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAS) announced on July 10 that the Asia Pacific Sustainable Aviation Centre (APSAC) will officially launch on July 14. Partnering with Airbus, Boeing, GenZero (a green investment firm under Singapore’s Temasek), and IATA, APSAC aims to support regional decarbonization through policy research, cross-sector collaboration, and training—making it the world’s first institution focused on policy and capacity-building for sustainable aviation in the Asia-Pacific.more
National Sci-Tech
UK-based Allotrope Energy, a 2016-founded battery capacitor startup, has unveiled a groundbreaking super EDLC (electrochemical double-layer capacitor) set to disrupt automotive tech. It secured $6.7 million from Brazil’s Suzano Ventures, partnering with the pulp producer—known for paper products—to manufacture the innovation.more
Ancient DNA Unravels Pre - historic Family Trees and Social Structures
National Sci-Tech
Scientists have successfully reconstructed the kinship networks of multiple ancient settlements through the genetic analysis of a large number of ancient human DNAs, with the longest network extending up to eight generations. This research has revealed social - structural features such as matrilineal or patrilineal inheritance and the layout of kinship cemeteries. Some individuals have even been traced to relatives thousands of miles away.more
Scientists Drill Deep into Mantle, Obtain Deepest - ever Mantle Core Sample
National Sci-Tech
An international team of scientists has successfully drilled a 1,268 - meter - long mantle core in the Mid - Atlantic Ridge. This is the deepest mantle sample ever retrieved from the ocean floor, mainly composed of serpentinized peridotite, revealing the long - term reaction records between the mantle and seawater.more
Scientists Discover Potentially the Oldest Rocks on Earth in Canada
National Sci-Tech
Scientists have identified what could be the world's oldest rocks in the Nuvvuagittuq greenstone belt along the coast of Hudson Bay in northeastern Canada. These rocks are at least 4.16 billion years old, about 160 million years earlier than the previously recognized oldest rocks, and are the only known surviving fragments of the Earth's Hadean - eon crust, providing a precious window into the early evolution of the Earth.more