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Perseverance gets its robotic hand on a sample that’s out of this world

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Earth receives its first piece of mars after NASA’s rover successfully drills a hole into brief-case-sized rock “Rochette”.

This sample tube contains a piece of rock from planet Mars

NASA’s Perseverance Rover gets its first taste of mars, after collecting a sample of Martian rock from the core of Jezero Crater yesterday.

The sample which is slightly thicker than a pencil was detected after controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California received data from the space-age device.

Now enclosed in a titanium sample tube, NASA is working with the European Space Agency to return the sample back to earth for further studies in what will be a world first.

Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator says the discovery comes as a win for the agency.

“NASA has a history of setting ambitious goals and then accomplishing them, reflecting our nation’s commitment to discovery and innovation,” Nelson says.

“This is a momentous achievement and I can’t wait to see the incredible discoveries produced by Perseverance and our team.”

Breaking down the process

The process to obtain the sample is nothing short of out of this world.

The Martian rock was obtained after Perseverance’s robotic arm drilled into “brief-case-sized rock” coined “Rochette”, with mission controllers watching the process through a camera.

A series of photos were also taken before the sample was safely tucked away in the rover’s cargo.

Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington, says this moment is truly historic for NASA.

“Just as the Apollo Moon missions demonstrated the enduring scientific value of returning samples…we will be doing the same with the samples Perseverance collects as part of our Mars Sample Return program,” Zurbuchen says.

“Using the most sophisticated science instruments on Earth, we expect jaw-dropping discoveries across a broad set of science areas, including exploration into the question of whether life once existed on Mars.”

Perseverance’s key mission is to study astrobiology on mars, particularly looking for signs of life.

The planet’s climate, geology and past climate will also be assessed as NASA paves the way for human exploration on the Red Planet.

For further updates

NASA will hold a virtual meeting addressing the media on Friday to provide an update on the rover’s process and sampling procedures.

The event will be livestreamed on NASA Television, the NASA app, the agency’s website, and multiple agency social media platforms.

Written by Rebecca Borg

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Tech

Elon Musk announces free premium features for high-follower accounts on X

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Elon Musk has once again stirred the online community with a recent announcement regarding the popular social media platform, X.

In a tweet on Thursday, Musk revealed a significant update that could reshape the experience for many users on the platform.

“Going forward, all accounts with over 2500 verified subscriber followers will get Premium features for free and accounts with over 5000 will get Premium+ for free,” Musk declared.

This bold move by Musk is expected to have far-reaching implications for content creators, influencers, and users alike.

By offering Premium features to accounts with a substantial following, Musk aims to incentivise growth and engagement on the platform while rewarding those who have already amassed a sizable audience.

Enhanced analystics

The Premium features include enhanced analytics, advanced customization options, and priority customer support, among others.

Meanwhile, Premium+ offers additional perks such as exclusive access to new features, ad-free browsing, and special badges to highlight top creators.

For content creators and influencers, this announcement presents a unique opportunity to leverage their existing following to gain access to premium tools and resources without any additional cost.

This could lead to increased user engagement, higher-quality content, and ultimately, a more vibrant and dynamic community on X.

For users who enjoy consuming content on the platform, this move signifies a potential improvement in the overall user experience.

With creators gaining access to advanced features, users can expect to see more innovative and engaging content, tailored to their interests and preferences.

However, some industry analysts have raised concerns about the potential implications of this announcement.

Critics argue that offering Premium features for free based solely on follower count could incentivize the pursuit of vanity metrics and discourage genuine interactions and content creation.

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Tech

Uncovering alleged misleading practices as Meta comes under fire

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Tech giant Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is facing scrutiny over allegations of misleading practices regarding its handling of disinformation and misinformation on its platform.

A recent formal complaint has raised concerns about the efficacy of Meta’s fact-checking system and the transparency of its reporting.

Allegations and Concerns

The complaint, filed by online safety research group Reset.Tech, alleges that Meta is not living up to its claims outlined in its transparency report. It suggests that small changes in wording can circumvent Meta’s automated labeling of known falsehoods, leading to misinformation slipping through the cracks undetected.

Meta HQ in the United States.

Loopholes in Fact-Checking

One of the key issues highlighted in the complaint is the treatment of misinformation posts that undergo slight modifications.

While Meta’s fact-checkers may identify and label the original post, variations of the same misinformation with minor changes often go unlabeled, creating loopholes in Meta’s fact-checking system.

Response from Meta

Meta has denied the allegations, stating that its transparency report accurately reflects its practices. According to Meta, the company proactively identifies and labels content that matches or is near-identical to content previously identified as false by third-party fact-checking organizations.

The complaint has been submitted to the Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI), which represents major tech platforms in Australia, including Meta.

However, the complaint is currently stalled at a procedural hurdle, raising concerns about the effectiveness of self-regulation and corporate accountability in addressing misinformation.

As the complaint against Meta awaits further review, it underscores the ongoing challenges in combating misinformation online.

With the proliferation of false information and the potential impact on public discourse, there is a growing need for robust fact-checking mechanisms and transparent reporting practices from tech companies like Meta.

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Tech

Fight for AI talent as companies offer million dollar packages

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As the demand for expertise in generative AI surges, tech companies are engaging in fierce competition, offering million-dollar compensation packages and even poaching entire engineering teams.

This fervent pursuit of AI talent occurs against a backdrop of layoffs in other tech sectors and a significant reallocation of resources towards AI development.

Tech companies are going to unprecedented lengths to attract individuals with expertise in generative AI, the technology that underpins innovations like ChatGPT and humanlike bots.

With a shortage of qualified candidates, these companies are resorting to eye-catching compensation packages and aggressive recruitment tactics to secure the necessary talent.

According to Naveen Rao, head of Generative AI at Databricks, the pool of individuals capable of training large language models (LLMs) from scratch or tackling complex AI problems is extremely limited.

AI is becoming a top job skill.

Requisite skills

Rao estimates that only a few hundred people possess the requisite skills, leading to intense competition among employers.

To entice top-tier candidates, companies are offering total compensation packages exceeding $1 million annually, far surpassing industry norms.

Sales professionals with expertise in AI are also in high demand, commanding double the salary of their counterparts in other sectors.

The scarcity of AI talent is reflected in significant salary increases across managerial and non-managerial roles within the industry.

A survey by WTW revealed base-pay increases ranging from 5% to 19% from April 2022 to April 2023, with median compensation figures reaching staggering heights.

Startup struggle

Startups, in particular, are facing challenges in attracting and retaining talent due to their limited resources compared to tech giants like Google and Meta.

Despite offering potentially lucrative equity incentives, startups struggle to compete with the financial stability and resources provided by established companies.

Some individuals with entrepreneurial aspirations are leveraging the demand for AI expertise by launching their own startups.

Arthur Mensch, a former Google employee, founded Mistral AI, which quickly gained a valuation of over $2 billion within its first year.

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