On October 15, 2024.
The successful mid-air capture of Super Heavy booster of Starship rocket,
Using innovative robotic arms at its Boca Chica launch site in Texas,
Takes us closure towards the goal of fully reusable rocket systems.
This achievement of SpaceX has the potential,
To transform many ambitious dreams into tangible realities,
Such …

The first international treaty on artificial intelligence,
Has been signed by EU, UK and US.
Also, called as the framework convention on artificial intelligence,
It is legally binding treaty that focusses on the use of AI systems.
With the objectives to address legal gaps arising from rapid AI advancements,
And ensure compliance with human rights, …

As Paris hosted the world largest sporting event,
It observed several environmentally friendly initiatives
Such as a 50% reduction in emissions compared to previous Games,
The strategic use of existing and temporary venues,
Use of solar panels, recycled materials,
Energy-efficient systems like geothermal cooling,
Ensuring 90% of equipment and goods have a second life, …

 
The simultaneous worldwide experience of
Blue Screen of Death errors in Windows machines,
And the cascading ramifications of the inter-connected world
Such as grounded planes, impeded hospitals and banks, disrupted emergency services, …
Highlighted the fragility of the supposedly proclaimed robustness of digital infrastructure.
Though the cause led to a flawed security update issued by CrowdStrike,
And that was promptly addressed …

 
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Chairman recently reportedly highlighted that
India has surplus launch capability
Amid limited global demand. B
uilding low-cost rocket is not enough
, In the absence of a robust market.
There is a need to cultivate a domestic satellite industry,
Incentivize manufacturing,
Attract private investment,
To optimize space capabilities and its potential.
Resulting into boosting India’s space ambitions.

Bal Krishna, Editor
bal@mycoordinates.org

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OpenAI unveils GPT-4o,
The latest iteration of AI chatbot technology,
Promising enhanced speed, advanced capabilities,
And an engaging conversational style.
Real time interaction, image recognition, language translation,
And interestingly, emotion detection
A significant advancement in man-machine interaction,
When machine will understand human emotions.
With apparent promises of positive social impacts,
Greater are the worries …

 
The recent spell of downpour,
Of more than the annual rainfall in 24 hours,
In South West Asia during April 14-16,
Battered the Dubai city,
Triggered flash floods across northern Oman,
Affected many other countries in the region.
With several reported fatalities,
And significant damages to local infrastructure, buildings and agriculture,
The intensities of such extreme weather events,
Are likely to be amplified by …

The European Parliament has approved the EU AI Act on 13th March 2024.
The first of its own kind.
The Act envisions to prohibit AI with unacceptable level risks.
A few more countries are likely to follow the suit
May be with different approach and focus.
If the focus of the EU is on safe …

 
Galileo now meets international standards,
To guide civil aviation from take-off to landing,
Can complement EGNOS for the most critical operations.
Though initially not designed to comply
The rigorous standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
Needed for so-called Safety of Life operations,
As Europe already had EGNOS for this purpose,
Galileo has been modifi ed and retuned,
With technical meticulousness,
For the …

In a landmark agreement,
European Union officials have reached a provisional deal on
The world’s first comprehensive laws
To regulate the use of artificial intelligence.
The proposed law contemplates,
To prohibit cognitive behavioural manipulation of people,
Classifying people based on behaviour, socioeconomic status or personal characteristics,
Biometric identification and categorisation of people, …