United News of Bangladesh

Dhaka, April, 21 (AP/UNB)---When the Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak, it will be spring’s first chance to see shooting stars. The Lyrids have surprised skygazers in the past with as many as 100 meteors per hour, but it’s not predicted to be as active this time around. Scientists claim discovery of 'new colour' never seen by humans During Tuesday morning’s peak, expect to see around six meteors per hour, said Thaddeus LaCoursiere, planetarium program coordinator at the Bell Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota. The waning crescent moon will be 40% full, meaning a decent level of visibility under clear and dark conditions. Viewing lasts until April 26. Here’s what to know about the Lyrids and other meteor showers.   What is a meteor shower? As the Earth orbits the sun, several times a year it passes through debris left by passing comets and sometimes asteroids. The source of the Lyrids is debris from the comet Thatcher. When these fast-moving space rocks enter Earth’s atmosphere, the debris encounters new resistance from the air and becomes very hot, eventually burning up. Sometimes the surrounding air glows briefly, leaving behind a fiery tail — the end of a “shooting star.” You don’t need special equipment to see the various meteor showers that flash across annually, just a spot away from city lights.   How to view a meteor shower The best time to watch a meteor shower is in the early predawn hours when the moon is low in the sky. Competing sources of light — such as a bright moon or artificial glow — are the main obstacles to a clear view of meteors. Cloudless nights when the moon wanes smallest are optimal viewing opportunities. And keep looking up, not down. Your eyes will be better adapted to spot shooting stars if you aren’t checking your phone. When is the next meteor shower? The next major meteor shower, the Eta Aquarids, peaks in early May. END/UNB/AP/MA  

The futuristic vision of gliding above traffic in an autonomous "flying taxi" is fast becoming a reality, thanks to the rise of low-altitude economy in China. At the 5th China International Consumer Products Expo, a dedicated exhibition zone for the low-altitude economy made its debut, featuring companies like EHang Holdings. Ehang, a global leader in urban air mobility (UAM), showed up at the event alongside three unmanned aircraft. These innovations highlight transformative solutions to urban congestion and offer a glimpse into the future of aerial consumption, Xinhua reports. Starring at the event was EHang's flagship EH216-S, the world's first and only electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to secure all four certifications required for commercial operation: Type Certificate (TC), Production Certificate (PC), Standard Airworthiness Certificate (AC), and Operational Permit. Having completed over 66,000 safe flights across 19 countries, including the United States, Japan, UAE and countries in Europe, the pilotless eVTOL is already driving real-world applications in passenger transport, aerial tourism, logistics, and emergency medical services. The EH216-S achieved a historic breakthrough in March when its affiliated operator received China's first airworthiness certification for crewed UAM services, accelerating global commercialisation. No sweat: Humanoid robots run a Chinese half-marathon alongside flesh-and-blood competitors He Tianxing, vice president of EHang, emphasized plans to expand into urban commuting and ultimately achieve fully autonomous low-altitude commercial operations. The company aims to launch air taxi services as early as this year. Operating from rooftops or designated vertiports, these eVTOLs promise to bypass ground traffic efficiently, doubling as air ambulances or emergency responders. EHang has already established more than 20 demonstration sites across 16 Chinese cities, including Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and is now eyeing Hainan's unique geography to pioneer low-altitude tourism, island-hopping routes, and intra-city aerial networks. As low-altitude economy takes flight, EHang's innovations signal a sci-fi-turned-reality era where the skies offer not just escape from gridlock, but a new dimension of smart, sustainable living, He said. Also at the exhibition, United Aircraft brought the TD550, which obtained the first type certificate for unmanned helicopters in China. "China is entering an era of rapid development of the low-altitude economy," said Zhou Xiaoyue, director of the firm's public relations. The exhibition aligned with China's broader strategy to advance the low-altitude economy, encompassing UAV, UAM, and other emerging sectors. The government work report released this March said China will carry out demonstration initiatives on the large-scale application of new technologies, products and scenarios, and promote safe and sound development of emerging industries, including the low-altitude economy. Many Chinese cities have been moving quickly to establish a foothold in the sector, considering it a new track of industrial development. Mianyang, a city known for its strong scientific and technological foundation in the country's vast western region, has just established a new low-altitude economy research institute. As China's low-altitude economy takes flight with impressive momentum, the Civil Aviation Administration of China has forecast a significant surge in market value, projecting that the sector would soar from 500 billion yuan (about 69.4 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023 to 1.5 trillion yuan in 2025, and that it could reach an astounding 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035.

NASA’s Lucy spacecraft is gearing up for a close encounter with a small asteroid this weekend, offering scientists a glimpse into the early days of the solar system—and a test run for a bigger journey to come. Launched in 2021, Lucy is on a 12-year mission to study a total of 11 asteroids, including a rare group known as the Trojans that orbit near Jupiter. Sunday’s flyby marks the second asteroid encounter for the spacecraft and will serve as a trial ahead of its first Trojan asteroid rendezvous in 2027. AI-enabled drone deployed in Germany to accelerate wildfire detection and response   This weekend, Lucy will pass wihin 596 miles (960 kilometers) of an asteroid named Donaldjohanson, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid is roughly 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long, though its exact dimensions and shape remain uncertain—a mystery Lucy aims to help solve as it speeds by at over 30,000 mph (48,000 kph). Donaldjohanson is believed to be a fragment of a much larger object shattered in a cosmic collision around 150 million years ago. Unlike typical round space rocks, scientists suspect this one could have an unusual shape—possibly elongated like a bowling pin or snowman, similar to Arrokoth, the distant Kuiper Belt object NASA explored in 2019. There’s also a chance it could be two separate elongated asteroids. “We don’t know what to expect. That’s what makes this so cool,” said Hal Levison, the mission’s lead scientist at the Southwest Research Institute. “It’s not going to be a basic potato. We already know that.” Lucy will power up all three of its science instruments during the flyby to collect images and data. But because the spacecraft must rotate its antenna away from Earth to track the asteroid, no live communication will be possible during the encounter. Scientists at Lockheed Martin’s Mission Control in Colorado expect to begin receiving data roughly 12 minutes after it’s transmitted across the 139 million miles (223 million kilometers) separating Earth from the asteroid. Among those watching closely will be Donald Johanson, the paleontologist for whom the asteroid is named. He discovered the famous human ancestor “Lucy” in Ethiopia 50 years ago—after whom the spacecraft is named—and plans to be at Mission Control for the flyby. If all goes as planned, Lucy’s brief encounter with the asteroid will offer valuable practice and insights before it moves on to its ultimate target: the mysterious Trojan asteroids near Jupiter, remnants from the solar system’s formation more than 4 billion years ago.    

A company that specializes in early wildfire detection has developed a new, AI-based drone it says will help speed up the detection, location and monitoring of fires. The Silvaguard drone by Dryard Networks was presented Thursday in Eberswalde outside of Berlin as wildfires driven by extreme heat and climate change are becoming a more common, often deadly phenomenon around the globe. The drone will deliver infrared images, among other things, and works in combination with a fire detection system that the company developed earlier and that's already being used in several countries. The fire detection system, called Silvanet, is designed to detect wildfires at the smoldering stage using solar-powered gas sensors connected via a wireless network. Each gas sensor can protect an area the size of a football field and be attached to a tree. The plan is that once Silvanet detects a fire, it will trigger a nearby Silvaguard drone to fly to the location and provide detailed images. ChatGPT’s viral Ghibli-Style images raise AI copyright concerns “Today we saw a combination of Silvanet — the solar powered gas sensors that detected the fire within minutes — with Silvaguard, the first prototype of an autonomous, an AI enabled drone that we dispatched in response to a fire," said Carsten Brinkschulte, the CEO and co-founder, Dryad Networks. The drone “flew autonomously to the location of the sensor, detecting the fire, and delivered overhead infrared and optical video from the point of fire,” he said of the newly developed drone. The company is still waiting to get the go-ahead for the commercial use of Silvaguard drone from authorities. The information about the fire, including geographic coordinates, video and infrared images, will then be sent to the firefighters who will then know where the fire is spreading and how big it is, which will help them know how many firefighters need to be deployed. “When it comes to wildfires, time is of the essence, you cannot be fast enough," Brinkschulte said.

China is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to transform agriculture, particularly in smart breeding, which is paving the way for high-yield, climate-resilient "super crops" that could reshape global food security amid environmental challenges. At the 2025 Seed Congress, held from March 20 to 23 in Sanya, Hainan Province, smart breeding was a focal point. More than 40 exhibitors presented state-of-the-art technologies and flagship crop varieties, demonstrating how AI-driven breeding is transitioning from concept to reality. Digital exhibits showcased breakthroughs such as AI-powered genomic analysis and cloud-based farm monitoring systems. Experts at the event highlighted how smart breeding is modernizing traditional techniques into precision agriculture. This transformation is helping to address seed resource constraints, strengthen self-sufficiency in the seed sector, and bolster China's strategic role in the global seed market. Li Jiayang, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), introduced the idea of "intelligent creation of intelligent varieties," emphasizing the integration of AI, biotechnology, and information technology to develop crops that can adapt to environmental conditions. Another CAS academician, Qian Qian, noted the complexity of crop traits. "Understanding the relationship between genes and traits requires computational power and advanced algorithms," he said. Unlike conventional small-scale breeding, smart breeding follows an industrialized model, pooling extensive resources to efficiently integrate desirable traits. AI-driven breeding is already yielding significant results. At China National Seed Group, researchers employ a cloud-based system to remotely monitor fields, collecting real-time data on crop health and growth. This allows scientists to address issues promptly and optimize breeding strategies. One major advancement is in hybrid rice development. Traditionally, breeders tested thousands of combinations to identify a superior hybrid. Now, AI-powered genomic analysis can predict high-yield combinations before field trials commence. Chinese researchers use Earth science satellite to monitor offshore oil, gas platforms "We have moved from experience-driven to data-driven breeding," said Li Huihui, deputy director of the National Nanfan Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Another key innovation is "Fengdeng," a seed-focused large language model developed primarily by the Yazhou Bay National Laboratory in Sanya. This AI platform provides expert guidance on breeding, cultivation, and industry trends, equipping farmers and researchers with valuable insights. Despite these advancements, challenges persist. China's smart breeding sector lags behind global seed industry leaders in data-sharing infrastructure and commercialization. The fragmentation of datasets limits AI’s ability to predict and engineer superior crop varieties. "Accelerating the development of high-yield, high-quality and climate-resilient 'super varieties' is crucial," Qian said, calling for collaboration among breeding institutions, AI researchers, and agribusinesses to propel smart breeding innovation.

Nvidia, a leading AI technology firm, has launched a series of initiatives aimed at accelerating the development of humanoid robots. The company's CEO, Jensen Huang, revealed a groundbreaking collaboration with Disney Research and Google’s DeepMind AI lab during his keynote address at the 2025 GTC developers conference. The partnership focuses on the creation of Newton, an open-source physics engine that allows robots to refine their skills and tackle complex tasks with improved precision. Huang hailed the collaboration, declaring that "the age of generalist robotics is here." Disney Research will be one of the first organisations to implement Newton, using it to enhance its robotic character platform. Google acquires cybersecurity firm Wiz for $32 billion in its largest-ever deal This platform powers next-generation entertainment robots, including the Star Wars-inspired "BDX" droids that appeared during Huang’s presentation. Kyle Laughlin, Senior VP at Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, emphasised that the collaboration would enable the creation of more expressive and engaging robots, helping to deliver unique experiences for Disney guests. Alongside the Newton project, Nvidia introduced Isaac GR00T N1, a fully customisable foundation model designed for humanoid reasoning and skills. Available now, GR00T N1 is the first in a family of models that Nvidia expects to release to robotics developers globally. As AI reshapes hospital care, human nurses push back Huang demonstrated the robot's ability to perform domestic tasks autonomously using a "post-trained policy" based on GR00T N1, a result of Nvidia's AI training partnership with 1X. The GR00T N1 model is designed to generalise across common tasks such as object manipulation, as well as handle more complex, multi-step activities. Early adopters of GR00T N1 include Agility Robotics, Boston Dynamics, Mentee Robotics, and Neura Robotics, all of which are set to advance the next generation of AI-driven robotics.

NASA is switching off two science instruments on its long-running twin Voyager spacecraft to save power. The space agency said Wednesday an instrument on Voyager 2 that measures charged particles and cosmic rays will shut off later this month. Last week, NASA powered down an instrument on Voyager 1 designed to study cosmic rays. The energy-saving moves were necessary to extend their missions, Voyager project manager Suzanne Dodd at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory said in a statement. The twin spacecraft launched in 1977 and are currently in interstellar space, or the space between stars. Voyager 1 discovered a thin ring around Jupiter and several of Saturn’s moons, and Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to visit Uranus and Neptune. Last-minute problems with SpaceX's mega rocket Starship forces delay of latest test flight Each spacecraft still has three instruments apiece to study the sun's protective bubble and the swath of space beyond. Voyager 1 is over 15 billion miles (24.14 billion kilometers) from Earth and Voyager 2 is over 13 billion miles (20.92 billion kilometers) away.

Chinese researchers have unveiled a novel application of the Earth science satellite SDGSAT-1 for observing offshore oil and gas platforms. The study, led by researchers from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), was recently published in the International Journal of Digital Earth. As global demand for oil rises and the industry moves toward decarbonization, tailored monitoring of oil and gas platforms has become increasingly necessary. However, tracking these platforms in vast and dynamic oceanic regions has long posed challenges. The researchers used the SDGSAT-1's Glimmer Imager and Thermal Infrared Spectrometer to track gas flaring activities in the South China Sea. This innovative approach enabled them to map platform operations with greater precision. Chinese scientists develop new AI model for cyclone forecast The findings helped researchers identify 113 oil and gas platforms amidst the complex maritime environment of islands, vessels, and other offshore facilities in the region. "These findings highlight the competence of SDGSAT-1 in tracking the operational status of oil and gas platforms," according to the study. Launched on Nov. 5, 2021, the SDGSAT-1 is the world's first Earth science satellite dedicated to supporting the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Developed by the CAS, the satellite provides crucial space-based data to assess human-environment interactions and promote sustainable development.

Chinese scientists have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) method to forecast the rapid intensification of a tropical cyclone, shedding new light on improving global disaster preparedness. Recently, researchers from the Institute of Oceanology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences published this study in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The rapid intensification of a tropical cyclone, which refers to a dramatic increase in the intensity of a tropical storm over a short period, remains one of the most challenging weather phenomena to forecast because of its unpredictable and destructive nature. According to the study, traditional forecasting methods, such as numerical weather prediction and statistical approaches, often fail to consider the complex environmental and structural factors driving rapid intensification. While AI has been explored to improve rapid intensification prediction, most AI techniques have struggled with high false alarm rates and limited reliability. Meta set to introduce Ray-Ban smart glasses in 2025 To address this issue, the researchers have developed a new AI model that combines satellite, atmospheric and oceanic data. When tested on data from the tropical cyclone periods in the Northwest Pacific between 2020 and 2021, the new method achieved an accuracy of 92.3 percent and reduced false alarms to 8.9 percent. The new method improved accuracy by nearly 12 percent compared to existing techniques and boasted a 3-times reduction in false alarms, representing a significant advancement in forecasting, said the study. "This study addresses the challenges of low accuracy and high false alarm rates in rapid intensification forecasting," said Li Xiaofeng, the study's corresponding author. "Our method enhances understanding of these extreme events and supports better defenses against their devastating impacts," Li added. 

Meta is gearing up to enhance its popular Ray-Ban smart glasses with a significant technological leap. According to a report by the Financial Times, the upcoming version, set to be released in 2025, will feature an integrated virtual display. This development positions Meta to strengthen its foothold in a market that is attracting major players like Samsung and Google. A New Era for Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Since their initial launch, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have gained widespread acclaim for seamlessly blending cutting-edge technology with timeless style. Equipped with voice assistant capabilities, users can send messages, make calls, and manage various functions hands-free. Built-in speakers allow users to hear notifications and messages without headphones, while touch-sensitive controls on the frame enable effortless media playback and call management. Top 7 Gaming Earphones of 2024: Must-Have Picks for Gamers The integration of a display marks a substantial upgrade to the existing features. Currently, the glasses connect to smartphones via Bluetooth, providing audio-based notifications and interactions. Some models even include a discreet camera for photo and video capture. However, the lack of a visual display has been a limitation — one that the third-generation glasses are poised to overcome. What to Expect from the 2025 Model The addition of a display will transform the user experience. Beyond showing notifications and interacting with Meta’s AI, the display could offer navigation directions, fitness tracking data, and other real-time information. This hands-free functionality would cater to both tech enthusiasts and those seeking practical applications in daily life. The new model is expected to launch in the latter half of 2025, according to Financial Times. By integrating advanced AI features and an interactive display, Meta aims to maintain its competitive edge as Samsung and Google prepare to enter the smart glasses market with AI-powered innovations. Enter Meta’s Orion AR Glasses Meta’s ambitions extend beyond Ray-Ban smart glasses. In September 2024, the company unveiled Orion, a cutting-edge AR device likened to the fictional face computers seen in Marvel’s Iron Man. Orion boasts the largest field of view in the smallest AR glasses form factor to date, capable of performing tasks such as multitasking windows, immersive entertainment, and life-size holographic interactions. Albanian prime minister says TikTok ban was not a 'rushed reaction to a single incident' This device represents a leap forward in augmented reality, merging digital content with the physical world in a lightweight, versatile design. Meta envisions Orion as a tool for both personal and professional use, enabling remote face-to-face connections. While currently in the prototype stage, Orion is slated for commercial release in 2027. Rising Competition in the Smart Glasses Market For years, Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses faced little competition. However, the landscape is changing as tech giants like Samsung and Google gear up to launch their own products. These companies are likely to incorporate advanced AI capabilities, further intensifying the competition. By advancing the Ray-Ban smart glasses and preparing Orion for the market, Meta is clearly committed to staying ahead in the race. The integration of display technology into the Ray-Ban glasses represents a critical step in this strategy, ensuring that Meta continues to lead the way in wearable tech innovation. As the world moves closer to a future dominated by augmented reality, Meta’s advancements signal exciting times ahead for both consumers and the tech industry. Source: With inputs from Financial Times and India Today