Science & Technology
Musk to resign when new Twitter CEO is found

Elon Musk said Tuesday he would resign as chief executive of Twitter once he finds a replacement, in an apparent response to a poll he launched that suggested users wanted him to step down.
Musk has fully owned Twitter since October 27 and has repeatedly courted controversy as CEO, sacking half of its staff, readmitting far-right figures to the platform, suspending journalists and trying to charge for previously free services, AFP reported.
“I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job!” Musk tweeted, saying he will then only run software and server teams at Twitter.
In the poll results which were posted on Monday, 57 percent of voters, or 10 million votes, favored Musk stepping down just weeks after he took ownership of the company for $44 billion.
Musk has used the Twitter polls to take other decisions on the platform, including the reinstatement of the account of former US president Donald Trump and other suspended users.
Earlier this week he used a laughing emoji to ridicule a report he was in search of someone to take over as boss of Twitter, and tweeted that “no one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive.”
Analysts have pointed out that the stock price of his electric car company Tesla has slumped by one-third since Musk’s Twitter takeover, and some suggest Tesla’s board was putting pressure on him to quit his Twitter role, AFP reported.
“Finally a good step in the right direction to end this painful nightmare situation for Tesla investors,” said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives on Tuesday.
In discussions with users after posting his latest poll, Musk had renewed his warnings that the platform could be heading for bankruptcy.
Science & Technology
Microsoft introduces AI-powered cybersecurity assistant

Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) on Tuesday launched a tool to help cybersecurity professionals identify breaches, threat signals and better analyze data, using OpenAI’s latest GPT-4 generative artificial intelligence model.
The tool, named ‘Security Copilot’, is a simple prompt box that will help security analysts with tasks like summarizing incidents, analyzing vulnerabilities and sharing information with co-workers on a pinboard, Reuters reported.
The assistant will use Microsoft’s security-specific model, which the company described as “a growing set of security-specific skills” that is fed with more than 65 trillion signals every day.
The launch comes amid a flurry of announcements from Microsoft to integrate the AI into its most popular offerings.
The company has sought to outpace peers through multi-billion dollar investments in ChatGPT owner OpenAI, which recently released GPT-4 to perform a range of tasks from creating a real website through a hand-drawn mock up to helping individuals calculate their taxes.
Science & Technology
Asteroid that could wipe out a city is near, but don’t fear

An asteroid big enough to wipe out a city will zip harmlessly between Earth and the moon’s orbit this weekend, missing both celestial bodies.
Saturday’s close encounter will offer astronomers the chance to study a space rock from just over 100,000 miles (168,000 kilometers) away. That’s less than half the distance from here to the moon, making it visible through binoculars and small telescopes, AP reported.
While asteroid flybys are common, NASA said it’s rare for one so big to come so close — about once a decade. Scientists estimate its size somewhere between 130 feet and 300 feet (40 meters and 90 meters).
Discovered a month ago, the asteroid known as 2023 DZ2 will pass within 320,000 miles (515,000 kilometers) of the moon on Saturday and, several hours later, buzz the Indian Ocean at about 17,500 mph (28,000 kph).
“There is no chance of this ‘city killer’ striking Earth, but its close approach offers a great opportunity for observations,” the European Space Agency’s planetary defense chief Richard Moissl said in a statement.
Astronomers with the International Asteroid Warning Network see it as good practice for planetary defense if and when a dangerous asteroid heads our way, according to NASA.
The Virtual Telescope Project will provide a live webcast of the close approach.
The asteroid won’t be back our way again until 2026. Although there initially seemed to be a slight chance it might strike Earth then, scientists have since ruled that out.
Science & Technology
Launch of 3D-printed rocket ends in failure

A rocket made almost entirely of 3D-printed parts made its launch debut Wednesday night, lifting off amid fanfare but failing three minutes into flight — far short of orbit.
There was nothing aboard Relativity Space’s test flight except for the company’s first metal 3D print made six years ago, The Associated Press reported.
The startup wanted to put the souvenir into a 200-kilometer-high orbit for several days before having it plunge through the atmosphere and burn up along with the upper stage of the rocket.
As it turned out, the first stage did its job following liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and separated as planned. But the upper stage appeared to ignite and then shut down, sending it crashing into the Atlantic.
It was the third launch attempt from what once was a missile site. Relativity Space came within a half-second of blasting off earlier this month, with the rocket’s engines igniting before abruptly shutting down.
Although the upper stage malfunctioned and the mission did not reach orbit, “maiden launches are always exciting and today’s flight was no exception,” Relativity Space launch commentator Arwa Tizani Kelly said after Wednesday’s launch.
Most of the 33-meter rocket, including its engines, came out of the company’s huge 3D printers in Long Beach, California.
Relativity Space said 3D-printed metal parts made up 85% of the rocket, named Terran. Larger versions of the rocket will have even more and also be reusable for multiple flights.
Other space companies also also rely on 3D-printing, but the pieces make up only a small part of their rockets.
Founded in 2015 by a pair of young aerospace engineers, Relativity Space has attracted the attention of investors and venture capitalists.
-
Sport4 days ago
Afghanistan beats Pakistan for first time in T20I
-
Business4 days ago
Five countries eager to invest in lithium mines in Nuristan: officials
-
Sport3 days ago
Rashid Khan ‘proud’ to have led Afghanistan to historic win
-
Regional5 days ago
After Iran, Saudi Arabia to re-establish ties with Syria, sources say
-
Health4 days ago
Nuristan gets new clinic thanks to Swedish Committee and UN
-
World3 days ago
Biden warns Iran after tit-for-tat strikes in Syria
-
World5 days ago
North Korea tests new nuclear-capable underwater drone
-
Latest News3 days ago
Almost 300 military vehicles left behind by the US have been repaired: IEA