Solar storm disrupts US radio communications; more auroras expected

After yesterday's success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the excitement in the astronomy community is at an all-time high. Many are already wondering about other new achievements India and the world can unlock. And among the huge bucket list of ideas about space exploration, one thing has always remained on top - a manned mission to Mars could pave the way for building a colony on the red planet. However, a NASA scientist has warned us that this dream may just not be possible in the near future with the current technology that we have. Why? It's because the radiation from solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME) will kill us long before we ever reach Mars.

More major platfrom holders, investors and publishers have signed-up to the GamesIndustry.biz Investment Summit at PAX this month.

Blizzard has dashed the Diablo 4's community's latest theory - even though it's one of their more sensible ones to boot.

AI Roundup: In today's world of artificial intelligence (AI), Baidu announced the expansion of its AI chatbot called ERNIE Bot, as it now supports 5 more plugins. On the other hand, the Associated Press issued guidelines for the use of AI in newsrooms. New research has also shed light on a deep-learning AI model that can be used to detect congenital heart defects. All this, and more in our today's AI roundup.

Today was an important day in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). As per leaks, WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will give users the ability to generate AI-powered stickers from simple text prompts. In other news, Google Photos is introducing a new Memories view feature that will allow users to add or remove photos to their memories. The feature will also get the aid of AI in different ways to make the Memories view something different and relatable. If you missed these or other similar AI-related news today, then here is a quick refresher. Let us take a look at today's AI roundup.

The onslaught of new television never stops, but that’s what we’re here for: to keep you posted on what’s new and significant in TV premieres and finales each week.

As the Sun moves towards the solar maximum gradually, scientists are worrying about a once in a century solar storm that can impact Earth, and humanity, severely. We are now experiencing the most active sun so far and it is generating massive solar storms frequently. The peak of solar activities happens every 11 years when the sun reaches the solar maximum. Normally, these solar storms do not severely impact the Earth, but, occasionally, they get so intense that they can generate strong geomagnetic storms that affect all the electrical infrastructure that humanity has created including the power grid and the satellites. NASA believes that if such a solar storm occurs, it could put the safety and livelihoods of people at risk. Now, it is being feared that such a massive solar storm can happen over the next few years.

Have you ever witnessed a ring of fire in the sky? It happens because of the solar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, the Moon, and Earth line up, either fully or partially. Depending on how they align, eclipses provide a unique, exciting view of either the Sun or the Moon. According to NASA, "A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth that either fully or partially blocks the Sun's light in some areas,"

The most recent example of a solar storm that caused damage to Earth's infrastructure was in February 2022 when some of the Starlink satellites launched by SpaceX were trapped in the drag caused by the energized particles in the upper atmosphere, and crashed. However, it is nothing in comparison to the storm that struck the Earth in March 1940. This solar storm was so powerful that it made metal wires crackle due to excessive static electricity and disrupted phone lines and telegraph services for 5 hours. The New York Times called it a ‘Sunspot tornado', and it remains as an example of what can happen when a solar storm really shows its wrath. Let us take a look. 

As countries establish regulations around the use of artificial intelligence (AI), developments in the field continue at a rapid pace. RBI on Thursday proposed a new way of carrying out UPI transactions - through conversations with AI. On the other hand, the UK hired a tech expert for the summit on generative AI.

In recent developments, Earth has managed to dodge a potentially calamitous encounter with a "cannibal" solar flare, although the planet has been struck by a formidable solar storm capable of causing disruptions to communication systems.

The last 24 hours were quite frightening for the Earth, as major solar storm prediction models said that a highly energized cannibal CME could deliver a glancing blow to the Earth today, August 9. However, it never came, leading the scientists to believe that the CME narrowly escaped the planet. Investigations are still ongoing to see whether the CME could have been delayed. However, there is some bad news as well. In the early hours of August 8, another X1-class solar flare erupted and sparked a deep shortwave radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean. Concerns are now rising on whether it will also send another CME towards our planet.