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From devastating climate change to ongoing wars to the dismantling of the globe’s largest aid agency, theres no shortage of problems facing the world. And now we can add another one to the list: An asteroid could conceivably hit the planet in just under eight years. And while the chances of that happening are very small, they have now nearly doubled. In December, the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Chile, developed by the University of Hawaii and funded by NASA, discovered the existence of an asteroid known as 2024 YR4. That ATLAS should discover an asteroid is no surprisethere are millions of them in our cosmic neck of the woods alone. However, 2024 YR4 triggered the alarm at ATLAS because theres a not-insignificant chance that the asteroid, which is about the size of the Eiffel Tower, may slam into Earth in 2032. Impact odds are rising At the time of the object’s discovery, NASA calculated that the chance of the asteroid actually hitting Earthwhat it calls the Impact Probabilitywas about 1.3%. That means there was a 98.7% chance that the asteroid would miss us. Or to put that another way, there was a 1 in 83 chance that 2024 YR4 would hit us. Unfortunately, the impact probability of 2024 YR4 has now risen. As a matter of fact, the probability of the asteroid hitting Earth has nearly doubled to 2.3%, according to Sentry: Earth Impact Monitoring, an online tool provided by NASAs Center for Near Earth Object Studies. Now Sentrys Impact Probability rating is classified as 2.3e-2, which means there is now a 2.3% chance of 2024 YR4 slamming into the planet. NASA says this means the odds of impact are now 1 in 43. Yellow Zone warning NASAs Sentry tool also reveals that the asteroid has a maximum hazard rating of 3 on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale. Torino is a scale that categorizes the effects an asteroid or comets impact would have on the Earth. The Torino Scale assigns both numeric ratings and color codes to such objects. The Torino Impact Hazard Scale runs from 0 to 10. A 0 rating means that a heavenly object poses no threat to the planet, while a 10 means, basically, were all going to die. (NASA is more tactful in its description of a level 10 event, stating, A collision is certain, capable of causing global climatic catastrophe that may threaten the future of civilization as we know it, whether impacting land or ocean.) Numerical classifications are further grouped into colors as well. A 0 is white, a 1 is green, 2-4 is yellow, 5-7 is orange, and 8-10 is red. A level 3 rating on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale means that 2024 YR4 is in the yellow zone, which the scale says merits attention by astronomers. A close encounter, meriting attention by astronomers, the Yellow Zones description reads. Current calculations give a 1% or greater chance of collision capable of localized destruction. However, there is some good news: A Yellow Zone warning doesnt mean that impact is a certainty. Most likely, new telescopic observations will lead to re-assignment to Level 0, the zones description continues. But it also notes that Attention by public and by public officials is merited if the encounter is less than a decade away. The asteroid 2024 YR4 is less than a decade away. When might the 2024 YR4 asteroid hit Earth? Even though the odds of 2024 YR4 hitting Earth have risen, it is still much more likely than not that the asteroid will miss Earth entirely. However, if it were to impact Earth, it would likely do so on December 22, 2032. But thats just its first chance to strike Earth. If it misses us then, 2024 YR4 gets more chances in 2039, 2043, 2047, and 2079. You can track NASAs updates about the asteroid by using its Sentry: Earth Impact Monitoring tool. Should I worry about asteroid 2024 YR4? It seems pointless to worry because theres not anything you as an individual can do about 2024 YR4. Besides, the odds are still in our favor that 2024 YR4 will miss Earth. And even if it hits us, it wont be a civilization-ending event, though, depending on where it hits, it could devastate even a large city. And if its any consolation, NASA knows of no other asteroid that has the impact probability rating 2024 YR4 does. “Currently, no other known large asteroids have an impact probability above 1%, NASA said in a January statement. So things will probably be fine in 2032 and beyond. Of course, even if we are spared an asteroid impact, we still have the zombie spiders to worry about.
Category:
E-Commerce
Its game time for Metas wearables: The tech giant has bought two ad spots for its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses during Sundays Super Bowl broadcast, including one that has Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt wreaking havoc on Kris Jenners art collection. The star-studded spot is part of a bigger push to bring AI-powered wearables to the masses. Last week, Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the company had sold more than one million of its high-tech Ray-Bans in 2024, and hinted at plans to sell many more in the near future. This will be a defining year that determines if we’re on a path towards many hundreds of millions and eventually billions of AI glasses, he told investors during the companys Q4 2024 earnings call. To that end, Meta plans to introduce new versions of its smart glasses later this year, including a high-end model that reportedly includes a small display capable of showing notifications and real-time translation. And the competition is not waiting around. Samsung has hinted at plans for developing its own AI glasses, and Chinese startups are looking to target U.S. consumers with Ray-Ban copycats this year. All this means that millions of people could soon walk around with cameras on their faces, challenging our understanding of privacy, and inevitably leading to friction. An AI wearable that sees what you see Meta released a first version of camera-equipped glasses in cooperation with Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica in 2021, followed by a second-generation model in the fall of 2023. At first glance, the glasses look very similar to a typical pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, save for a camera and a recording indicator that are visible upon closer inspection. The glasses also have dual speakers integrated into their temples, and an array of five microphones that can be used for both voice control and communication. Ray-Ban Meta glasses can take photos, record short video clips, and livestream via Instagram when paired with a smartphone. They can also be used as a replacement for wireless earbuds, allowing wearers to listen to music or podcasts, or take phone calls when paired via Bluetooth to a smartphone. The feature set that Meta leans into most these days is the ability to directly query the companys AI assistant: Ray-Ban owners can ask Metas AI assistant to tell them about anything theyre looking at, which results in the glasses taking a photo and uploading it to the cloud. They can ask Meta AI what a street sign says, have it translate text, and even ask it to come up with recipes based on what the camera can spot in their fridge. Earlier this year, Meta even added the ability to have continuous conversations with its AI assistant using its Ray-Ban glasses. During those chats, video of everything the wearer is seeing is sent to the cloud and analyzed, allowing for complex back-and-forth interactions with follow-up questions while browsing store shelves, looking through record collections, or shopping at the farmers marketa pretty impressive feat, despite Meta AI still occasionally getting confused by very basic objects. Surprisingly little backlash, so far Inevitably, these features can also lead to bystanders getting captured by Metas glasses. When Google pioneered camera glasses in 2013, it faced a huge public backlash against this perceived invasion of privacy. Users of the Google Glass device were being called glassholes by critics, and the company discontinued the device soon after. Meta has gone to great lengths to avoid a similar fate. The glasses include a visible recording indicator, and second-generation Ray-Ban Metas block any photo and video capture if a user tries to cover that indicator light in any way. Meta also advises Ray-Ban wearers to respect other peoples privacy, and for instance not to wear them in public bathrooms, schools, or houses of worship. That hasnt stopped some Ray-Ban owners from accidentally getting into trouble. Last fall, a Ray-Ban owner reported on Reddit that they had gotten thrown out of a movie theater over piracy allegations. I wear RaybanMeta with prescription lenses so I can see, the user in question wrote. I did not live stream or anything, but apparently they’re banned from cinemas. Other users have said they have gotten reprimanded for wearing their Ray-Bans in airplanes; two Harvard students made waves when they combined the glasses with image recognition technology to figure out the identity of random people on the street (a feature that the glasses themselves do not support out of the box). More insidiously, the alleged New Orleans bomber reportedly wore Metas smart glasses to scout locations for his attack. Despite all this, there has been relatively little backlash against the device yet. That could change once there are millions more in use. There will be bad actors with that many pairs of glasses in market, acknowledges Moor Insights & Strategy analyst Anshel Sag. He thinks Meta could do more educating people about the way these glasses function. I’ve had some people assume it’s just always recording, he says. That’s not true. Next up: New devices, including one with a display Meta has plans to launch half a dozen additional wearables in the future, the companys CTO Andrew Bosworth recently told staffers in a leaked memo. Part of that line-up will reportedly also be a first model with a visual component. With an integrated display in just one lens, it will be a far cry from the kind of augmented reality glasses Meta wants to sell in a few years. Users wont be able to view 3D holograms or play immersive games with it, and the size of the virtual display will be comparably small. Still, by positioning its first generation of AR glasses as supercharged smart glases, Meta may have found a way to make people embrace lower-end specs. Keeping these kinds of devices simpler comes with lots of added benefits, says David Goldman, the VP of marketing of AR optics startup Lumus. Youre going to have a much longer battery life with a smaller display, he explains, adding that functionality like live translation of a person talking to you actually is less disruptive with a smaller display. People will be pleasantly surprised by the added value, Goldman says. At the same time, Meta will continue to make AI glasses without displays, with a recent Bloomberg report suggesting that the next wave of models will include at least one optimized for outdoor sports. Zuckerberg told investors recently that the company was aiming to sell up to ten million units of its next-generation AI glassesa number that Sag believes is within reach. The Super Bowl ad will most likely be a planting the seed moment in a lot of people’s eyes who haven’t met someone wearing them yet, he says. Then, we might get a new model this year paired with an aggressive ad campaign to push sales into the 510 million territory.
Category:
E-Commerce
As Los Angeles reels from deadly January wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday he will order the state to advance long-delayed regulations requiring homeowners in high-risk areas to clear combustible materials around their homes. His office didnt immediately say if the executive order will set a timeline for implementing the rule, which was passed by lawmakers in 2020 and originally set to take effect by January 1, 2023. Newsom is expected to sign it after his trip to Washington to advocate for disaster aid. The rule requires homeowners to clear materials like dead plants and wooden furniture within 5 feet (1.5 meters) of homes in fire-prone areas. As multiple fires roared through L.A. neighborhoods in January, the regulations still werent written, and the state Board of Forestry and Fire Protection told the Associated Press last month it had no firm timeline for completing them. State officials said in a November meeting that the draft language likely wont be considered by the board until late this year, though the state has already encouraged homeowners to take up the practice on its website. In response to questions from the AP last month, lawmakers who sponsored the original legislation said they were frustrated by the delay. Experts said it is likely the more stringent requirements could have saved some homes from the Palisades Fire, which became the most destructive fire in Los Angeles city history. Most of the neighborhoods ravaged by the Palisades Fire are in areas that must follow state requirements to keep the immediate surroundings of their homes free of combustible materials and would be subject to the new rules because they are deemed at highest fire risk by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fire, driven by hurricane-force winds that spread embers by air, destroyed at least 5,000 structures across areas including Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Topanga Canyon. Under the latest proposal, existing homes would have three years to comply with the regulations, so it is not clear how many homes would have been saved. But clearing the immediate area around homes likely would have made some difference, several experts said. These steps will spur proactive actions to defend the most vulnerable homes and eliminate combustible material within five feet of homes to reduce the risk of a home igniting in an ember-driven fire, California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said. His agency oversees the board that is responsible for writing the regulations. The executive order will also direct CalFire to add about 1.4 million new acres of land onto the fire-prone map, which will subject homeowners in those areas to the home-hardening rules. Some cities and homeowners are already taking on the practice voluntarily. To meet the needs of increasingly extreme weather, where decades-old buildings werent planned and designed for todays realities, these proposals are part of a bigger state strategy to build wildfire and forest resilience from forest management, to huge investments in firefighting personnel and equipment, community hardening, and adopting state-of-the-art response technologies, Newsom said in a statement. State officials told the AP last month that Newsom has proposed to spend $25 million to help homeowners follow the rules and other defensible-space requirements. California already enforces some of the most stringent defensible-space laws in the West, which require homeowners in fire-prone places to keep the area immediately around their homes free of landscaping and other materials that could catch fire. The state began requiring homeowners in high-risk areas to clear flammable materials within 30 feet (9 meters) of their houses in the 1960s and then expanded the rules to include areas within 100 feet (30.5 meters) of structures in 2006. The latest measure creates a new ember-resistant zone, dubbed zone zero, that bars things like brush, wooden fencing, furniture, sheds, and mulch within 5 feet (1.5 meters) of homes. The idea is to clear all materials that could catch fire from flying embers carried by winds and spread to the structure. State officials and researchers said embers are responsible for 90% of structures destroyed by wildfire. The zone-zero law passed with bipartisan support after California experienced record-breaking fires in 2017 and 2018, including a fire that wiped out the town of Paradise, destroying more than 17,000 structures and killing 85 people. Trân Nguyn, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
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