WEEKLY WHEATIES #2408
Space, AI, Meta, Gaming, EVs, Presidential Sites
In this newsletter:
Post: How the Space Race of 2024 Will Affect Technology
ICYMI: AI, Meta, Xbox, and EVs
POTW: Presidential Sites To Visit
How the Space Race of 2024 Will Affect Technology
Last year we saw some growth in the AI space. I wonder with all that’s happened recently, and everything planned to happen in 2024, if the focus will shift to the stars. There’s a lot more happening than you’d probably expect, including: sending a satellite to Jupiter’s largest moon, sending multiple devices to study our moon, and even a mission to send four more people back to the moon - for the first time since 1972. Planetary scientist Ali Bramson shares 6 missions she’s excited about.
NASA also isn’t the only organization investing in space travel. Just last year, Japan became the fifth nation to land a spacecraft on the Moon. While we’re nowhere close to “For All Mankind” territory, there are private entities on similar paths. Elon Musk isn’t shy to share SpaceX’s goal of making humanity multiplanetary. In order to do that, it seems it will take an influx of cash. Since late 2023, there have been sources reporting on SpaceX seeking a valuation of over $180 billion.
Blue Origin has no signs of slowing down, either. Their CEO, Jeff Bezos, stepped down as the CEO of Amazon and recently sold off upwards of $2 billion of stock - potentially to invest more time and money into the space race. While Virgin Galactic is still keeping pace with other commercial competitors, Richard Branson has announced he has no plans to invest any more money.
Over the years though, NASA has given us plenty of new technology we wouldn’t have otherwise. Without these investments, many things we take for granted wouldn’t be in the state they are today, if even ever invented. This hasn’t slowed down either, only the technology is now larger and way more expensive. For example, check out the Mars Helicopter or the X-59 Supersonic Jet. I’d also imagine there are tons of patents and inventions we won’t see for a few years, either. I’m also sure there’s plenty that have already been released, I’m just unaware, or they haven’t made it mainstream - yet.
However, with all the investment we see in making space travel more available, it appears Americans are less interested than they were just 5 years ago. This may be one reason why SpaceX isn’t the only one now interested in Mars. NASA has released multiple requests for proposals to help study and send satellites to the red planet. Check out some of the pictures taken from previous missions on YouTube.
A bit closer to home, the International Space Station (ISS) orbits Earth once every 90 minutes. Designed to support six astronauts, many countries’ members have come and gone over the years. Last year, due to a leak in his return ship caused by a random micro-meteor, Frank Rubio now holds the record for the longest continuous period in space. As a medical doctor, he shared the importance of maintaining his physical fitness in space. Curious what happens? IFL Science shares some information on “The Strangest Things That Happen To Your Body While In Space.” Another astronaut who boarded the ISS recently, Marcus Wandt, shared a video of Earth as viewed from the cupola.
Wondering the next time you can see the ISS passing? Visit NASA's website to download the app and “Spot the Station.” Don’t forget! On April 8th, there will be a solar eclipse over much of the US. The ISS will be passing through, too.
ICYMI: AI, Meta, Xbox, and EVs
OpenAI made a few moves last week. First, their relationship with Microsoft looks to allow Bing to help ChatGPT rival Google search. The timeline is still unclear, but this comes after their announcement of testing long-term memory in chats, and reaching a revenue milestone of $2 billion. OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, is eyeing hardware next. He is looking to raise over $5 trillion in order to manufacture AI chips. Lastly, as almost a shock out of nowhere, OpenAI shared examples from their next AI model - Sora. This is a text-to-video model that can generate videos up to a minute-long. Sam shared some other examples on Twitter.
In the Metaverse (pun intended), third-party access to Facebook Groups was removed, causing a lot of business communication tools to break. Many automated processes can no longer use the API to complete tasks they once could. Although their CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, didn’t make a comment on this, he did post a video on Instagram comparing Apple’s Vision Pro to the Meta Quest Pro.
Microsoft’s Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, announced four Xbox-exclusive games coming to the PS5 and Nintendo Switch later this year. After a partial leak with negative comments from the fan base, these changes are in line with the goal Microsoft has always shared, plus it will still benefit their bottom line. Phil has always quoted the Xbox mantra, “When everybody plays, we all win.” The first games released include: Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded.
The Electric Vehicle (EV) space had two major moves last week, too. Chinese powerhouse BYD is considering building a factory in Mexico to support a US market. They have sold more EVs than Tesla last year (more than 3 million), and also plan to manufacture in Thailand, Hungary, and Brazil. Meanwhile, the last big automaker - Stellantis, has announced adoption of the Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) plug for their fleet of EVs starting in 2025. This includes Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Fiat. I share a similar (modified) sentiment with Microsoft, “When everybody charges, we all win.”
POTW: Presidential Sites To Visit
In honor of Presidents’ Day, I’d like to share a blog post from a Scott McConkey who shares a list of fascinating presidential sites across multiple states. They cover from the east to the west coasts, and from north to south. If you are looking for a tip on flights or hotels, I’ve generally suggested booking directly with the airline or hotel in question. However, I recently ran across Travel Arrow. Their browser plugin allows comparisons for flights and has an extra feature to reveal the hidden hotel name of Priceline's saver Express Deals.
What Are the Most Fascinating Presidential Sites To Visit?
