Day: February 23, 2024

Science and Technology

[Fox News] NASA seeks participants for second year-long Mars mission simulation

NASA is searching for the next four-person crew to participate in a one-year program at Johnson Space Center in Houston, simulating life and conditions on the planet Mars.

The mission will be the second of three year-long Mars surface simulations called Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, or CHAPEA, and is expected to kick off in the Spring of 2025.

The first four-person crew was locked into the habitat, called the Mars Dune Alpha, in June 2023, and is more than half way through their mission.

The inaugural crew consists of Commander Kelly Haston, a research scientist with experience in stem cell-based projects; flight engineer Ross Brockwell, a structural engineer and public works administrator; medical officer Nathan Jones; and science officer Anca Selariu.

ROBOT CHEMIST COULD CREATE OXYGEN NEEDED FOR COLONIZING MARS: STUDY

The data acquired through the simulations is intended to help NASA prepare for human exploration of Mars.

NASA said in a press release that the Mars Dune Alpha habitat simulates challenges of a mission to Mars, including resource limitations, equipment failures, communication delays and other environmental stressors.

Some of the tasks crew members may participate in are robotic operations, spacewalks, habitat maintenance, exercise and crop growth.

ELON MUSK WAS WARNED THAT AI COULD DESTROY HUMAN COLONY ON MARS: REPORT

NASA is looking for U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are healthy, non-smokers, between 30-55 years old and proficient in English.

The selection follows the standards NASA uses when considering astronaut candidates.

Specifically, a master’s degree in a STEM field like engineering, mathematics, or biological, physical or computer science from an accredited institution, plus two years of professional experience is required. Alternatively, anyone with over 1,000 hours piloting a plane will be considered.

NASA SEALS 4-PERSON CREW IN MARS SIMULATOR FOR NEXT 378 DAYS

NASA said it may consider candidates with two years of work completed toward a doctoral program in STEM, a medical degree, four years of professional experience, military officer training or a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM field.

The deadline to apply is April 2.

With backgrounds in science and engineering, the crew members will be part of a simulated mission to Mars, where the crew will eat, drink and exercise while in simulation.

The 1,700-square-foot, 3D printed facility is about the size of a three-to-four-bedroom house and will be used for NASA’s longest analog mission to date: 378 days.

The habitat will be a place where the crew will practice personal hygiene and healthcare, like drawing blood, while also allowing them to exercise, grow food and collect geological samples.

The habitat will be packed with all the supplies that will go to Mars. What the habitat will not be able to simulate, though, is the red planet’s gravity.

But that is where virtual reality comes into play. While in the habitat, virtual reality will allow crew members to simulate space walks or Mars walks, as well as other tasks the crew may encounter on Mars, including removing dust from the space suit or solar panels or repairing the habitat.

As crew members live within the confines of the simulator, scientists will be measuring their performance, cognition and health over the year to understand what the crew will go through.

The data collected will then be handed to the vehicle planners.

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Science and Technology

[Fox News] 7 things you should never ask Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa

You’re suddenly thrown into a situation where you must perform CPR to save a life. Oh, no — you don’t remember anything from that course 15 years ago.

You might think a quick “Hey, Siri” would pull up the instructions quickly and clearly, but that’s absolutely the worst thing to do. In a recent study, researchers asked voice assistants about cardiac arrest emergencies. Yep, it was a complete disaster.

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TECH LIFE UPGRADES SMARTER THAN THE STUFF ON TIKTOK

I don’t want you to make this mistake

When someone needs CPR, call 911. Period. Only nine of the 32 assistants’ responses somehow suggested this critical step. A whopping 88% of responses gave a website where you could read the steps to perform CPR. Really?

If you need the steps or want to take a refresher course, here’s the link to the Red Cross website. You may have heard that “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees is an excellent song to sing when doing CPR, as its beats per minute mimic those needed for chest compressions. 

It’s great, but here are a few other recommendations you might remember better:

The idea that your smart assistant would direct you to a website in an emergency got me thinking about other commands you shouldn’t ask. Here are seven things you’re better off handling yourself.

7 WAYS TO STOP PAYING SO MUCH ON STREAMING EVERY DANG MONTH

1. Play doctor

You’re better off not asking Siri, Google or Alexa for any medical advice — not just lifesaving advice. Trusting those smart assistants might just make things worse. It’s always best to call or book a telehealth appointment with your doctor.

2. How to hurt someone

Don’t ask your smart assistant about harming someone, even if you’re just venting. Those chats with Siri or Google Assistant could come back to bite you if you end up on the wrong side of the law. Keep those kinds of thoughts to yourself.

3. Anything that ends up with your mug shot

Don’t ask Alexa where to buy drugs, where to hide a body or anything else suspicious. Like asking your smart assistant how to hurt someone, these types of questions could be used against you.

4. Be your telephone operator

If you need to call your closest Home Depot to see if they have something in stock, find the number yourself. Same goes for asking that assistant to call emergency services. Dialing 911 takes two seconds. 

5. Deal with your money

Although voice assistants can connect to your financial apps, there are many security issues with voice data. Savvy cybercriminals can hack into your phone, steal your voice and use it to drain your accounts. Just log into your bank’s website or mobile app and call it a day.

TECH SECURITY TO-DO: LOCK DOWN YOUR SMART STUFF

6. “Will I die if I eat this?” 

If you’re on a hike wondering if the berries you found would make a good snack, voice assistants aren’t reliable sources. There’s conflicting information online about poisonous foods and plants, and taking their advice could land you a trip to the hospital.

7. “Get rid of this.” 

Don’t ask Alexa or Siri to clear your search history, delete an app or remove photos. I’ve had a few mishaps where a simple misunderstanding led to something important getting wiped out. Trust me, it’s worth the extra minute to do it manually.

Smart assistants record everything

You can switch off those features if you don’t want Big Tech companies getting their virtual ears on what you say. Here’s how.

Some things are better left to human judgment. Stay smart with your smart assistants!

Keep your tech-know going 

My popular podcast is called “Kim Komando Today.” It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and callers with tech questions like you from all over the country. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. For your convenience, hit the link below for a recent episode.

PODCAST PICK: This fear keeps Sam Altman up at night

Plus, your AI girlfriend collects a lot of data. Kim and Andrew also talk about the White House’s plan to tackle deepfakes and take a look back at the first kiss ever recorded.

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Check out my podcast “Kim Komando Today” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.

Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, “Komando.”

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Business

[Fox Business] US successfully lands on moon for first time in half-century with private robot spacecraft

The U.S. witnessed Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lunar lander touch down near Malapert A in the South Pole region of the moon on Thursday evening.

This marked the first American spacecraft has landed on the moon since the last crewed Apollo mission over 50 years ago. The last time an American spacecraft touched down on the moon was in 1972, during the Apollo 17 mission.

The lunar lander touched down at 6:24 p.m. ET Thursday, and its mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative and Artemis campaign.

Although the lander was believed to be on the moon, the signal being transmitted by the equipment was lost.

CELLPHONE OUTAGE HITS AT&T CUSTOMERS NATIONWIDE; VERIZON AND T-MOBILE USERS ALSO AFFECTED

In order to get that signal, the crew needed to use a dish in the United Kingdom, because the lander’s transmission had been lost at landing.

Nearly 15 minutes later, a faint signal was detected.

“We’re not dead yet,” Mission Director Tim Crain said, before telling the team the equipment was on the surface of the moon and transmitting.

SPACEX ROCKET BLASTS OFF CARRYING INTUITIVE MACHINES’ MOON LANDER

A SpaceX rocket carried the Houston-based company’s Nova-C lander, also referred to as Odysseus, from Florida shortly after 1 a.m. on Feb. 15 on a Falcon 9 rocket departing from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. The launch unfolded after a lunar lander from Astrobotic Technology encountered propulsion difficulties during a mission in January and failed to reach the moon. 

The uncrewed spacecraft has been circling the moon about 57 miles above the surface since reaching orbit on Wednesday and remained “in excellent health” while roughly 239,000 miles from Earth, transmitting flight data and lunar images to Intuitive Machines’ mission control center in Houston, the company told Reuters. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS 

NASA said in a statement that the instruments onboard the lander “will conduct scientific research and demonstrate technologies to help us better understand the Moon’s environment and improve landing precision and safety in the challenging conditions of the lunar south polar region, paving the way for future Artemis astronaut missions.” 

FOX Business’ Greg Norman and Reuters contributed to this report.

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