Broke On: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
In 2023, Russia's economic dependence on China reached new heights with record-breaking $240.1 billion in trade, making up 30% of Russia's exports and nearly 40% of its imports. Chinese yuan became the primary currency for trade between them, leading to Chinese dominance in Russian markets and popular brands. In May 2024, Putin and Xi Jinping met in Beijing to strengthen their strategic partnership, criticizing the US as a destabilizing aggressor and aligning on contentious issues like Taiwan, North Korea, and Gaza. They also pledged deeper military cooperation.
Broke On: Tuesday, 07 May 2024
An unprecedented solar storm in May 2024, marked by eight X-class solar flares and coronal mass ejections, caused a week-long barrage of space weather events. The strongest flare, an X8.7 on May 14, resulted in a G5 geomagnetic storm with auroras visible at low latitudes worldwide. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured images and provided valuable data for scientists to study the sun's behavior. While these solar events led to stunning auroras, they also posed risks for spacecraft and satellite operations.
Broke On: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Francis Ford Coppola's long-awaited sci-fi epic, Megalopolis, premiered at Cannes in 2024. The $120 million film, which stars Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel, explores themes of power and individual freedom through an ambitious narrative. While some praise its grandeur and visual spectacle, others find its pacing and narrative convoluted. Regardless, Megalopolis is a thought-provoking cinematic event showcasing Coppola's unparalleled vision.
Broke On: Friday, 17 May 2024
Scientists have confirmed the existence of a 'plunging region' around black holes, where matter falls directly towards the center at near light speed, based on observations of X-rays and additional light from the binary system MAXI J1820+070. This discovery supports Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity and could provide insights into black hole formation and evolution.
Broke On: Thursday, 29 September 2022
NASA's Juno spacecraft captures high-resolution images of Jupiter's moon Europa, revealing a chaotic terrain named 'Platypus.' This area may indicate the presence of briny liquid seeping to the surface and is a potential target for NASA's Europa Clipper mission and ESA's JUICE mission. The images also show possible plume activity and dark stains, hinting at present-day surface activity. Juno's data provides valuable information for future missions exploring Europa, which could reveal more about life beyond Earth.
Broke On: Friday, 17 May 2024
Researchers at Binghamton University discover spiders use webs as sound detectors, inspiring new microphone technology. Spider silk's responsiveness to a wide range of frequencies could lead to smaller, more sensitive microphones for various applications.
Broke On: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Google's I/O 2024 conference showcased the public preview release of Gemini 1.5 Flash and Pro models, offering improved speed and efficiency or superior general performance for AI tasks. Project Astra, Google's vision for future AI assistants, was unveiled alongside new custom Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) and Audio Overviews for NotebookLM. Google addressed concerns regarding potential impacts on the web economy while ensuring transparency and accuracy through adversarial red-teaming tests.
Broke On: Friday, 17 May 2024
The Vatican will hold a press conference on May 17, 2024, to discuss apparitions and supernatural phenomena for the first time since 1978, led by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, Monsignor Armando Matteo, and Sister Daniela Del Gaudio. The event aims to present new provisions from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith regarding investigations and guidelines on such phenomena.
Broke On: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Astronomers, led by Hannah Ubler from the University of Cambridge, have used the James Webb Space Telescope to detect the most distant merger of two supermassive black holes ever recorded. The collision occurred approximately 740 million years after the Big Bang and involved galaxies with black holes around 50 million times that of our sun. This discovery provides insights into how supermassive black holes grow and sheds light on their role in cosmic evolution during the universe's infancy.
Broke On: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Russia's offensive into Ukraine's Kharkiv region has put significant pressure on Ukraine to stabilize the front line and prevent a major Russian breakthrough. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had to cancel international trips due to the rapid advancement of Russian forces, who are applying pressure near Kupiansk and may target Sumy and Chernihiv next. Despite challenges, Ukraine remains resilient in its war with Russia, prioritizing front line stabilization and relying on NATO-supplied weaponry.