CNN10: The big stories of Monday 5/19, explained in 10 minutes
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News24
22 minutes ago
- News24
NASA and SpaceX launch four-member crew to ISS for research expedition
NASA and SpaceX launched a four-member international crew to the ISS on Friday. The Crew-11 astronauts will spend six months conducting research and simulating Moon landing scenarios for the Artemis programme. The mission occurs as the ISS approaches its final decade of operation. NASA and SpaceX launched a four-member crew to the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday for the latest research expedition to the orbiting laboratory. American astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov lifted off at 11:43 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The capsule, named Endeavour, has previously flown four NASA missions as well as a private mission. The Crew-11 mission marks the 11th crew rotation mission to the ISS under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which was created to succeed the Space Shuttle era by partnering with private industry. As part of their six-month stay, the Crew-11 astronauts will simulate Moon landing scenarios that could be encountered near the lunar South Pole under the United States-led Artemis programme. Using handheld controllers and multiple display screens, they will test how shifts in gravity affect astronauts' ability to pilot spacecraft, including future lunar landers. Continuously inhabited since 2000, the ISS functions as a vital testbed for research that supports deeper space exploration - including eventual missions to Mars. Among Crew-11's more colourful cargo items are Armenian pomegranate seeds, which will be compared to a control batch kept on Earth to study how microgravity influences crop growth. The ISS is set to be de-commissioned after 2030, with its orbit gradually lowered until it breaks up in the atmosphere over a remote part of the Pacific Ocean called Point Nemo, a spacecraft graveyard. Dmitry Bakanov, the head of Russia's space agency Roscosmos has been holding talks with NASA's acting administrator Sean Duffy this week about the station's future. When US-Russia relations nosedived at the start of the Ukraine war, Russia threatened to pull out of ISS cooperation early. But on Thursday, Bakanov confirmed Russia remained committed to de-orbiting in 2030.
Fox News
44 minutes ago
- Fox News
Woman uses Neuralink to write name with her mind
Audrey Crews hasn't written her name in over 20 years, that is, until now. Thanks to a brain chip from Elon Musk's Neuralink, Crews used only her thoughts to scribble "Audrey" on a laptop screen. She shared the photo on X, stunning millions across the internet and earning a shoutout from Musk himself. At age 16, Crews lost all motor function. Now, at 39, she's part of Neuralink's PRIME Study, which tests brain-computer interface (BCI) technology in humans. Her chip, implanted into her motor cortex, reads brain signals and sends them to a computer. It allows her to move a cursor and type, using only her thoughts. In her own words, "They drilled a hole in my skull and placed 128 threads into my motor cortex. The chip is about the size of a quarter." While the chip doesn't restore movement, it gives her something powerful: digital autonomy. She shared a picture of her signature on X and wrote, "I tried writing my name for the first time in 20 years. I'm working on it. Lol #Neuralink." She expressed her gratitude toward the medical team at the University of Miami Health Center. "They treated me like a VIP and are some of the sweetest people I've ever met," she added. Musk confirmed her achievement online, writing: "Most people don't realize this is possible." That single quote shook the internet. The post showcasing her scribbled signature quickly went viral, with over 2 million views. Crews clarified that the chip is for "telepathy only," not mobility. But even that level of control can transform the lives of people with paralysis. Neuralink, founded by Musk in 2016, aims to help people with neurological conditions connect with the digital world in powerful new ways. The company is developing BCIs that allow users to control devices using only their thoughts. While still in its early stages, this technology is already showing life-changing potential. Looking ahead, Neuralink envisions a future where thought-controlled computing becomes an everyday part of human life. Crews isn't alone in this journey. Another participant, Nick Wray (P8), shared his progress just days after his own implant activation. "I haven't had this level of digital autonomy in years," he wrote. Diagnosed with ALS, Wray called the implant a life-changing opportunity. He views this moment as both personal and historical, writing, "It's not lost on me that without ALS, I would never have been a candidate for this study. I sincerely believe that if ALS is the price of admission to an opportunity of this magnitude, you pay it; gladly, willingly, and without hesitation." This isn't just about writing a name. It's about what's coming next. Neuralink's brain chip is working in real people. If you're wondering whether brain-computer interfaces could one day let you control your phone, write an email or play a game without touching a screen, that future is inching closer. While still experimental, these breakthroughs are a glimpse into a new kind of human-machine connection. Neuralink is now accepting participants from around the globe. If you're curious about brain-computer interfaces, this could be your chance to help shape the future. You can check it out at Audrey Crews rewrote more than her name. She rewrote the limits of what's possible. With a chip the size of a quarter, she became the first woman to control a computer using pure thought. Her story isn't just inspiring, it's a warning to the tech world: the age of mind-powered machines is arriving faster than expected. Would you volunteer to be part of a brain-computer trial like Audrey and Nick? Or do you think it is too early to trust this technology? Let us know by writing to us at Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join my Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
‘Hot Wasps' Found at Nuclear Facility in South Carolina
Four radioactive wasp nests have been discovered at a South Carolina nuclear facility, according to federal officials. The first nest, which was found by workers at the Savannah River Site early last month, was recently disclosed in a report from the Department of Energy, which owns the site. The facility, near Aiken, S.C., produced material for nuclear weapons throughout the Cold War. Three additional nests have since been discovered at the site, officials told The Times on Friday. 'The U.S. Department of Energy is managing the discovery of four wasp nests with very low levels of radioactive contamination,' Edwin Deshong, the manager of the department's Savannah River Operations Office, said in an emailed statement. 'The nests do not pose a health risk to SRS workers, the community, or the environment.' But the discovery raised questions about the extent of the environmental contamination at the site, said Timothy Mousseau, a biologist at the University of South Carolina who studies organisms and ecosystems in radioactive regions of the world, including Chernobyl, Ukraine, and Fukushima, Japan. 'This is an indicator that there are contaminants spread across this area that have not been completely encased and protected,' Dr. Mousseau said. The discovery of additional radioactive nests, he added, 'indicate that much greater effort must be made to assess the possible risks and hazards of what appears to be a significant source of radioactive pollutants.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
