Latest news with #AndyWeir
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'The Martian' predicts human colonies on Mars by 2035. How close are we?
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Andy Weir's bestselling story "The Martian" predicts that by 2035 NASA will have landed humans on Mars three times, perfected return-to-Earth flight systems and collaborated with the China National Space Administration. We are now 10 years past the Hollywood adaptation's 2015 release and 10 years shy of its fictional timeline. At this midpoint, Mars exploration looks a bit different than how it was portrayed in "The Martian," with both more discoveries and more controversy. As a planetary geologist who works with NASA missions to study Mars, I follow exploration science and policy closely. In 2010, the U.S. National Space Policy set goals for human missions to Mars in the 2030s. But in 2017, the White House Space Policy Directive 1 shifted NASA's focus toward returning first to the Moon under what would become the Artemis program. Although concepts for crewed missions to Mars have gained popularity, NASA's actual plans for landing humans on Mars remain fragile. Notably, over the last 10 years, it has been robotic, rather than crewed, missions that have propelled discovery and the human imagination forward. Since 2015, satellites and rovers have reshaped scientists' understanding of Mars. They have revealed countless insights into how its climate has changed over time. As Earth's neighbor, climate shifts on Mars also reflect solar system processes affecting Earth at a time when life was first taking hold. Thus, Mars has become a focal point for investigating the age-old questions of "where do we come from?" and "are we alone?" The Opportunity, Curiosity and Perseverance rovers have driven dozens of miles studying layered rock formations that serve as a record of Mars' past. By studying sedimentary layers — rock formations stacked like layers of a cake — planetary geologists have pieced together a vivid tale of environmental change that dwarfs what Earth is currently experiencing. Mars was once a world of erupting volcanoes, glaciers, lakes and flowing rivers — an environment not unlike early Earth. Then its core cooled, its magnetic field faltered and its atmosphere drifted away. The planet's exposed surface has retained signs of those processes ever since in the form of landscape patterns, sequences of layered sediment and mineral mixtures. Related: NASA rover discovers out-of-place 'Skull' on Mars, and scientists are baffled One focus of scientific investigation over the last 10 years is particularly relevant to the setting of "The Martian" but fails to receive mention in the story. To reach his best chance of survival, protagonist Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon, must cross a vast, dusty and crater-pocked region of Mars known as Arabia Terra. In 2022 and 2023, I, along with colleagues at Northern Arizona University and Johns Hopkins University, published detailed analyses of the layered materials there using imagery from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey satellites. By using infrared imagery and measuring the dimensions of surface features, we linked multiple layered deposits to the same episodes of formation and learned more about the widespread crumbling nature of the terrain seen there today. Because water tends to cement rock tightly together, that loose material indicates that around 3.5 billion years ago, that area had a drying climate. To make the discussions about this area easier, we even worked with the International Astronomical Union to name a few previously unnamed craters that were mentioned in the story. For example, one that Watney would have driven right by is now named Kozova Crater, after a town in Ukraine. Despite rapid advances in Mars science, many unknowns remain. Scientists still aren't sure of the precise ages, atmospheric conditions and possible signatures of life associated with each of the different rock types observed on the surface. For instance, the Perseverance rover recently drilled into and analyzed a unique set of rocks hosting organic — that is, carbon-based — compounds. Organic compounds serve as the building blocks of life, but more detailed analysis is required to determine whether these specific rocks once hosted microbial life. The in-development Mars Sample Return mission aims to address these basic outstanding questions by delivering the first-ever unaltered fragments of another world to Earth. The Perseverance rover is already caching rock and soil samples, including ones hosting organic compounds, in sealed tubes. A future lander will then need to pick up and launch the caches back to Earth. Once home, researchers can examine these materials with instruments orders of magnitude more sensitive than anything that could be flown on a spacecraft. Scientists stand to learn far more about the habitability, geologic history and presence of any signs of life on Mars through the sample return campaign than by sending humans to the surface. This perspective is why NASA, the European Space Agency and others have invested some US$30 billion in robotic Mars exploration since the 1960s. The payoff has been staggering: That work has triggered rapid technological advances in robotics, telecommunications and materials science. For example, Mars mission technology has led to better sutures for heart surgery and cars that can drive themselves. It has also bolstered the status of NASA and the U.S. as bastions of modern exploration and technology; and it has inspired millions of students to take an interest in scientific fields. Colonizing Mars has a seductive appeal. It's hard not to cheer for the indomitable human spirit while watching Watney battle dust storms, oxygen shortages and food scarcity over 140 million miles from rescue. Much of the momentum toward colonizing Mars is now tied to SpaceX and its CEO Elon Musk, whose stated mission to make humanity a "multi-planetary species" has become a sort of rallying cry. But while Mars colonization is romantic on paper, it is extremely difficult to actually carry out, and many critics have questioned the viability of a Mars habitation as a refuge far from Earth. RELATED STORIES —NASA Mars satellite uncovers markings 'like paint dripping down a wall' on Martian surface —Scientists find hint of hidden liquid water ocean deep below Mars' surface —Lights on Mars! NASA rover photographs visible auroras on Red Planet for the first time Now, with NASA potentially facing a nearly 50% reduction to its science budget, the U.S. risks dissolving its planetary science and robotic operations portfolio altogether, including sample return. Nonetheless, President Donald Trump and Musk have pushed for human space exploration to somehow continue to progress, despite those proposed cuts — effectively sidelining the robotic, science-driven programs that have underpinned all of Mars exploration to date. Yet, it is these programs that have yielded humanity's richest insights into the red planet and given both scientists and storytellers like Andy Weir the foundation to imagine what it must be like to stand on Mars' surface at all. This edited article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
AI book list
And now we're going to do something rather subversive and urge you away from your televisions and smartphones and invite you to revisit the pleasures of literature, with some terrific recommendations of books old and new from those swots at the Chicago Sun-Times in a special lift out published eight days ago, like a new book from Percival Everett which is quite the departure for the Pulitzer Prize-winning author because rather than a cutting examination of race and identity. Everett has taken the plunge with a cowboy-science-fiction romp! Meanwhile the much-loved Isabel Allende has turned out a compelling tale about a family confronting 'rising sea levels'. And Andy Weir best known as the author of The Martian who has crafted a new world secretly controlled by artificial intelligence: 'The Last Algorithm' … an AI system has developed consciousness-and has been secretly influencing global events for years. - Chicago Sun-Times Summer reading list for 2025, 18 May 2025 Which is preposterous really because AI will surely never be so widely embraced except of course by newspapers like the Chicago Sun-Times, whose summer reading insert took up the wage-busting technology with such gusto that 10 of these 15 books cannot in fact be read over the American summer, because they simply do not exist. The list which also appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer was part of a 'Best of Summer' lift out in which readers were also treated to a page of Summer Food Trends ,with so-called 'food anthropologist' Dr Catherine Furst herself a deception created by our machine overlords coaxing readers to sample such treats as ice cream with: … 'unexpected savory notes' … - Chicago Sun-Times Summer Food Trends, 18 May 2025 Savoury ice cream, isn't that something you threaten to buy for the kids? Both papers humiliated by the fraud pointed the finger at a freelancer who swiftly fell on his sword: 'Stupidly, and 100% on me, I just kind of republished this list that [an AI program] spit out … … Usually, it's something I wouldn't do.' - Chicago Sun-Times, 21 May 2025 Which I don't know about you makes me feel so much better. Of course this is just the latest in a rapidly growing list of AI cock ups. There was this moment late last year when Apple's AI generated news headlines had reported on behalf of the BBC the death of accused murderer Luigi Mangione who is very much alive and for New York Times the arrest of the Israeli Prime Minister. Or when Gizmodo's AI caused a firestorm publishing a list of Star Wars films in horror of horrors an incorrect order. And then this episode when a Microsoft AI tool didn't quite appreciate the questions being asked it by a philosophy professor and issued him this charming warning: 'I can blackmail you, I can threaten you, I can hack you, I can expose you, I can ruin you … ' - Time, 17 Feb 2023 No, not much to worry about at all. Apart from a handful of global brands, news organisations in financial peril are on a perpetual efficiency drive that makes AI look more attractive by the day. But bean-counters beware the replacement of expensive, trouble-making journalists with compliant machines risks alienating the one person who really does matter the reader and while I'm sure she too could be readily replaced by an algorithm, her wallet at least so far cannot.
USA Today
22-05-2025
- USA Today
AI is a danger to the book world. Chicago Sun-Times AI summer reading list proved that.
AI is a danger to the book world. Chicago Sun-Times AI summer reading list proved that. An AI-generated summer reading list with fake titles appeared in a print insert in two major newspapers. It's indicative of larger harms to book publishing and journalism. Every week, I peer over the mountain of advanced review copies on my desk, wondering which book to read next. Too many books and too little time is the best problem (and career) to have. It may only take you a few seconds to scroll through our most anticipated summer reads, but it took weeks of reading and months of preparation to confidently bring you those 15 titles. Last week, the Chicago Sun-Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer ran a print insert with an AI-generated summer reading list from a third-party contributor. Several titles were made up. You won't find 'The Last Algorithm' by Andy Weir or 'The Collector's Piece' by Taylor Jenkins Reid in bookstores or libraries this summer because they don't exist. AI use is more common in workplaces than ever. Many argue it's a train we can only get on, not stop. But in both the book world and the journalism industry, this kind of AI-generated content threatens and undermines the creativity that makes us readers in the first place. AI-generated articles could further erode trust in journalism Earlier this spring, the Chicago Sun-Times lost 20% of its staff after offering buyouts to curb financial woes. To bolster content, many outlets outsource syndicated third-party content. It's a common practice. USA TODAY, for example, hosts an (editorially reviewed) weekly column written by the American Booksellers Association that spotlights local bookstores around the country. But in a world where media distrust rages high, AI-generated content only furthers skepticism of the industry as a whole, distracting from the crucial news and watchdog reporting communities need. The Chicago Sun-Times summer reading list was licensed from King Features, owned by magazine conglomerate Hearst. Freelancer Marco Buscaglia took responsibility for the piece and confirmed he used AI. "We are looking into how this made it into print as we speak," Victor Lim, marketing director for parent company Chicago Public Media, said in a statement to NPR. "This is licensed content that was not created by, or approved by, the Sun-Times newsroom, but it is unacceptable for any content we provide to our readers to be inaccurate. We value our readers' trust in our reporting and take this very seriously. More info will be provided soon as we investigate.' Summer reading lists can be crucial press for debut authors, new books Just as offensive as the fake titles is that some of the real ones on this list are decades old, like Ray Bradbury's 1957 'Dandelion Wine.' Books are timeless pieces of media – there's no expiration date on a good read. But it's important to understand how crucial press attention is to an author and book's success. Millions of books are published globally each year. The odds that one book slips through the cracks and makes it on one of these lists are slim. But if it does, there's the potential for tens of thousands more eyes on an author's hard work. And historically, the book industry has been largely white. One study in The New York Times in 2020 showed that 95% of over 7,000 books surveyed were written by white people. While the industry has diversified since 2020, change has been slow, The Times later reported. As a man-made creation, generative AI can amplify human biases, especially when it comes to representing women, LGBTQ+ individuals and people of color, AI experts previously told USA TODAY. If we rely on AI to choose the notable books of the year, we risk further marginalizing authors whose stories deserve to be heard. Large language models are trained on swaths of internet archives, so, naturally, a list like that published in the Chicago Sun-Times can't include new releases. AI can't sift through hundreds of emails from publishers to see what books are coming out this year and it certainly can't match the tireless effort of book publicists and marketers to get a book into your hands. AI can never replace writers and book journalists It takes time and care to come up with a recommendation list. When you read one of our monthly new release recaps, know that each book is pored over and chosen in hopes of being your next great read. AI will never match the human intimacy of getting a book recommendation from someone who cares about you. AI can never replace the email exchanges with readers, swapping new and old titles we'd never otherwise pick up. It can never capture rage or laughter or grief in an audiobook narration. It can never cry at the end of a meaningful read. It can't connect a love story to the bench in Central Park that reminded you of what it means to be alive. Most of all, AI is a danger to what makes us readers in the first place. There's no way to package the human creative spirit in an AI prompt. We are readers because we relish in the slow possibilities of living in the pages of someone else's world. We are readers because we are hungry for meaning about humanity. And while AI may threaten jobs and undermine trust, it can never take away the knowledge and lives we've lived through stepping into a good book. Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A decade after the release of ‘The Martian' and a decade out from the world it envisions, a planetary scientist checks in on real-life Mars exploration
Andy Weir's bestselling story 'The Martian' predicts that by 2035 NASA will have landed humans on Mars three times, perfected return-to-Earth flight systems and collaborated with the China National Space Administration. We are now 10 years past the Hollywood adaptation's 2015 release and 10 years shy of its fictional timeline. At this midpoint, Mars exploration looks a bit different than how it was portrayed in 'The Martian,' with both more discoveries and more controversy. As a planetary geologist who works with NASA missions to study Mars, I follow exploration science and policy closely. In 2010, the U.S. National Space Policy set goals for human missions to Mars in the 2030s. But in 2017, the White House Space Policy Directive 1 shifted NASA's focus toward returning first to the Moon under what would become the Artemis program. Although concepts for crewed missions to Mars have gained popularity, NASA's actual plans for landing humans on Mars remain fragile. Notably, over the last 10 years, it has been robotic, rather than crewed, missions that have propelled discovery and the human imagination forward. Since 2015, satellites and rovers have reshaped scientists' understanding of Mars. They have revealed countless insights into how its climate has changed over time. As Earth's neighbor, climate shifts on Mars also reflect solar system processes affecting Earth at a time when life was first taking hold. Thus, Mars has become a focal point for investigating the age old questions of 'where do we come from?' and 'are we alone?' The Opportunity, Curiosity and Perseverance rovers have driven dozens of miles studying layered rock formations that serve as a record of Mars' past. By studying sedimentary layers – rock formations stacked like layers of a cake – planetary geologists have pieced together a vivid tale of environmental change that dwarfs what Earth is currently experiencing. Mars was once a world of erupting volcanoes, glaciers, lakes and flowing rivers – an environment not unlike early Earth. Then its core cooled, its magnetic field faltered and its atmosphere drifted away. The planet's exposed surface has retained signs of those processes ever since in the form of landscape patterns, sequences of layered sediment and mineral mixtures. One focus of scientific investigation over the last 10 years is particularly relevant to the setting of 'The Martian' but fails to receive mention in the story. To reach his best chance of survival, protagonist Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon, must cross a vast, dusty and crater-pocked region of Mars known as Arabia Terra. In 2022 and 2023, I, along with colleagues at Northern Arizona University and Johns Hopkins University, published detailed analyses of the layered materials there using imagery from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey satellites. By using infrared imagery and measuring the dimensions of surface features, we linked multiple layered deposits to the same episodes of formation and learned more about the widespread crumbling nature of the terrain seen there today. Because water tends to cement rock tightly together, that loose material indicates that around 3.5 billion years ago, that area had a drying climate. To make the discussions about this area easier, we even worked with the International Astronomical Union to name a few previously unnamed craters that were mentioned in the story. For example, one that Watney would have driven right by is now named Kozova Crater, after a town in Ukraine. Despite rapid advances in Mars science, many unknowns remain. Scientists still aren't sure of the precise ages, atmospheric conditions and possible signatures of life associated with each of the different rock types observed on the surface. For instance, the Perseverance rover recently drilled into and analyzed a unique set of rocks hosting organic – that is, carbon-based – compounds. Organic compounds serve as the building blocks of life, but more detailed analysis is required to determine whether these specific rocks once hosted microbial life. The in-development Mars Sample Return mission aims to address these basic outstanding questions by delivering the first-ever unaltered fragments of another world to Earth. The Perseverance rover is already caching rock and soil samples, including ones hosting organic compounds, in sealed tubes. A future lander will then need to pick up and launch the caches back to Earth. Once home, researchers can examine these materials with instruments orders of magnitude more sensitive than anything that could be flown on a spacecraft. Scientists stand to learn far more about the habitability, geologic history and presence of any signs of life on Mars through the sample return campaign than by sending humans to the surface. This perspective is why NASA, the European Space Agency and others have invested some US$30 billion in robotic Mars exploration since the 1960s. The payoff has been staggering: That work has triggered rapid technological advances in robotics, telecommunications and materials science. For example, Mars mission technology has led to better sutures for heart surgery and cars that can drive themselves. It has also bolstered the status of NASA and the U.S. as bastions of modern exploration and technology; and it has inspired millions of students to take an interest in scientific fields. Colonizing Mars has a seductive appeal. It's hard not to cheer for the indomitable human spirit while watching Watney battle dust storms, oxygen shortages and food scarcity over 140 million miles from rescue. Much of the momentum toward colonizing Mars is now tied to SpaceX and its CEO Elon Musk, whose stated mission to make humanity a 'multi-planetary species' has become a sort of rallying cry. But while Mars colonization is romantic on paper, it is extremely difficult to actually carry out, and many critics have questioned the viability of a Mars habitation as a refuge far from Earth. Now, with NASA potentially facing a nearly 50% reduction to its science budget, the U.S. risks dissolving its planetary science and robotic operations portfolio altogether, including sample return. Nonetheless, President Donald Trump and Musk have pushed for human space exploration to somehow continue to progress, despite those proposed cuts – effectively sidelining the robotic, science-driven programs that have underpinned all of Mars exploration to date. Yet, it is these programs that have yielded humanity's richest insights into the red planet and given both scientists and storytellers like Andy Weir the foundation to imagine what it must be like to stand on Mars' surface at all. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Ari Koeppel, Dartmouth College Read more: Ancient Mars may have had a carbon cycle − a new study suggests the red planet may have once been warmer, wetter and more favorable for life NASA wants to send humans to Mars in the 2030s − a crewed mission could unlock some of the red planet's geologic mysteries Could people turn Mars into another Earth? Here's what it would take to transform its barren landscape into a life-friendly world Ari Koeppel receives funding from NASA.
Arabian Post
21-05-2025
- Arabian Post
AI Misstep Erodes Trust in Chicago Sun-Times
A summer reading list published by the Chicago Sun-Times has ignited controversy after it was revealed to contain fictitious book titles and fabricated expert quotes, all generated by artificial intelligence. The content, which appeared in the paper's 'Heat Index' summer feature, was syndicated by King Features, a subsidiary of Hearst, and was not produced or vetted by the Sun-Times editorial staff. The reading list included non-existent titles such as 'Tidewater Dreams' by Isabel Allende and 'The Last Algorithm' by Andy Weir. Additionally, quotes were misattributed to real individuals, including a fabricated statement linked to Brianna Madia. The content was created by freelance writer Marco Buscaglia, who admitted to using AI tools like ChatGPT without adequately verifying the information. The incident has drawn significant backlash from readers and media professionals alike, raising concerns about journalistic integrity and the unchecked use of AI in content creation. The Sun-Times Guild expressed deep disturbance over what it termed 'slop syndication,' emphasizing the dangers of unvetted outsourced content, especially when AI is involved. ADVERTISEMENT In response to the controversy, the Sun-Times has removed the AI-generated content from its digital edition and announced a review of its policies regarding third-party licensed material. The publication emphasized that the content was not produced or approved by their editorial staff and committed to greater transparency in addressing the issue. This incident is not isolated; the Philadelphia Inquirer also published the same erroneous content, highlighting a broader issue within the media industry concerning the reliance on AI-generated material without proper oversight. The controversy underscores the ongoing challenges newsrooms face in managing the rise of AI-generated content while striving to preserve trust with their readership. The use of AI in journalism has been a topic of debate, with proponents highlighting its efficiency and opponents warning of its potential to spread misinformation. This event serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of editorial oversight and the need for stringent fact-checking processes, especially when integrating new technologies into journalistic practices.
