Latest news with #BreakthroughStarshot
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Why did Stephen Hawking warn the world against AI before his death? The answer is deeply chilling
Existential Risks and the Call for Caution AI and Job Displacement Concerns Stephen Hawking, the world-renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist, expressed serious concerns about the future of artificial intelligence years before the current surge in AI development. In a 2014 interview with the BBC, Hawking was asked about improvements to the AI-powered communication system he used due to ALS, a condition that left him dependent on a specialized machine to speak. Despite the clear benefits he gained from these early forms of AI, his response was far from warned that 'the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.' While he acknowledged that primitive AI had been useful—his Intel and SwiftKey system learned from his speech patterns to suggest words and phrases—he feared what might happen if machines became more intelligent than humans. According to him, such AI 'would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever increasing rate.' He added that humans, being limited by slow biological evolution, would not be able to compete and could ultimately be frequently used his global platform to draw attention to existential threats facing humanity. One of his key concerns was our overreliance on Earth. He repeatedly warned that humans must become a multi-planetary species to ensure long-term survival. Speaking to the BBC in 2016, he said that although the probability of a global catastrophe each year might seem low, the cumulative risk over a long period becomes almost noted that while humans might eventually establish colonies in space, it likely wouldn't happen for at least another hundred years. Until then, he urged extreme caution, pointing to threats such as climate change, genetically modified viruses, nuclear war, and artificial concerns echoed the sentiments of figures like Elon Musk, who said in 2013 that spreading life to other planets was essential to avoid extinction. Both thinkers shared a belief in the necessity of interplanetary expansion and were involved in projects aimed at interstellar exploration, including Hawking's support for the Breakthrough Starshot warning about AI wasn't limited to doomsday scenarios. Like many experts, he also foresaw major disruptions in employment and society. UCL professor Bradley Love shared that while advanced AI would bring vast economic benefits, it could also result in significant job losses. Love emphasized that while concerns about rogue AI robots may seem exaggerated, society should still take these risks seriously and prioritize addressing real-world challenges like climate change and weapons of mass recent years, interest and investment in AI have skyrocketed. From ChatGPT integrations to multibillion-dollar AI initiatives spearheaded by political leaders, artificial intelligence has become embedded in daily life. Smartphone AI assistants and increasingly realistic AI-generated content are making it harder to distinguish between reality and Hawking passed away in 2018, his insights remain increasingly relevant. His cautionary views continue to prompt reflection as technology rapidly evolves. Whether society will heed those warnings remains to be seen, but the questions he raised about human survival in the age of AI are more urgent than ever.
Express Tribune
18-04-2025
- Science
- Express Tribune
K2-18b Exoplanet: Future of Life Detection and Human Settlement
K2-18b is an intriguing exoplanet located about 120 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Leo. It is considered a "super-Earth" due to its size and potential for conditions suitable for liquid water. Over the years, this planet has garnered attention due to its potential to harbor life or at least provide clues about the presence of biosignatures. Looking ahead, there are several exciting possibilities for exploration, life detection, and even the potential for human settlement on K2-18b. Here's a breakdown of what could be pursued from a scientific perspective: Unable to render the provided source Exploration Missions Exploring K2-18b is still a challenge due to its vast distance from Earth. However, advancements in telescope technology and space exploration may make this possible in the distant future. Future Missions: Space Telescopes: The next generation of space telescopes, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) , which will continue observations of exoplanets, can help scientists gather more information about the atmosphere and surface conditions of K2-18b. Specifically, JWST could detect the planet's atmosphere composition, looking for signs of water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, and other gases that could hint at biological processes. Interstellar Probes: While not in the immediate future, missions like Breakthrough Starshot could eventually send small, lightweight spacecraft to distant star systems, potentially reaching K2-18b over many decades or centuries. These probes would not be capable of landing, but they could capture high-resolution images and analyze atmospheric data, significantly improving our understanding of distant planets. One of the most exciting aspects of K2-18b is its potential for harboring life. Scientists are particularly interested in studying the planet's atmosphere for chemical signs that could indicate biological activity. Space Travel Possibilities While current technology limits us to relatively nearby objects within our solar system, the possibility of space travel to planets like K2-18b may be considered within the realm of theoretical and long-term scientific thought. Challenges for Space Travel to K2-18b: Distance and Time: At 120 light-years away, traveling to K2-18b would require propulsion systems far beyond what we currently have. Even with the fastest spacecraft ever launched, it would take tens of thousands of years to reach this exoplanet. Advanced Propulsion: To make interstellar travel feasible, advanced propulsion technologies such as nuclear fusion or antimatter engines would be necessary. These technologies are still largely theoretical but could potentially enable spacecraft to reach distant stars within human lifetimes. Generation Ships: In the distant future, space missions to faraway planets like K2-18b could be undertaken by generation ships, which are self-sustaining spacecraft designed to house multiple generations of humans on the long journey. The technology for such ships is not yet available but could be explored further as human civilization looks to the stars for future expansion. Human Settlement Potential The idea of humans settling on K2-18b, while speculative, is a tantalizing possibility that scientists are beginning to think about. However, the planet would present several major challenges. Challenges to Settlement: Atmosphere and Gravity: K2-18b has a relatively thick atmosphere, primarily composed of hydrogen, which would not be breathable for humans. In addition, the planet's gravity is likely higher than Earth's, which could pose challenges for human physiology over extended periods. Surface Conditions: While K2-18b is within its star's habitable zone, the actual surface conditions are not well understood. The planet could be rocky, with extreme temperatures or an atmosphere that is unsuitable for human life. Its environment might be similar to Venus, where high temperatures and thick clouds create harsh conditions, or it could be more temperate, similar to Earth. Terraforming: While terraforming, or altering a planet's atmosphere and surface to make it habitable, is an exciting scientific concept, it would require an immense amount of energy and time. Techniques like altering the atmospheric composition or introducing necessary chemicals to sustain human life would need to be developed, but these ideas remain speculative for now. Long-Term Possibilities
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Tiny spacecraft could travel across interstellar space with this 'trampoline' lightsail
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists at the California Institute of Technology have taken a major step toward developing lightsails that could one day carry tiny spacecraft to distant star systems. The new findings detail a method to measure the force of laser light on what are known as "ultrathin membranes." This is research that could help advance the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative's vision of laser-driven space travel. Launched in 2016 by the late Stephen Hawking and tech investor Yuri Milner, Breakthrough Starshot aims to send miniature probes to Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to Earth. The plan relies on high-powered lasers on Earth pushing delicate sail-driven probes in the cosmos like the wind does for sailboats here on the planet, allowing the craft to achieve record-breaking speeds without the need for a chemical propellant. Lightsails are a more generic form of solar sail, in that they use radiation pressure from a light source to generate propulsion. Radiation pressure is the transfer of momentum from radiation striking a surface like the wind does to canvas sails here on Earth. Photons have no mass, but they still transfer some of their momentum when they hit an object, pushing it ever so slightly. A single photon doesn't make much of a difference, but trillions and trillions of photons all hitting a surface add up, especially in the vacuum of space. Radiation in the form of sunlight is therefore enough to push interplanetary spacecraft thousands of miles off course, however, so this effect must be accounted for when sending probes to Mars or other planets. But a higher-energy version of this phenomenon could use a ground- or space-based laser beam to push a lightsail on a spacecraft in a more directed way. With the beam providing a source of constant pressure on the sail, the cumulative effect of this radiation pressure adds up to speeds significantly faster and more reliable than you could get from complicated rockets using chemical propulsion. "The lightsail will travel faster than any previous spacecraft, with potential to eventually open interstellar distances to direct spacecraft exploration," Caltech's Harry Atwater, the Otis Booth Leadership Chair of the Division of Engineering and Applied Science, said in a Caltech statement. Atwater's team developed a test platform to measure how lasers exert force on a microscopic "trampoline" of silicon nitride, just 50 nanometers thick. The miniature sail, a square sheet 40 microns on each side, is tethered at the corners by silicon nitride springs and vibrates when struck by a laser. By detecting those tiny movements, researchers can calculate the force of the laser beam and its power. "There are numerous challenges involved in developing a membrane that could ultimately be used as lightsail. It needs to withstand heat, hold its shape under pressure, and ride stably along the axis of a laser beam," Atwater said. "But before we can begin building such a sail, we need to understand how the materials respond to radiation pressure from lasers. We wanted to know if we could determine the force being exerted on a membrane just by measuring its movements. It turns out we can." The study's lead authors, postdoctoral scholar Lior Michaeli and graduate student Ramon Gao, built a specialized setup called a common-path interferometer. This enables precise measurement of the membrane's motion by canceling out background noise such as small vibrations in the lab from equipment or even people talking. "We not only avoided the unwanted heating effects but also used what we learned about the device's behavior to create a new way to measure light's force," Michaeli said. Gao added that the platform can measure side-to-side motion and rotations, paving the way for future lightsail designs that can self-correct if they stray from the laser beam. Related stories: — LightSail 2 celebrates 3rd space birthday as end of mission approaches — A solar sail in space: See the awesome views from LightSail 2 — LightSail 2 beams 1st photos home from orbit! Ultimately, the team hopes to integrate advanced nanomaterials and metamaterials to stabilize lightsails during their journey. "This is an important stepping stone toward observing optical forces and torques designed to let a freely accelerating lightsail ride the laser beam," Gao said. There are several light sail projects in the works, and NASA deployed a solar sail last year, though it has encountered some mechanical issues, highlighting the importance of the Caltech team's research in further refining the design of these sails. The results were published on Jan. 30 in the journal Nature Photonics,
