By Isaac Schultz Published December 30, 2024 | Comments (1) | The aurora as seen from the International Space Station. Credit: Matthew Dominick/NASA Seems like the Sun is in a festive mood: A strong geomagnetic storm watch is in place for the next day, increasing the likelihood of aurorasa Northern Lights showon New Years Eve. The National Weather Services Space Weather Prediction Center issued a geomagnetic storm watch for December 31, based on a coronal mass ejectionan eruption on the Suns surfacethat occurred on December 29. The New Years Eve storm watch is rated a G3, for a strong storm. According to the SWPC, strong storms can disorient spacecraft and cause problems with GPS and low-frequency radio navigation systems. Auroras are predicted over many of the northern states and some of the lower Midwest to Oregon, according to the alert. But dont let that dishearten you if youre farther south; space weather experts say that new phone camera technology is capable of picking up the lights even if your eyes cannot see them. So even if the aurora isnt expected in your area, it doesnt hurt to try to photograph it. Auroras occur when charged particles from the Sun interact with Earths magnetic field, causing gases in our planets atmosphere to glow. When solar activity is more extremethat is, when our host star is flinging material out into space in solar flaresit causes brilliant auroras, sometimes surprisingly close to the equator. The Sun goes through an 11-year solar cycle, at the maximum of which space weather tends to be more intense. There are approximately 200 G3 geomagnetic storms per solar cycle, and the Sun is somewhere around its maximum now, which is why several significant geomagnetic storms occurred this year. In May, Earth felt the strongest geomagnetic storm to hit the planet in 20 years, which sent auroras across skies as far south as Florida and Texas.The SWPC also announced two strong radio blackout events on Monday due to a pair of flares on the Sun. The effects of the flares could include signal loss in high-frequency communication bands on the dayside of Earth, the alert noted, though the associated coronal mass ejection was determined to not have an Earth-directed component. Alongside the G3 storm watch is a G1 (or minor) storm watch in place for New Years Day, with the possibility of that alert upgrading to a G2 storm watch. Space weather researchers cannot rate the exact levels of geomagnetic disruption until the Suns charged particles are within 1 million miles (1.61 million kilometers) from Earth, or about 30-60 minutes from arrival at Earth. Neither CME is expected to be a direct hit, according to the storm watch notice, which also makes forecast of intensity more difficult.Auroras are best viewed with clear skies away from prominent light sources. In other words, if youre trying to catch the Earths natural light show, its best to do so away from the New Years Eve artificial light shows. Catch you all in 2025 for another dynamic year under the auspices of our explosive star.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Passant Rabie Published December 12, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 11, 2024 By Isaac Schultz Published December 8, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published October 17, 2024 By Isaac Schultz Published October 10, 2024 By Isaac Schultz Published October 3, 2024

By Thomas Maxwell Published December 30, 2024 | Comments (0) | OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji's death in a San Francisco apartment was ruled a suicide, but his parents want a deeper investigation. Sean Gallup/Getty Images The mother of OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji, who was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26, is calling for an FBI investigation into his death. Poornima Ramarao took to X on Sunday to announce that Balajis family hired a private investigator, whose initial findings allegedly call into question a determination by the citys chief medical examiner that Balaji died by suicide. Balaji, who was just 26 years old, worked at OpenAI for four years, where he had a key part in collecting the data that would be used to train ChatGPT. He became disillusioned as OpenAI morphed from a non-profit research lab into a commercial business, however, and he resigned in August before going public in an interview with the New York Times alleging mass copyright infringement. The news outlet is currently in a heated legal battle with OpenAI alleging ChatGPT has been trained on its articles without permission.Suchirs apartment was ransacked, the post by Ramarao (who goes by the shorter Rao surname on X) reads. Sign of struggle in the bathroom and looks like some one hit him in bathroom based on blood spots. The identity of the X account has not been verified, but it did share pictures of Balaji that do not appear to be posted elsewhere online. It also linked to a GoFundMe account intended to raise funds for further investigation, which has raised more than $47,000. Elon Musk, who co-founded OpenAI and is currently embroiled in his own lawsuit against the AI giant, replied to Ramaraos post saying simply, This doesnt seem like a suicide.Gizmodo contacted Ramarao for comment but we have not heard back. OpenAI referred to a previous statement expressing condolences to the family. Update on @suchirbalaji We hired private investigator and did second autopsy to throw light on cause of death. Private autopsy doesnt confirm cause of death stated by police. Suchirs apartment was ransacked , sign of struggle in the bathroom and looks like some one hit him Poornima Rao (@RaoPoornima) December 29, 2024 Balaji began working at OpenAI as an intern back in 2018 and joined the company full-time in 2021. Business Insider interviewed Ramarao following her sons death, and wrote that Balaji was gifted from a young age and made significant contributions to ChatGPTs training methods and infrastructure during his time there. In 2022 he had been tasked with scraping data from across the internet to use in training GPT-4, the model that would power ChatGPTs launch at the end of that year. Considering OpenAI jumpstarted Silicon Valleys generative AI race, Balaji served as a high-profile whistleblower in the fight over whether AI companies have the right to openly use content from across the web in their products. It is a highly divisive topic, with media companies claiming outright theft while tech industry insiders chalk it up to fair use. At stake are potentially tens of billions of dollars and the future of what some believe is the next major platform shift in technology. Large language models powering models like ChatGPT require immense amounts of training data, primarily written texts, in order to write like a human and produce answers to any question thrown at them.It is no surprise then that Balaji likely faced immense criticism and bullying online after going public with his concerns. Anyone who has worked in Silicon Valley has seen how the pressure to succeed can cause major stress and other mental health issues. That is not even including other risk factors like legal issues from making a whistleblower complaint; losing a job and harming future career prospects; or social isolation from peers in the industry. Is it possible that Balaji was targeted over his actions? Possibly, but conspiracies are hard to keep secret, and the dull answer is often the correct one. It is not that difficult to see how everything Balaji was going through could lead to hopelessness. His would not be the first case of a whistleblower in tech ending their own life over their moral beliefs eitherthe lead scientist of Theranos, Ian Gibbons, reportedly took his own life following facing immense pressure from founder and now-convicted felon Elizabeth Holmes for raising concerns about the validity of the companys blood tests.It is not surprising that Balajis parents would go to the lengths they have either, hoping to find answers and in disbelief that they lost their son. Maybe they will find that something more nefarious occurred. But there is no strong reason to believe that is the case at this point. Hopefully, they are able to find the closure they are looking for.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Todd Feathers Published December 30, 2024 By Thomas Maxwell Published December 30, 2024 Michael Timothy Bennett and Elija Perrier Published December 29, 2024 By Thomas Maxwell Published December 28, 2024 By Harri Weber Published December 28, 2024 By Thomas Maxwell Published December 27, 2024

Yvyrupa Cabins for a Hotel in Cerrito / SD+ASave this picture! Leonardo MndezCabins & LodgesBenjamn Aceval, ParaguayArchitects: SD+AAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:838 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Leonardo Mndez Lead Architect: Sebastin Domaniczky More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Yvyrupa. Home of the earth. Cabins for a hotel in Cerrito. The architecture of Yvyrupa seeks to reconnect humanity with its primal surroundings. Inspired by the constructions of the Mbya Guaran, they represent a conscious response to nature, not as a space to be dominated, but as a companion deserving of respect.Save this picture!Save this picture!Taking advantage of the natural clearings in the forest and using indigenous materials such as earth and wood, the cabins blend with the landscape, minimizing their impact and returning nature to its leading role. The intervention takes place in a clearing in the forest, respecting and adapting to its natural configuration.Save this picture!Save this picture!The architecture does not impose itself but flows with the environment, revealing a harmony between the built and the natural. This silent dialogue among the elements embodies a philosophy that understands inhabiting as a humble and poetic act, where each space is conceived as an extension of the earth itself.Save this picture!The cabins, by integrating with their surroundings, create a refuge that invites introspection and peace, promoting a unique sensory experience. In this project, nature is not a backdrop but an essential component of the creative process, where construction and landscape are inseparable.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Benjamn Aceval, ParaguayLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeSD+AOfficePublished on December 30, 2024Cite: "Yvyrupa Cabins for a Hotel in Cerrito / SD+A" [Yvyrupa cabaas para hotel en Cerrito / SD+A] 30 Dec 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025046/yvyrupa-cabins-for-a-hotel-in-cerrito-sd-plus-a&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Nature, Published online: 20 December 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-04070-1Faculty members say academic freedom is under fire, and many are seeking work outside the region.

Nature, Published online: 20 December 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-04170-yIns Azofeifa Rojas monitors troop behaviour to maintain canopy connectivity.

Nature, Published online: 20 December 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-04246-9From a Death Star moon to gene editing, construction fuses and red mud we round up some of the highlights of this years News & Views section.

People looking for a budget TV that doesn't take up too much space are in luck as Walmart is offering a limited-time discount on the 43-inch Vizio VFD43M TV. Instead of paying $252, intending buyers can grab this amazing smart TV now for just $104. Equipped with several amazing features, this Vizio TV is one of the best deals you can find on electronics this holiday.

The Shadowy Figure is back in World of Warcraft Classic Season of Discovery Phase 6, this time watching players progress through AhnQiraj from the sidelines. This mysterious individuals continued association with the Void, Old Gods, and other dark designs adds further fuel to the speculation that the Shadowy Figure is none other than Xalatath, the main antagonist of World of Warcraft: The War Within.

Hogwarts Legacy was the best-selling game of 2023, managing to beat out the likes of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and even Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for the top spot. Though it hasn't been officially confirmed yet, it's only natural for Warner Bros. to want to capitalize on this success as quickly as possible, and that would mean producing a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy.

Happy New Year, everyone! Or Happy New Year soon, anyway. Like last week (and many of the weeks before it), watchlists are likely more seasonally timed right now, unless youre catching up on some of the best shows and movies from the last year! No time like the present the Golden Globes are happening! but that doesnt mean theres nothing new to watch. For starters, Harlan Coben (who earlier this year brought the twisty Fool Me Once) returns with a new show on Netflix, this time starring Slow Horses Rosalind Eleazar. And Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) is once again enlightening us, this time with an end-of-year (or beginning, as it were) special on Netflix.Heres the best new TV premieres this week. New shows on NetflixCunk on Life specialGenre: Documentary special Release date: Jan. 2Philomena Cunk: Diane MorganIf youre in the U.K., youll have been able to see the Cunk on Life mockumentary special in 2024. But if youre like the rest of us, 2025 brings a fresh Cunk on Life special to Netflix, ably tackling some of the biggest and most complicated subjects anyone has ever attempted. Missing YouGenre: Mystery thrillerRelease date: Jan. 1Showrunner/creator: Harlan CobenCast: Rosalind Eleazar, Ashley Walters, Jessica Plummer, and moreDetective Kat Donovan (Rosalind Eleazar) is still mourning the love of her life, Josh (Ashley Walters), who disappeared 11 years ago without a trace. Only now, as shes swiping through a dating app, she sees his face forcing her to dive back into the mystery surrounding her fathers murder and uncover long-buried secrets. New shows on CrunchyrollZenshuGenre: FantasyRelease date: Jan. 5Studio: MAPPANatsuko Hirose is a professional animator, and a bit of a shut-in. Her latest project isnt going great shes coming off her first anime, which hit big, and the newest one is a rom-com (her least favorite genre). Unfortunately, due to the stress, she dies of exhaustion. But dont fret: She wakes up in the world of her childhood anime, the series that led her to become an animator. Armed with the ability to alter the storyline around her, how will Natsuko fare among the fantastical scenes? New shows on Paramount PlusThe Golden GlobesGenre: Awards showRelease date: Jan. 5 at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. ESTHost: Nikki GlaserIts the Golden Globes! The kickoff (or continuation) of awards season in earnest. Lots of things nominated, lots of ground to cover in a three-hour (or so) ceremony. Tune in to see gags, gaffes, and Globes.