Science Saturday Overview: Exploring Space, Green Energy, Lebanon Explosions, and Artificial Intelligence
A temporary "mini-moon" is set to orbit Earth shortly. Identified in August, this asteroid will circle our planet from September 29 until November 25 before resuming its journey around the sun.
TroibNews 
**Space Exploration**
A temporary "mini-moon" will soon be orbiting Earth. Discovered in August, this asteroid is set to orbit Earth from September 29 to November 25 before returning to its trajectory around the sun. It is estimated to be approximately 11 meters wide, although its exact size remains uncertain. Currently, the asteroid poses no risk of colliding with Earth, either now or in the coming decades. It will maintain an orbit about 4.2 million kilometers away, which is about ten times the distance between Earth and the moon.
**Green Energy**
China's C919 jet has successfully completed its inaugural commercial flight utilizing sustainable aviation fuel. The China Eastern Airlines flight journeyed from Beijing to Shanghai. Sustainable aviation fuel is a renewable energy source derived from sustainable materials, effectively reducing carbon emissions while being compatible with existing aviation infrastructure. China has initiated a pilot program for the use of SAF, with 12 flights from major airports already incorporating it. This initiative is part of China's broader goals for carbon neutrality and advancements in green aviation.
**Lebanon Blasts**
The coordinated explosions involving pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon have sparked serious concerns regarding global supply chain security and the potential for tampering. According to Lebanese authorities, at least 37 individuals were killed, and over 3,400 were injured in two waves of wireless device explosions that took place in mid-September. Some theories indicate that Israeli agents may have infused the devices' batteries with explosives during their manufacturing, while others suggest that the modifications could have occurred post-production. This incident underscores the risk of everyday communication devices being weaponized.
**AI**
Chinese tech leader Alibaba has unveiled more than 100 open-source artificial intelligence models, including Qwen 2.5, targeting sectors such as automotive, gaming, and research. These models, equipped with advanced mathematical and coding capabilities, allow Alibaba to vie against competitors like Baidu, Microsoft, and OpenAI. The open-source framework enables users to create AI applications without the necessity of training their own models. Additionally, the company has enhanced its proprietary Qwen-Max 2.5 model, achieving superior performance in reasoning and language comprehension. A new text-to-video tool has also been launched, enabling users to generate videos from textual prompts.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
A temporary "mini-moon" will soon be orbiting Earth. Discovered in August, this asteroid is set to orbit Earth from September 29 to November 25 before returning to its trajectory around the sun. It is estimated to be approximately 11 meters wide, although its exact size remains uncertain. Currently, the asteroid poses no risk of colliding with Earth, either now or in the coming decades. It will maintain an orbit about 4.2 million kilometers away, which is about ten times the distance between Earth and the moon.
**Green Energy**
China's C919 jet has successfully completed its inaugural commercial flight utilizing sustainable aviation fuel. The China Eastern Airlines flight journeyed from Beijing to Shanghai. Sustainable aviation fuel is a renewable energy source derived from sustainable materials, effectively reducing carbon emissions while being compatible with existing aviation infrastructure. China has initiated a pilot program for the use of SAF, with 12 flights from major airports already incorporating it. This initiative is part of China's broader goals for carbon neutrality and advancements in green aviation.
**Lebanon Blasts**
The coordinated explosions involving pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon have sparked serious concerns regarding global supply chain security and the potential for tampering. According to Lebanese authorities, at least 37 individuals were killed, and over 3,400 were injured in two waves of wireless device explosions that took place in mid-September. Some theories indicate that Israeli agents may have infused the devices' batteries with explosives during their manufacturing, while others suggest that the modifications could have occurred post-production. This incident underscores the risk of everyday communication devices being weaponized.
**AI**
Chinese tech leader Alibaba has unveiled more than 100 open-source artificial intelligence models, including Qwen 2.5, targeting sectors such as automotive, gaming, and research. These models, equipped with advanced mathematical and coding capabilities, allow Alibaba to vie against competitors like Baidu, Microsoft, and OpenAI. The open-source framework enables users to create AI applications without the necessity of training their own models. Additionally, the company has enhanced its proprietary Qwen-Max 2.5 model, achieving superior performance in reasoning and language comprehension. A new text-to-video tool has also been launched, enabling users to generate videos from textual prompts.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
