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On June 20, 2023, NOAA’s Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) instrument onboard the GOES East satellite captured an X1.1 flare erupting from the sun. Solar flares Solar flares are classified according to their strength, and X-class flares are the strongest. These can cause temporary degradation or complete loss of high frequency radio signals on portions of the sunlit side of Earth. SUVI On July 2nd, the @NOAA #GOESEast #SUVI instrument caught an X-class flare (highest class) that caused a radio blackout.  In Feb. 2025, NOAA will launch its next space weather satellite, Space Weather Follow On-L1 (SWFO), adding to its fleet of satellites that help forecast and warn of incoming space weather. #GOESEast #GOES16 #SUVI #Ultraviolet #SolarUltravioletImager #Satellite #Satellites #Imagery #SatelliteImagery #SolarFlare #Flare #SpaceWeather #Sun #SolarActivity #GOESEast #GOES16 #SUVI #Ultraviolet #SolarUltravioletImager #Satellite #Satellites #Imagery #SatelliteImagery #SolarFlare ...

  Forget human extinction – these are the real risks posed by AI today Amid warnings that advanced AI could wipe out humanity, some experts insist we should be more worried about people using existing AIs to supercharge the spread of misinformation 25 July 2023, By  Mary-Ann Russon Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images The alarm bells have been rung. In May, computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, known as the “godfather of AI”, quit his role at Google to warn of the “existential threat” posed by artificial intelligence. The Center for AI Safety followed up with an open letter, signed by Hinton and hundreds of others, warning that advanced AI could destroy humanity.  “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority,”  read the statement. This sudden surge of concern seems to have been motivated by the rapid advance of AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT and the race to build more powerful systems. The fear is that the tech industry is recklessly a...

  How does ChatGPT work and do AI-powered chatbots “think” like us? The large language models behind the new chatbots are trained to predict which words are most likely to appear together – but “emergent abilities” suggest they might be doing more than that 25 July 2023 By  Edd Gent Illustronaut/Alamy The current whirlwind of interest in  artificial intelligence  is largely down to the sudden arrival of a new generation of AI-powered chatbots capable of startlingly human-like text-based conversations. The big change came last year, when OpenAI released ChatGPT. Overnight, millions gained access to an AI producing responses that are so uncannily fluent that it has been hard not to wonder if this heralds a turning point of some sort. There has been no shortage of hype. Microsoft researchers given early access to GPT4, the latest version of the system behind ChatGPT, argued that it has already demonstrated  “sparks”  of the long-sought machine version of human...

  New Features of Data Explorer Demo Learn how to navigate the new features of Data Explorer, Version 1.5: which include a significant expansion of data availability, a new way to view underway still images, and a beta version of real-time streaming for cabled instruments. The latest version also offers new scientific data for AUV and Bio-Acoustic Sonar (ZPLS) instruments and Principal Investigator-added instrument data sets. New Features of Data Explorer Demo from Ocean Observatories Initiative on Vimeo . OOI’s Data Science Team and representatives from Axiom Data Science demonstrated the newest features of Data Explorer. The latest Data Explorer, version 1.5, includes a significant expansion of data availability, updates to a viewer for underway still and video images, and introduces a beta version of real-time streaming for cabled instruments. The latest version also offers new scientific data for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) and Bio-Acoustic Sonar (ZPLS) instruments...

  A crucial system of ocean currents is heading for a collapse that ‘would affect every person on the planet’ By  Laura Paddison , CNN Updated 5:27 AM EDT, Wed July 26, 2023 A crucial system of ocean currents is heading for a collapse A  vital system of ocean currents  could collapse within a few decades if the world continues to pump out planet-heating pollution, scientists are warning – an event that would be catastrophic for global weather and “affect every person on the planet.” A new study published Tuesday  in the journal Nature , found that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current – of which the Gulf Stream is a part –   could collapse around the middle of the century, or even as early as 2025. Scientists uninvolved with this study told CNN the exact tipping point for the critical system is uncertain, and that measurements of the currents have so far showed little trend or change. But they agreed these results are alarming and provide new evidence...

  France’s FloWatt sets the course for tidal energy growth July 24, 2023 Ocean Energy Europe has welcomed the recent announcement made by the French government, allocating a commendable sum of at least €65 million in funding along with dedicated revenue support for the revolutionary tidal energy pilot farm FloWatt. Tidal power production is poised to surge in the near and distant future, driven by initiatives like the FloWatt energy pilot farm. (Image courtesy: Ocean Energy Europe) The declaration, delivered by the Minister for the Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, marks a significant milestone for the tidal energy sector in France, setting an exemplary path for other EU Member States to follow suit. Notably, FloWatt is destined to become the world’s largest tidal farm, boasting an impressive number of turbines and an unmatched capacity, making it a true flagship project. This crucial announcement underscores France’s confidence in tidal energy, recognizing its potential a...

  Unlocking insights: hydrography’s role in advancing renewable energy offshore July 25, 2023 Explore captivating interviews with three influential figures that focus on renewable energy and hydrography’s pivotal role in offshore development. Gain groundbreaking insights that you can’t afford to overlook, delve into the forefront of hydrographic advancements and discover how the sector is shaping the future of renewable energy and ocean exploration. Read now to stay ahead and access these exclusive interviews! Interview 1: Professor Ed Hill, CEO of the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) Professor Ed Hill sheds light on the immense opportunities in renewables, exploring hydrography’s critical role in seafloor mapping, turbine siting and offshore infrastructure monitoring. Discover how hydrographers and ocean technologists are driving sustainability and unlocking the full potential of renewables and big data. Moreover, witness the compelling vision for a sustainable ocean economy, dr...

  Climate Changes. Rings of fire : centuries of tree growth show wildfires increasing in Vietnam The data suggest human activities are more to blame for the increase than climate change. (Nature  NEWS 19 July 2023) Increasing human presence in and around Bidoup Nui Ba National Park has resulted in more frequent wildfires. Credit: Evgeniya Pavlova/Getty The first centuries-long analysis of wildfires in southeast Asia has been compiled using tree rings from a region in central Vietnam. There has been a drastic increase in the frequency of wildfires in the area over the past 100 years, but climate change is not the primary culprit. Instead, humans lighting fires for agriculture are behind the rising number of forest burns, according to the study 1  published in  Geophysical Research Letters . “Fire has a big impact on the forest structure,” says Thiet Nguyen, a forest ecologist and PhD student at the University of Melbourne in Australia. “There’s a very high level of bi...

  Oil from the Amazon? Proposal to drill at river’s mouth worries researchers Energy firm Petrobras says any leaked oil would not reach the Brazilian coast, but scientists are concerned about a vast reef nearby. Water flows with great force from the Amazon River into the sea at its mouth. Credit: Universal Images Group North America LLC/Alamy A Brazilian petrochemical company wants to drill exploratory oil wells in the ocean near the mouth of the Amazon, one of the world’s biggest rivers. Although Brazil’s environmental-protection agency has so far rejected the state-run firm’s request, researchers worry that the plan might one day be approved, encouraging further offshore drilling in the area. In particular, they are concerned about the effects of the drilling — and inevitable oil leaks — on a vast reef system nearby. “There’s a palpable risk of an oil spill if activities proceed — the fact it is an exploratory well for studying the region’s potential for deep-sea oil doesn’t exem...