Today’s topics

• Department of Justice sues Visa

• A.I. uncovers 303 new Nazca geoglyphs

• Burning Man festival from space

• Cat's mysterious 900-mile journey

  and more…

US stocks lost momentum on Wednesday after reaching all-time highs, leading to mixed results for the major indexes. The Dow Jones fell approximately 0.7%, while the S&P 500 declined around 0.2%, both reversing earlier gains. In contrast, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite managed to finish just above the flat line as investors grappled with economic health and the likelihood of another significant rate cut.

OpenAI CTO Mira Murati steps down after six and a half years. OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati announced her departure from the company on Wednesday after six and a half years. She is the latest senior executive to leave the startup. Murati shared that she's stepping away to "create the time and space for her own exploration."

DOJ sues Visa, alleging illegal monopoly over debit payments. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Visa on Tuesday, accusing the payment giant of maintaining an illegal monopoly over debit payments. The DOJ claims Visa enforced "exclusionary" agreements to stifle competition from emerging firms. Visa, alongside its rival Mastercard, has seen massive growth over the past two decades, with a combined market value nearing $1 trillion.

Meet Orion: Meta’s First True Augmented Reality Glasses

On Wednesday, Meta introduced Orion, the company's first fully functional augmented reality glasses, previously known as Project Nazare. Blending the look of regular eyewear with cutting-edge AR technology, Orion represents a leap in modern computing. Select Meta employees and external partners will test the glasses as Meta works toward developing a consumer-ready AR product line.

A.I. uncovers 303 new Nazca geoglyphs, including orcas with knives. Using artificial intelligence, researchers have discovered 303 previously unknown geoglyphs in Peru's Nazca Desert. These ancient artworks, carved into the desert ground, depict surprising figures like decapitated heads, llamas, and orcas holding knives. The geoglyphs are believed to have been created by the Nazca culture, a pre-Inca Indigenous group famed for their mysterious Nazca Lines. This new A.I.-assisted discovery sheds further light on their remarkable artistry and cultural practices.

Japan begins building the first zeta-class supercomputer. Japan has started work on the world’s first zeta-class supercomputer, set to revolutionize science with speeds 1,000 times faster than today’s most powerful machine. Named Fugaku Next, the supercomputer is expected to be operational by 2030 at a cost of $775 million, ushering in a new era of ultra-fast computing. Capable of achieving speeds in the realm of zetaFLOPS, it will significantly advance scientific research and data processing worldwide.

Webb Telescope Uncovers Lopsided 'Puffball' Exoplanet

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have found that the exoplanet WASP-107 b, a low-density "puffy" planet, has an asymmetric atmosphere. Located 210 light-years away, WASP-107 b is nearly the size of Jupiter but just 10% of its mass, making it one of the least dense exoplanets ever discovered. This discovery reveals significant differences between each side of the planet's atmosphere, deepening the mystery of its unusual characteristics.

Satellites capture stunning Burning Man festival from space. The European Space Agency's Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission has captured breathtaking satellite images of the 2024 Burning Man festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. From space, the semi-circular temporary settlement stands out against the white alkali flats and rugged brown mountains. The satellite's high-resolution capabilities reveal the vastness of the event, while showcasing the intricate details of the landscape surrounding the art-filled gathering. The image, taken on August 26, highlights both the human scale of Burning Man and the geological formations shaped over 17 million years.

Human Genome Stored in '5D Memory Crystal' to Outlast Humanity

For the first time, scientists have stored the human genome inside a "5D memory crystal," a near-indestructible data format that could survive for billions of years. Developed by researchers at the University of Southampton, this coin-sized crystal mimics the properties of fused quartz, one of the most durable materials on Earth. The DNA time capsule may hold the key to reviving humanity long after extinction, although opinions on its use are divided. The crystal, first created in 2014, remains the most durable data storage material in the world.

The indestructible tardigrade: immune to microplastics. While microplastics have invaded the bodies of nearly every sea creature, one tiny organism stands apart: the tardigrade. Known for surviving extreme conditions like space and radiation, tardigrades also seem to resist swallowing microplastics, unlike other small creatures in a recent study. This curious ability adds another layer to their remarkable resilience, baffling researchers as other critters in the study couldn't avoid ingesting these synthetic particles.

New ghost shark species discovered in New Zealand. New Zealand scientists have identified a new species of "ghost shark," or spookfish, in the deep Pacific Ocean. These elusive fish, related to sharks and rays, are hard to study due to their deep-sea habitat and cartilaginous skeletons. Dr. Brit Finucci, part of the research team, expressed excitement about the discovery, noting the challenges in understanding their biology and conservation status.

Cat's mysterious 900-mile journey from Yellowstone to California. Rayne Beau, a gray cat known for his adventurous lifestyle filled with beach visits and lake trips, recently undertook an incredible solo journey of hundreds of miles from Wyoming to California. After going missing for two months during a camping trip in Yellowstone National Park, the feline managed to find his way back home, leaving his family in awe. The mystery of how he navigated such a vast distance remains unsolved.

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