Good morning. It’s a public holiday in Australia and we’ve got five things to catch you up on in the world of tech.
1. Perfect bear face spotted on Mars
On December 12, from 251 km above the surface of Mars, the HiRise camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spotted a peculiar sight: the face of a bear, peering up from the crust of the Red Planet. According to a University of Arizona release, the bear’s snout and maw are composed of a V-shaped collapse structure, and the outline of its face may be due to the settling of sediment into a subterranean impact crater. The team suggested the collapse structure may be a volcanic or mud vent.
2. Asteroid-mining startup plans its first mission to deep space
AstroForge has announced an ambitious commercial mission to observe a distant asteroid — an important step for the California startup as it strives to become the world’s first deep-space mining company. AstroForge seeks to capitalise on the rapidly evolving state of the spaceflight industry and become the first firm to mine for metals in deep space. The California startup raised $US13 ($18) million in seed funding last year — its first year of existence — and has now formally announced two mining-related missions that are scheduled to launch within the calendar year. The company is partnering with several others to make it happen, including OrbAstro, Dawn Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines.
3. We may not actually need a lot of lithium
The U.S. may need up to 90 per cent less of these materials if it simply prioritises things like public transit, urban walkability, and smaller cars, according to groundbreaking new research from the Climate and Community Project and University of California, Davis. Policies that made cities more walkable and public transit better and more accessible could lower lithium demand between 18 per cent and 66 per cent, while simply limiting the size of EV batteries could cut demand by up to 42 per cent. In the best-case scenario, where multiple types of these policies were implemented, demand for lithium in the U.S. could be more than 90 per cent lower than current estimates.
4. Facebook may reinstate Trump
As reported by Axios, Meta is gearing up to reinstate former U.S. President Donald Trump’s account on Facebook. The account was banned soon after the January 6 Capitol riot for breaking Facebook rules and for further fears of inciting violence. This development comes after Trump’s Twitter account was unbanned, and could allow the former U.S. president to run ads via his pages (which he relied heavily on in previous election cycles, as per the report).
5. Tesla’s future appears rocky
As reported by The Verge, electric vehicle company Tesla has ended its third year in a row in the black, although demand is lowering internationally. Steep price cuts and drama continue for the company, being wrapped up in Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter. “Tesla faces a darker macro in 2023 with fierce competition coming from all angles”, analyst Dan Ives said.
BONUS ITEM: Always was, always will be.
When did Australia Day begin?
“Australia Day has not always been celebrated on January 26, and the meaning of the date has been contested historically and today”, writes @DrBenjaminJones from @CQU.#Auspolhttps://t.co/GgdANk4AXN
— The Conversation (@ConversationEDU) January 25, 2023
Have a nice day.