AP Top Science News at 5:25 p.m. EDT
More cows are being tested and tracked for bird flu. Here's what that means
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TechCrunchVarda Space's orbital drug factory success fuels $90M in new funding
Varda Space Industries has closed a massive tranche of funding just weeks after its first drug manufacturing capsule returned from orbit. The company’s $90 million Series B round marks an inflection point for the company, which is now gearing up to scale from the initial demonstration mission to a regular set of missions carrying customer payloads, Varda founder Delian Asparouhov told TechCrunch. El Segundo-based Varda was founded in 2021 by Asparouhov, who is also a partner at Founders Fund, and Will Bruey, a spacecraft engineer who cut his teeth at SpaceX.
- TechCrunch
Space startups are licking their lips after NASA converts $11B Mars mission into a free-for-all
NASA administrator Bill Nelson has pronounced the agency's $11 billion, 15-year mission to collect and return samples from Mars insufficient. "The bottom line is, an $11 billion budget is too expensive, and a 2040 return date is too far away," Nelson said at a press conference. In other words, clear the decks and start over — with commercial providers on board from the get-go.
- Yahoo News
NASA releases 'unprecedented' Horsehead Nebula image captured by James Webb Space Telescope. What to know about the stellar nursery.
The image of the Horsehead Nebula captures the iconic nebula in a whole new light.
- Engadget
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft may finally take its first crewed flight next week
Boeing's Starliner crew capsule is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex-41 in Florida on Monday, May 6. The launch window opens at 10:34PM ET. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be on board.
- TechCrunch
Snowflake releases a flagship generative AI model of its own
All-around, highly generalizable generative AI models were the name of the game once, and they arguably still are. Case in point: Snowflake, the cloud computing company, today unveiled Arctic LLM, a generative AI model that's described as "enterprise-grade." Available under an Apache 2.0 license, Arctic LLM is optimized for "enterprise workloads," including generating database code, Snowflake says, and is free for research and commercial use.
- Engadget
NASA will be studying the total solar eclipse. Here's how you can help
On Monday, April 8, a total solar eclipse will be visible across a swath of North America, from Mexico’s Pacific coast to the easternmost reaches of Canada. NASA has sponsored a handful of citizen science projects that anyone can participate in.
- Engadget
Physicist Peter Higgs, who predicted 'the God particle', has died at 94
Peter Higgs, the famous physicist who predicted the Higgs boson particle, has passed away at the age of 94. He won the Nobel Prize in 2013 for his research.
- TechCrunch
Boeing's Starliner set to fly astronauts for the first time on May 6
Boeing’s Starliner is a go for launch. Leaders from NASA and Boeing told reporters that the first crewed Starliner mission, which will see the capsule carry two astronauts to the International Space Station, is moving ahead toward its historic May 6 launch date. NASA and Boeing concluded that the capsule is ready for launch after completing a critical flight test review on Thursday.
- TechCrunch
Sundar Pichai on the challenge of innovating in a huge company and what he's excited about this year
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai took the stage on Wednesday at a Stanford event held by the university's business school, offering some small insights into what he thinks about running one of the world's most valuable tech companies. It was a notable appearance because Pichai's been having a bit of a rough go lately. Google is widely perceived to have gotten a late start on generative AI, trailing behind Microsoft-funded OpenAI.
- TechCrunch
TechCrunch Space: Rapidly responsive... space stations!?
While there are scant details as to the mission profile, I can't help but feel ultra-intrigued by this news from space station developer Gravitics, which was selected to develop orbital platforms to enable rapid response space missions. Gravitics co-founder and CMO Mike DeRosa did clarify in an email that the company is not putting a module on a rocket for a tactically responsive launch. Instead, the mission is related to developing “platforms to enable a new kind of tactically responsive space mission,” he said.
- TechCrunch
Proxima Fusion raises $21M to build on its 'stellarator' approach to nuclear fusion
Venture capitalists' appetite for fusion startups has been up and down in the last few years. For instance, the Fusion Industry Association found that while nuclear fusion companies had attracted over $6 billion in investment in 2023, $1.4 billion more than in 2022, the 27% growth proved slower than in 2022, as investors battled external fears such as inflation. The field reached a significant milestone in 2022 when the Department of Energy’s National Ignition Facility managed to bring about a fusion reaction that produced more power than was required to spark a fuel pellet.
- Yahoo Sports
New details emerge in alleged gambling ring behind Shohei Ohtani-Ippei Mizuhara scandal
It turns out the money was going from Ohtani's bank account to an illegal bookie to ... casinos.
- Yahoo Sports
How to watch the 2024 WNBA preseason tonight: Caitlin Clark’s next Indiana Fever game time, channel and more
The WNBA preseason tips off this Friday. Here's how you can catch Caitlin Clark's first game.
- Yahoo Sports
Caitlin Clark catches fire from 3 in WNBA preseason debut; Arike Ogunbowale's late heroics send Wings past Fever
Caitlin Clark’s WNBA preseason debut went much like her senior year at Iowa. She hit a bunch of 3s and did so in front of a sold-out crowd.
- Yahoo Finance
CVS stock plunges after earnings numbers one analyst 'did not even believe'
CVS warns it could cede Medicare Advantage market share as reimbursement rates pressure the company.
- TechCrunch
Acura’s new all-electric SUV proves the most expensive model isn’t always the best
The first electric vehicle I ever drove was a Tesla Roadster in 2011. It was with great anticipation that I slid behind the wheel of the 2025 Acura ZDX Type S. Sure, it's a midsize SUV, but it wears the Type S moniker, a name reserved only for the most fun-to-drive in the Acura stable. On launch, the ZDX will be available in A-Spec and Type S trims -- both of which come equipped with a 102 kWh battery.
- Yahoo Sports
Tight end rankings for 2024 fantasy football 2024
The Yahoo Fantasy football analysts reveal their first tight end rankings for the 2024 NFL season.
- Yahoo Sports
Canelo Álvarez and Oscar De La Hoya erupt in heated exchange ahead of title bout with Jaime Munguía
Canelo Álvarez is set to defend his title against undefeated Jaime Munguía on Saturday in Las Vegas.
- Yahoo Sports
Wide receiver rankings for fantasy football 2024
The Yahoo Fantasy football analysts reveal their first wide receiver rankings for the 2024 NFL season.
- Yahoo Sports
NBA playoffs: Bucks G Patrick Beverley chucks ball at multiple Pacers fans amid elimination
PatBev made the Bucks' playoff exit even uglier.