Technologies

Harvard astronomer begins new search for alien spaceships in our skies

The famous (or infamous, depending who you ask) scientist and E.T. believer, Avi Loeb, is out to capture some UAP sightings of his own.

Harvard’s most controversial astronomer is leading a new initiative, dubbed the Galileo Project, to check Earth’s skies and the rest of the solar system for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence.

Avi Loeb, the longtime astronomy professor who became well-known for his belief that interstellar object Oumuamua was likely an alien probe, announced the details of his plan via a virtual press conference Monday.

Officially, the initiative is described as «a transparent scientific project to advance a systematic experimental search for cross-validated evidence of potential astro-archaeological artifacts or active technical equipment made by putative existing or extinct extraterrestrial technological civilizations (ETCs).»

Translation: The plan is to use a variety of telescopes to look for alien spaceships, probes or other debris left behind by intelligent beings who weren’t born on Earth.

«What we see in our sky is not something that politicians or militarypersonnel should interpret because they were not trained as scientists,» Loeb told reporters. «It’s for the science community to figure out… based on non-governmental data that we will assemble as scientists.»

The first phase of the project involves setting up a network of dozens of relatively small telescopes around the globe that will attempt to capture new images of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP, the newly favored and more inclusive acronym designed to replace «UFOs»).

A highly anticipated report released by the US Director of National Intelligence in June confirmed the existence of a number of UAP, which the military and intelligence community can offer no certain explanations for.

«The goal of the Galileo Project is to bring the search for extraterrestrial technological signatures from accidental or anecdotal observations and legends to the mainstream of transparent, validated and systematic scientific research,» reads a statement.

New eyes on the sky

To do this, the plan is to focus solely on gathering new data and observations instead of analyzing past UAP sightings like those included in the recent DNI report. The new data will then be analyzed by algorithms and artificial intelligence to attempt to separate true UAP from birds, balloons, drones, satellites and other known explanations.

Project co-founder Frank Laukien, a visiting chemical biology scholar at Harvard and CEO of scientific instrument maker Bruker, noted the Galileo Project won’t be considering any alternative physics-based explanations for new UAP observations.

«We will stick, scientifically, to known physics but will make the data available,»Laukien said.

Loeb has become a polarizing figure in the astronomy community, especially since the release of his book outlining his Oumuamua hypothesis earlier this year, with a number of scientists accusing him of jumping to radical conclusions without appropriate evidence.

«Most scientists don’t discount the possible existence of these types of civilizations (the universe is vast!),» Justin Cowart, a Ph.D. candidate studying Martian geology, tweeted Monday.»But most don’t jump on extraordinary claims without extraordinary evidence, which Loeb likes to do.»

Loeb rejects the premise «extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence» but still hopes to collect some with his new project. Indeed, the nod to Galileo in the project name is a bit of a clap back at his critics by drawing a comparison to the famed 16th century astronomer who was imprisoned for his then-heretical suggestion the Earth revolved around the sun and not vice versa.

Looking further out, too

In addition to trying to spot UAP in the sky, the project also plans to use next-generation telescopes like the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory to look for more objects in thesolar system like Oumuamua, as well as potential alien probes currentlyorbiting Earth to check us out in a low-key way. A description of the project even leaves open the possibility of designing its own purpose-built space observatory:

«We will conceptualize and design, potentially in collaboration with interested space agencies or space ventures, a launch-ready space mission to image unusual interstellar objects such as Oumuamua by intercepting their trajectories on their approach to the sun or by using ground-based survey telescopes to discover interstellar meteors.»

All this is naturally a potentially expensive proposition. Loeb told reporters he has received donations to his research fund at Harvard totaling over $1.75 million in the last two weeks with «no strings attached.»

He says the hope is to increase that funding level by at least ten-fold «to accomplish more rigorous study.»

As for when we could see new UAP images courtesy of the Galileo Project, Loeb said the team is currently selecting its telescopes and hopes to present «interesting results in the coming year.»

«It starts now,» he said.

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Technologies

Imminent Limits on AI Chip Exports Rescinded by Trump Administration

The so-called AI Diffusion Rule was set to go into effect this week. It’s now history.

A limitation on exports of AI processors made in the US that was set to go into effect on May 15 has now been rescinded after an order from the Department of Commerce (PDF).

The AI Diffusion Rule was set in motion at the end of the Biden administration and would have limited the number of AI processors that could be sold to foreign countries. It was meant to give the US an edge in the race for global AI technology, but critics, including tech companies, said it would hurt the companies making the processors by capping their sales.

The Trump administration’s move now lifts restrictions on companies such as Nvidia from selling processors meant for AI applications to other countries, including Mexico, China and Russia.

«These new requirements would have stifled American innovation and saddled companies with burdensome new regulatory requirements,» the Department of Commerce said in a statement. «The AI Diffusion Rule also would have undermined US diplomatic relations with dozens of countries by downgrading them to second-tier status.»

The Department of Commerce said it is still warning companies and the public about allowing US-made AI chips to be used for Chinese AI models and is discouraging the use of Huawei Ascend chips specifically for exported products.

‘Cautious relief’ among chipmakers

Some in the industry worried that the rule could have hurt startups or mid-tier players, but now, the mood is «cautious relief,» said one tech-industry executive.

«While most companies support the need for guardrails around advanced AI capabilities, the AI Diffusion Rule as originally framed created a lot of ambiguity — especially around how ‘diffusion’ would be interpreted in deployment, licensing or technical architecture,» said Dmitry Zakharchenko, chief software officer for Blaize, a California-based AI chip company.

Zakharchenko says the concern among companies like his wasn’t just sales but also cross-country research collaboration, AI model deployment and cloud-infrastructure partners.

«The risk was that overbroad policy could inadvertently restrict benign use cases, including public safety, industrial inspection, and transportation,» he said.

As for what comes next, Zakharchenko said that some of the companies that would have been affected are taking their own steps to mitigate risks from overseas. That, he said, is happening «both at the hardware level and through partner ecosystems.»

«That includes secure boot, encrypted pipelines, regional deployment controls and tighter collaboration with integrators who understand where and how inference workloads are run,» Zakharchenko said.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, May 15

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for May 15.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword is one of those where the same letter gets circled over and over. So if you see a pattern where a certain letter keeps showing up, fill them in, it might help you solve the puzzle. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Direction opposite of WSW
Answer: ENE

4A clue: Shoot out, as lava from a volcano
Answer: SPEW

5A clue: «In what place?»
Answer: WHERE

6A clue: Plants you didn’t plant, perhaps
Answer: WEEDS

7A clue: Like Mini crosswords … and a phonetic description of this puzzle?
Answer: EASY

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Fencing swords
Answer: EPEES

2D clue: Prone to geeking out
Answer: NERDY

3D clue: Farm animals that sound like vowels not seen in this puzzle?
Answer: EWES

4D clue: Stadium at which the Beatles performed an iconic 1965 concert
Answer: SHEA

5D clue: Org. for Hulk Hogan and John Cena
Answer: WWE

How to play more Mini Crosswords

The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for May 15, #234

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 234, for May 15.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Connections: Sports Edition has a tough blue category, but you might get it easily if you’re a fan of a certain international sport. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Get to that ball.

Green group hint: Think Jack Nicklaus.

Blue group hint: Ted Lasso.

Purple group hint: J.R. Ewing.