This week we examine a new attempt to label AI generated content at its’ origin. We investigate the plans for a new Particle Accelerator that is far bigger than the Large Hadron Collider and we discover a new method for making steel from the toxic leftovers from Aluminum production. Finally we take a look at a gigantic sun spot that was spotted by the Mars Rover late last year.
AI Content Labeling
As AI generated images and content becomes better and better, knowing what is real and what is not, is becoming much more difficult. The European Union will soon require that Tech Platforms identify any AI generated material. The problem is, how do we identify what is human created and what is AI created.
A new approach to labeling which was first launched 2 years ago is now gaining some attention. Called C2PA it is an open source internet protocol that uses cryptography to encode details about the origins of a piece of content. Some call it a nutrition label for content.
By clicking on the icon in the upper right hand corner the origins of the content are revealed. C2PA is secured using a cryptographic series of codes and keys to protect the information from being tampered with and to record the origins of the content.
The system is not fool proof. It relies on creators to opt in and honestly identify AI generated content. It does not guarantee truth or accuracy it only shows the origin. The protocol however could be integrated into camera systems to encode information from the time of initial capture. Social media platforms would also have to cooperate and display the information when requested.
Over time as several protocols are developed, improved and integrated we will end up with a system that people trust enough to identify what is real and what is AI generated. The lack of that proof of authenticity will cause us to doubt and discard content that is not labelled. However, just like the nutrition labels on food, you don’t have to read them before consuming whatever it is inside, but some people will.
New Bigger Particle Collider
We have spoken about the Large Hadron Collider that CERN built under France and Switzerland previously. CERN however is not content with a machine that can smash atoms into pieces so tiny that we were able to prove the existence of the Higgs Boson. They are now in the planning stages of a new bigger collider.
This new collider would be three times longer than the current collider. The goal is to be able to send particles around the ring at nearly the speed of light before smashing into each other. It is believed that this will allow us to see the true nature of particles.
The planned tunnel will be 90.7 kilometers long and 5.5 meters in diameter. It would pass under Geneva and loop south near the French town of Annecy. The planning report is due to be finished in 2025 with a decision on construction to be made by 2028. Construction on the first phase will not commence until 2033.
The first phase, the electron-positron collider, will smash light particles in an attempt to understand the Higgs Boson further and to investigate the weak nuclear force (one of the four fundamental forces). There is also hope that we may discover more fundamental particles that make up matter which to date are only theories.
This stage will cost US$17billion and come online in 2048. The main stage, where protons are smashed together will not be ready until 2070. This stage will use 100 trillion electronvolts of power verses the LHC’s 13.6 trillion.
The final task for the new collider will be to try and figure out what Dark Energy (68% of the universe) and Dark Matter (27% of the universe) actually are. They are called Dark because we know that they don’t interact with light. That is pretty much all we know. We still have much to learn.
Steel from toxic Red Mud
Globally the aluminum industry produces roughly 200 million tons of bauxite residue (red mud) every year. This mud is extremely corrosive as it has high alkalinity and is rich in toxic heavy metals. This waste is usually dumped in landfills at great expense.
Researchers at the Max-Plank Institut fur Eisenfoschung in Germany have developed a way to turn the toxic red mud into steel. Red mud is up to 60% iron oxide. Melting the mud in an electric arc furnace using a plasma with 10% hydrogen reduces the mud to liquid iron and liquid oxides. The iron can then be easily extracted. The metal oxides are no longer corrosive and will solidify on cooling when they are transformed into a glass like material for use in the construction industry.
By using an electric arc furnace the four billion tons of red mud produced to date from aluminum production can be turned into steel whilst saving 1.5billion tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. Aluminum smelters already use Electric Arc furnaces. The process is well understood, economically viable and will require limited additional investment. Future research will determine if any further valuable heavy metals can be extracted from the metal oxides during the process.
Gigantic Sun Spot
Late last year we spoke about the coming increase in solar flares between now and the expected peak in 2025. Solar Flares operate on an 11 year cycle and we are nearing a new peak in activity. Late last year the Mars Rover spotted a massive spot on the surface of the sun (then not able to be seen from Earth). The spot is so large that 4 dark cores, each the size of the Earth were detected.
This spot is a likely source of extremely large coronal mass ejections. These ejections occur when storms on the surface of the sun blast plasma out into the solar system. The planets will then need to deal with the geomagnetic consequences. On Earth that includes disruption to our power grids, radio transmissions, phone networks and electronics.
This giant spot has now turned to face Earth.
Paying it Forward
If you have a start-up or know of a start-up that has a product ready for market please let me know. I would be happy to have a look and feature the startup in this newsletter. Also if any startups need introductions please get in touch and I will help where I can.
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Till next week.