Transcript

Hello, this is Erika from ‘Just a Moment News’, bringing you the latest news stories on this 13th of September, 2024.

Starting off with some sad news from South Africa, Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan, a notable anti-apartheid activist and politician, has passed away at the age of seventy-five. His political journey began in the 1970s with the Natal Indian Congress, and he was instrumental during South Africa’s transition to democracy. Gordhan also served as the commissioner of the South African Revenue Service and held ministerial positions in finance and public enterprises. He was known for his firm stance against corruption and state capture. Diagnosed with cancer shortly before his death, Gordhan died surrounded by his family.

In tech news, OpenAI has launched a new series of AI models named “Strawberry”, which includes the o1 and o1-mini models. These models are designed to handle complex queries by incorporating a “chain-of-thought” reasoning process, where problems are broken down into smaller steps. This allows the AI to mimic human-like problem-solving abilities. The Strawberry models have shown significant improvement in areas like science, coding, and mathematics, with the o1 model scoring eighty-three percent on the International Mathematics Olympiad qualifying exam.

Turning to space exploration, a historic event took place with the Polaris Dawn mission, as Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis became the first private citizens to conduct a spacewalk outside SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. This marks the first spacewalk conducted by a private company and could signify a shift towards more commercial space exploration activities. The spacewalk lasted for one hour and forty-six minutes, with both astronauts testing new spacesuit technology and enjoying views of Earth.

Back on Earth, Romans Pizza has addressed concerns raised by a viral video showing a staff member cleaning a used pizza box. The company’s CEO, John Nicolakakis, stated that this is not standard practice and emphasized their commitment to strict hygiene and operational protocols. Romans Pizza is conducting a thorough investigation to ensure that their high standards are maintained.

In scientific advancements, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have made a breakthrough in lithium-ion battery technology, which could increase the range of electric vehicles by up to sixty percent. This was achieved by identifying and addressing the issue of hydrogen molecules in the battery’s electrolyte that hinder lithium ion movement. This discovery could significantly impact the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.

Lastly, a cave discovery in France might shed light on why Neanderthals disappeared. Archaeologist Ludovic Slimak found Neanderthal teeth in Grotte Mandrin, which revealed genetic isolation and potential inbreeding within Neanderthal populations. This isolation could have contributed to their inability to adapt to environmental changes and competition with expanding Homo sapiens populations.

That wraps up our news for today. Thank you for tuning in to ‘Just a Moment News’. I’m Erika, and we’ll see you next time with more updates. Stay informed and take care!

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