Sci-Tech

The New Zealand government on July 8 launched its first national AI strategy, outlining a roadmap to accelerate AI adoption, enhance productivity, and strengthen global competitiveness. The initiative comes as the country lags behind other advanced economies in AI readiness, with many businesses yet to plan AI adoption. Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Shane Reti stated the government will provide regulatory guidance to encourage responsible AI use, along with the Responsible AI Guide to help businesses use, develop and innovate AI in an ethical, transparent way that meets internati

In 2045, even the most conservative forecasts project that over 100 billion devices will be connected to the internet. This vast network encompasses a wide array of devices, including mobile gadgets, wearables, household appliances, medical equipment, industrial sensors, surveillance cameras, automobiles, and even smart clothing. The data generated and shared by these devices is set to trigger a new information revolution, reshaping the way we work and live.

As reported by Reuters on July 10, Europe is pushing forward with building domestic launch facilities in Sweden’s Esrange and Norway’s Andøya to reduce dependence on the U.S. and strengthen its independent space capabilities. The goal is to send satellites into orbit from the European continent for the first time. Previously, Europe’s only launch site was in French Guiana, South America—its remote location and high costs made it hard to meet rising commercial and military needs.

In 2045, robots and automated systems will be an omnipresent part of life on Earth. Self - driving cars are expected to make transportation safer and more efficient, potentially injecting new vitality into the sharing economy. Robots will undertake a vast array of tasks in daily life, such as caring for the elderly, grocery shopping, as well as industrial responsibilities like harvesting crops and maintaining public infrastructure.

Singapore’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAS) announced on July 10 that the Asia Pacific Sustainable Aviation Centre (APSAC) will officially launch on July 14. Partnering with Airbus, Boeing, GenZero (a green investment firm under Singapore’s Temasek), and IATA, APSAC aims to support regional decarbonization through policy research, cross-sector collaboration, and training—making it the world’s first institution focused on policy and capacity-building for sustainable aviation in the Asia-Pacific.

By 2045, an estimated 65% - 70% of the world's population will be residing in urban areas. As the urban population swells, the number of megacities with a population exceeding 10 million is projected to increase from 28 in 2016 to 41 by 2030. This massive influx of people into cities will place immense strain on urban infrastructure, including intercity transportation, food and water supply, power and energy systems, sewage treatment, and public safety networks.

Meta has invested $3.5 billion to acquire roughly 3% of EssilorLuxottica’s Asia-Pacific unit, the world’s largest eyewear maker, in a bid to strengthen its artificial intelligence (AI) glasses business. Sources say Meta is considering raising its stake to around 5% in the future, signaling a shift to reduce reliance on smartphone platforms and build its own dedicated hardware ecosystem.

Chinese scientists have identified a new water-bearing mineral, ULM-1, in lunar soil samples brought back by the Chang'e-5 mission, marking the first confirmation of crystalline molecular water in lunar soil. This mineral, characterized by high water content and stable properties, suggests that persistent water sources may exist in sunlight-exposed regions of the Moon.

Scientists from Austria and the Netherlands have discovered animal life in the hydro - thermal vent area at a depth of 2,515 meters on the East Pacific seabed. The discovered species include large tube worms and sea snails. These living organisms are found in the warm, liquid - filled cavities within the rock fractures, indicating a possible connection between the sub - crustal ecosystem and the seabed ecosystem.

Xinhua News Agency, Sanya, December 29th – The "Exploration - 3", a multi - functional scientific research vessel independently built by China, arrived at the Nanshan Port Public Scientific Research Wharf in Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City on December 29th, 2024, and was officially commissioned. This event marks a significant breakthrough in China's deep - sea exploration capabilities.

Recently, scientists from the United States have reconstructed the curve of Earth's average temperature changes over the past 485 million years. By integrating 150,000 paleoclimate records with model simulations, they found that extreme warming events on Earth are highly correlated with the increase in CO₂ concentration. This research was published in the journal Science.

An international team of scientists has successfully drilled a 1,268 - meter - long mantle core in the Mid - Atlantic Ridge. This is the deepest mantle sample ever retrieved from the ocean floor, mainly composed of serpentinized peridotite, revealing the long - term reaction records between the mantle and seawater.

Scientists have identified what could be the world's oldest rocks in the Nuvvuagittuq greenstone belt along the coast of Hudson Bay in northeastern Canada. These rocks are at least 4.16 billion years old, about 160 million years earlier than the previously recognized oldest rocks, and are the only known surviving fragments of the Earth's Hadean - eon crust, providing a precious window into the early evolution of the Earth.

Quantum computing encodes and manipulates data using subatomic properties like superposition and quantum entanglement. Long confined to theory over past decades, recent research has yielded meaningful progress, with a practical quantum computer likely to emerge within 5–15 years.

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies have sparked immense enthusiasm in the consumer electronics market, with tech giants rushing to enter the space. After acquiring Oculus VR in 2014, Facebook is set to launch its first VR headset this year, while Samsung, Sony, and HTC also plan to roll out their VR products. The influx of capital signals that VR is poised to become the next mainstream entertainment technology.

Over the next three decades, several new weapons technologies will emerge on the battlefield. Beyond currently developing non-lethal and energy weapons, multiple nations are pursuing anti-access/area denial (A2AD) systems to block military operations. A2AD technologies include anti-ship ballistic missiles, precision-guided anti-vehicle and anti-personnel weapons, counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (CRAM) systems, anti-satellite weapons, and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) devices.