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☆ U.S. government wants to move conversation around UFOs from speculation to science
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, have captured the imagination of Americans for decades. But much of the conversation has been confined to science fiction movies and novels. A big one suggests the U.S. has been concealing alien life and technology in secret compounds like Area 51 in Nevada. A 2019 poll found 68% of respondents believed the U.S. government knows "more about UFOs than it is telling us." Then, in June 2022, NASA convened an independent expert panel to help study UAP incidents and advise the Department of Defense on how to gather and interpret data on UAPs.

Persons: Ryan Graves, Graves Organizations: UAP, Safe Aerospace, U.S . Navy, UAPs, National Intelligence, Pentagon, NASA, of Defense, DoD Locations: Nevada, U.S, Washington

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThese companies are leading the charge to manufacture materials in spaceSpace offers a unique environment for research and development because its higher levels of radiation, microgravity and near vacuumless state allow companies to come up with new manufacturing methods or materials that are not possible on Earth. CNBC spoke with two companies, California-based Varda Space Industries and UK-based Space Forge, to see how the startups hope to make manufacturing in space a profitable business.

Persons: Varda Organizations: Space, CNBC, Varda Space Industries Locations: vacuumless, California

☆ Why startups are investing millions to make drugs and semiconductors in space
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Now, several space startups see an opportunity to satisfy in-space manufacturing demand using compact space factories. One company is Varda Space Industries in Southern California. Varda Space Industries' first pharmaceutical manufacturing satellite and reentry vehicle attached to a Rocket Lab Photon bus. Years of research have shown that protein crystals grown in space are much higher quality than those grown on Earth. Across the Atlantic in Cardiff, Wales, Space Forge is working on designing its own in-space factory to manufacture next-generation semiconductors.

Persons: Ilan Rozenkopf, Joe Biden, Varda, Asparouhov, we've, Andrew Parlock Organizations: pharma, McKinsey . Space, NASA, ISS, Varda Space Industries, Pfizer, Space Locations: vacuumless, Southern California, U.S, Cardiff , Wales, Space Forge's

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow China's satellite navigation technology is challenging U.S. GPSFor decades, the United States has been a leader in satellite navigation technology thanks to GPS. But in 2020, China launched the last satellite needed to complete its own global system called Beidou. Since then, the influence of Beidou has grown, with an estimated 1.1 billion people now using the system. Experts say Beidou underpins not only China's military ambitions, but is also spurring economic growth in the country and increasing its diplomatic leverage.

Organizations: GPS Locations: United States, China, Beidou

☆ How China is threatening U.S. GPS dominance with Beidou
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

GPS, or the Global Positioning System, is the oldest and most widely used satellite navigation system in the world with 6 billion users. But the U.S. is not the only country with its own global navigation satellite system. The latest entrant is China's Beidou constellation. But experts say China's Beidou system is about more than just military might. To find out more about China's Beidou satellite navigation system, what implications it may have for the world, and how the U.S. is working to bolster its own GPS constellation, watch the video.

Persons: Mikie Sherill, Galileo, Sarah Sewall, Sewall Organizations: GPS, U.S, Space Force, U.S . Air Force, House GPS Caucus, European Union, Galileo, State, Civilian Security, Human Locations: U.S, Russia, China, Taiwan

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy Alstom and Siemens are ramping up passenger train productionA big boost to the rail industry has come from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which was passed in 2021 and designates $66 billion to improve the nation's rail system. CNBC visited two of the biggest passenger railcar manufacturers operating in the country: Siemens and Alstom to see how they are ramping up passenger train production and to learn what they see as the future of passenger rail in the U.S.

Organizations: Alstom, Siemens, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, CNBC Locations: U.S

☆ How Siemens and Alstom are preparing for a passenger rail boom in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Once a leader in passenger rail, the U.S. has since fallen behind many industrialized nations in rail funding and ridership — but investment is picking up. Investment in passenger rolling stock across North America, which includes high-speed rail, light rail, metro, passenger coaches and locomotives, is expected to increase 4.7% per year between 2021 and 2026, according to a projection from McKinsey & Company. Aside from the government, private companies are also working on beefing up passenger rail in the country. Brightline has already built out its passenger rail service in Florida, and its sister company, Brightline West, is working on a high-speed passenger rail line between Las Vegas and Southern California. CNBC visited railcar manufacturers Siemens and Alstom to see how they are ramping up passenger train production and to learn how the companies view the future of passenger rail in the U.S. Watch the video to find out more.

Persons: Marc Buncher, Scott Sherin, We've, Brightline Organizations: Investment, McKinsey & Company, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, Siemens Mobility North, CNBC, Alstom, Amtrak, Alstom U.S, Siemens, U.S . Locations: U.S, North America, United States, Hornell , New York, Europe, Florida, Las Vegas, Southern California

☆ A look inside Amazon's new $2.5 billion headquarters in Arlington, Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailA look inside Amazon's new $2.5 billion headquarters in Arlington, VirginiaAmazon unveiled the first phase of its new $2.5 billion headquarters in Arlington, Virginia on Thursday. Amazon says that the campus will eventually house 8,000 employees.

Organizations: Arlington , Virginia Amazon Locations: Arlington , Virginia

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailInside the world's largest lithium producerAlbemarle, the world's top producer of lithium and the operator of mines in Australia, Chile and the U.S., says it plans to bring its Kings Mountain, North Carolina mine online by 2027. The company, along with its main competitors SQM and Pilbara, control about 40% of the world's lithium supply, according to KeyBanc Capital Markets. Lithium is a critical mineral in electric vehicle batteries. CNBC got an inside look at Albemarle's operations in the U.S. and Chile.

Persons: Albemarle Organizations: KeyBanc, CNBC Locations: Australia, Chile, U.S, , North Carolina

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHere's how banks finance credit card rewardsRewards credit cards are everywhere and Americans love them. About 90% of all credit card spending is on rewards cards. In 2019, consumers received about $35 billion in rewards. But how are banks paying for all these perks? Some economists claim there's an annual redistribution of more than $15 billion from less to more educated, poorer to richer and high- to low-minority areas, widening existing disparities.

☆ 7 things the Class of 2022 wish they knew before graduating from college: 'Don't be afraid to take time off'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

One of the most exciting parts of leaving college is leaving behind the scripted, predictable rhythm of school. After college, your friends change, your responsibilities change, your routine and habits change. If I could go back, I would tell myself to enjoy life a little bit more. Now is the time to enjoy life – don't be afraid to take time off from work, travel and take advantage of every opportunity to explore new places. Kalidas Shanti, 23, Cambridge, MassachusettsShanti graduated from Amherst College in May 2022 and started working as a data analyst at Mathematica in October.

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow sodium-ion technology will compete with lithium-ion batteriesSodium-ion batteries have a similar design to their lithium-ion counterparts and can be manufactured using related methods. Sodium-ion batteries can't provide the type of range for electric vehicles offered by lithium-ion batteries, but they do present some unique advantages. For instance, the materials used in sodium-ion batteries tend to be cheaper than those in lithium batteries. CNBC spoke to two such companies, Natron Energy and Faradion, that are looking to commercialize the technology.

☆ Here's why sodium-ion batteries are shaping up to be a big technology breakthrough
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sodium-ion batteries have been around for decades, but large-scale development of the technology was abandoned in favor of lithium-ion batteries. Sodium-ion batteries can't provide the type of range for electric vehicles offered by lithium-ion batteries, but they do present some unique advantages. For instance, the materials used in sodium-ion batteries tend to be cheaper than those in lithium-ion batteries. "There's no cobalt, there's no copper, there's no lithium, there's no graphite, which is really primarily controlled by China today." Natron Energy, based in Silicon Valley, is also working to commercialize sodium-ion battery technology.

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow silicon could enable cheaper EVs, electric flight and more powerful batteriesLithium-ion battery performance has reached a plateau in recent years, but a breakthrough in battery technology is about to change that. Using silicon instead of graphite, the commonly used material in battery anodes today, enables significantly higher energy density and faster charging. The new tech has attracted the attention of big players such as GM, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Airbus. CNBC spoke with Sila, Amprius and Group14 to learn how the new batteries will transform EVs and more.

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHere's what led Virgin Orbit to bankruptcyVirgin Orbit seemed like a promising company. It was well capitalized, had a dedicated team of talent and a functioning launch system. But launch delays, an inability to land a major customer and an evolving satellite launch market eventually got the company in hot water. Watch the video to find out more about what led to Virgin Orbit's eventual bankruptcy.

☆ Virgin Orbit was a promising company that could never find a working business model
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Virgin Orbit started as a program of Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic in 2012, before being spun off into a separate company five years later. But Virgin Orbit was dogged by delays. "Virgin Orbit did not have an anchor customer." In late March, Virgin Orbit said it was laying off the majority of its workforce and ceasing operations "for the foreseeable future" after failing to secure a funding lifeline. Watch the video to find out more about what led to Virgin Orbit's collapse.

☆ Weary Bulgarians go to polls for fifth time in two years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Stoyan Nenov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SOFIA, April 2 (Reuters) - Bulgarians vote in their fifth parliamentary election in two years on Sunday amid rising resentment towards political elites who many see as unwilling to tackle graft and economic reforms. Voting starts at 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) and ends at 8 p.m. The two coalitions are neck and neck in opinion polls, with the latest by Exacta Research Group showing them at 26.2% and 25.6%, respectively, and the nationalist Revival party at 12.8%. Once an ally of President Vladimir Putin, Sofia has supported Kyiv since Moscow launched what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine. Writing by Justyna Pawlak; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ As climate change intensifies extreme weather, NOAA looks to startups to help improve its forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The U.S. experienced 18 separate billion-dollar weather or climate disasters in 2022, costing a total of $165 billion in damages. This information is then fed into powerful supercomputers that produce weather models that meteorologists use to come up with forecasts. As climate change intensifies extreme weather events, accurate weather forecasting is becoming more important than ever. The weather forecasting services industry in the U.S. was estimated to be worth about $17.4 billion in 2023, according to IBISWorld. CNBC spoke with two such companies, Boston-based Tomorrow.io and Alameda, California-based Saildrone, to learn how their technology can help improve weather forecasting for NOAA and others.

The American EV market is small in comparison to operations in China and Europe. In 2021, the U.S. accounted for less than 10% of new global EV registrations, while China accounted for 50% and Europe 35%. China also accounts for 70% of the world's global EV battery production capacity, meaning that the U.S. is heavily dependent on imports of battery minerals. However, a number of companies are currently working on ways to recycle lithium-ion batteries including Spiers New Technologies, or SNT which focuses on remanufacturing, refurbishing, repurposing and recycling EV batteries. With the demand for critical minerals such as graphite, lithium and cobalt expected to increase by 2050, extending the life of an EV battery can be an important step to reduce the need for mining.

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy predicting the weather is so hardWeather forecasting is a complicated task for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that begins with collecting billions of observations per day on metrics like temperature and wind speed. This information is then fed into supercomputers that produce weather models that meteorologists use to come up with forecasts. But these models are not perfect. Now, NOAA is exploring buying data as a service from startups like Tomorrow.io and Saildrone to improve its forecasting.

☆ NASA's $3.5 billion contract has it renting its next-generation spacesuits
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNASA's $3.5 billion contract has it renting its next-generation spacesuitsNASA's been using the current spacesuits on the International Space Station for decades and they are showing their age. The agency has had issues not only with finding the proper sizes to fit its increasingly diverse astronaut corps, but also with degradation of some suit components. Now NASA is turning to two commercial companies, Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, to build and maintain its new generation of spacesuits.

☆ NASA’s $3.5 billion plan to redesign its aging spacesuits
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

NASA has been using the current spacesuits on the International Space Station for decades and they are showing their age. "The spacesuits that are being used now in the International Space Station by NASA are suits that were really designed in the '70s. Now the agency is turning to two commercial companies: Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies , to build and maintain its new generation of spacesuits. Under the Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services Contract, or xEVAS, NASA is providing Collins and Axiom, along with a number of their industry partners, with up to $3.5 billion through 2034. NASA hopes to use this new suit on the International Space Station by 2026.

☆ Why ChatGPT is a game changer for AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy ChatGPT is a game changer for AIOpenAI, which Elon Musk helped to co-found back in 2015, is the San Francisco-based startup that created ChatGPT. The company opened ChatGPT up for public testing in November 2022. In under a week, the artificial intelligence model amassed over a million users, according to OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman. By the end of January, ChatGPT was averaging about 13 million visitors per day. Users have had ChatGPT write everything from essays, to lyrics and even correct computer code.

☆ ChatGPT introduced AI to the masses and it's already affecting us
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

ChatGPT is part of a growing field of AI known as generative AI. Funding for generative AI companies reached $1.37 billion in 2022 alone, according to Pitchbook. "Generative AI is very different. But generative AI still faces a number of challenges, including developing content that is inaccurate, biased or inappropriate. Watch the video to learn more about how generative AI like ChatGPT works and what the technology may mean for businesses and society as a whole.

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWho makes America's semi-trucksNearly every product Americans touch is carried at some point by a truck. Daimler Trucks is the biggest, through its Freightliner brand. Daimler has about 40 percent market share. Upstarts are boldly promising to deliver electric semi trucks and autonomous driving systems. But some industry analysts say there is not a clear business models for a lot of these innovations yet in long haul trucking.

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