🚀 Classic vs quantum computers face-off, Russia fines Google $20.5 decillion, Voyager 1 reawakens 15 billion miles away

A Russian court has imposed a fine of 2 undecillion Russian rubles (equivalent to $20.5 decillion) on Google for refusing to restore over a dozen pro-Kremlin accounts on YouTube, a subsidiary of Google.

The penalty has escalated significantly since 2020, when a Russian court determined that not reinstating the channels within nine months of the ruling would incur a daily fine of 100,000 rubles ($1,030), which doubled each week. Dive deeper into this Must-Read.

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💰 Russia fines Google $20.5 decillion over YouTube bans, 195 quintillion times world GDP

The Russian court levied a fine against Google for not complying with the directive to reinstate 17 Russian media accounts on YouTube.

Various Russian TV channels are the victims involved in this case. The court had previously instructed Google to reactivate their YouTube accounts and impose a penalty if they failed to comply.

If the court’s ruling is not carried out within nine months of its effective date, a penalty of 100,000 rubles will be imposed for each day it remains unaddressed. The total increases exponentially each week until the decision is implemented, and there is no cap on the overall fine.

🚀 Voyager 1 is alive: NASA spacecraft reawakens 15 billion miles away from Earth

Voyager 1 has been venturing deep into the interstellar space. But recently, this aging spacecraft encountered a silent challenge. After a brief silence, the distant spacecraft reached out to Earth again on October 24.

On October 16th, Voyager 1’s fault protection system kicked in, a safety measure designed to preserve the spacecraft’s limited power. This unexpected action caused a disruption in communication, leaving the mission team uncertain about its status.

According to NASA, one of the spacecraft’s radio transmitters has malfunctioned, and engineers are investigating the cause. The spacecraft’s fault protection system automatically disabled the transmitter. The automated system protects itself by shutting down unnecessary systems.

⚔️ Tech wars: Classic computer beats rival quantum computer in an epic face-off

Researchers at the Flatiron Institute’s Center for Computational Quantum Physics (CCQ) have achieved a significant breakthrough in understanding the capabilities of both quantum and classical computers.

In January 2024, the researchers surprised the scientific community by successfully using a classical computer to outperform a quantum computer at a task, which was believed to be exclusive to quantum technology.

“This unexpected finding is helping scientists better understand the line dividing the abilities of quantum and classical computers and provides a framework for testing new quantum simulations,” said lead author Joseph Tindall, a research fellow at the CCQ, in a press release.

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