A new investigation indicates that the Milky Way may host an immense quantity of black holes that do not emit light. Simulations conducted by scientists suggest the presence of approximately 170 million of these bodies scattered throughout the galaxy.
This research led to the creation of a probable map of this 'galactic underworld,' detailing how these black holes formed, where they might be located, and what future signals could aid astronomers in their discovery.
Stellar-mass black holes are generated after large stars die. When these stars' fuel supply is exhausted, their core collapses, forming a region of extreme density from which not even light can escape.
This behavior makes observing these objects extremely difficult. Since telescopes rely heavily on light to study the Universe, many black holes remain hidden.
To determine the existing quantity, a team led by astrophysicist Tom Wagg, from the Flatiron Institute in the United States, developed simulations of the evolution of the Milky Way over its 13.6 billion years of history. These models monitored processes such as star birth, stellar explosions, black hole formation, and changes in galactic structure.
The result of these simulations points to the Milky Way having generated about 170 million stellar-mass black holes during its trajectory.
Despite the considerable number, researchers emphasize that these objects are quite dispersed. In the area corresponding to the Solar System, the estimate is one black hole per 6,250 cubic parsecs, representing a vast spatial extent.
The calculations also show that these bodies do not necessarily remain at the exact point of their formation. Supernova explosions have the potential to eject newly created black holes out of the galaxy, resulting in a distribution distinct from that observed among stars.
The simulations presented the following findings:
According to the researchers, observing these objects in the future may help answer questions about how giant stars explode and how black holes themselves originate.
The mass and movement of these bodies can serve as records of events that occurred millions or billions of years ago. This would allow for a comparison between various models related to supernova explosions and galactic evolution.
Even if most of these black holes remain hidden, new astronomical surveys have the potential to validate the projections established by the simulations. If the collected data confirms the calculations, the so-called 'galactic underworld' could become a kind of cosmic archive, holding information about the history of the Milky Way.
Claro has decided not to implement artificial intelligence for fully autonomous telephone support, unlike what Vivo is proposing. Instead, the company will opt for a methodology called 'copilot,' where artificial intelligence and human agents will work collaboratively during customer support.
Marcio Carvalho, Claro's Marketing Director (CMO), informed Tecnoblog that although Claro is integrating AIs into its Customer Service (SAC), there are no plans to grant autonomy to the robots. According to him, Claro's technology will be used to monitor calls in real time, record notes, and provide crucial data to assist human operators.
Carvalho highlighted that while the machine demonstrates excellent training, information retrieval capability, and formulation of relevant questions, human agents have an advantage in understanding subtleties and responding to consumer emotions.
When questioned about the possibility of a robot answering a client in Claro's SAC, similar to what Vivo proposes, Marcio Carvalho was emphatic in denying such an occurrence. However, Claro's AI will act by monitoring the conversation in real time, recording details, presenting data on the consumer profile, and adapting the service script as the dialogue progresses.
The executive explained that the AI can identify if a customer has pending bills or if they have contacted the company in the previous week, thus helping to contextualize and quickly access the customer's history. These AI agents will be run on the computers of the service employees, aiming to streamline processes and solve problems.
In parallel, Vivo is developing an AI project for SAC that includes an automated filtering process. Initially, agents will screen calls via the 0800 number, directing the call to one of three specialized AI assistants created by the operator. This pilot is scheduled to begin in September.
Since Vivo's system is not yet operational, it is not possible to determine how the AI will present itself to consumers. The topic of AI-mediated support has gained international relevance, given that the European Union has required transparency in chatbots and automated systems during customer interactions since the 2nd.
The technological fear known as the 'millennium bug,' which predicted a global collapse at the turn of the century, did not materialize thanks to a joint effort by governments and companies. However, experts warn about an analogous problem scheduled for January 19, 2038.
This error, named Y2K38 or the '2038 bug,' has the potential to affect millions of devices that still operate with old 32-bit systems for date and time recording. Vulnerable equipment includes industrial devices, embedded systems, payment terminals, routers, vehicles, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and even medical equipment.
The issue lies in the Unix Epoch time standard, used by Unix systems and subsequently integrated into databases, network protocols, programming languages, and smartphones like Android and iOS. In this model, the date is not stored conventionally but as the number of seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970, at 00:00 UTC.
In systems that use a 32-bit signed integer to store this value, the maximum limit is 2,147,483,647 seconds. This limit will be reached precisely at 03:14:07 UTC (or 00:14:07 in Brasília time) on January 19, 2038. Upon reaching this point, the counter will overflow and may begin recording incorrect dates, reverting to December 1901 or, in some instances, to January 1970.
The consequences of this error vary depending on the type of equipment affected. While the problem may go unnoticed in simple scenarios, systems that require precise date and time records can present serious failures. Experts indicate risks such as failures in payment terminals, errors in security systems, malfunction of medical equipment, problems in automated lighting, heating, and water supply systems, in addition to interruptions in industrial production lines and failures in vehicles and connected devices.
An additional critical aspect relates to cryptography. A large portion of current digital communications depends on security certificates that cease to operate when the device's date is incorrect. Thus, a device affected by Y2K38 may lose access to protected networks and services, even if its main programs remain operational.
The year 2000 bug occurred because many computers recorded the year using only two digits, which could lead to an interpretation of returning to 1900 when switching from 1999 to 2000. At that time, governments and corporations invested billions to correct the systems before the turn of the century, resulting only in isolated failures, without the predicted global collapse.
Y2K38, however, presents a distinct context. Currently, there is a much larger volume of connected devices, ranging from smart appliances to critical infrastructure and industrial equipment. Additionally, many of these devices remain in use for decades without receiving regular software updates.
According to experts, modern computers already use 64-bit time storage, which eliminates this limit for hundreds of billions of years. The focus of the problem falls primarily on older systems and embedded devices that maintain the 32-bit architecture.
Researchers also warn that Y2K38 should not be seen merely as a software failure, but as a potential security vulnerability. In certain circumstances, intruders can manipulate a device's clock to anticipate the error, either by falsifying Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers or by sending false GPS signals to satellite-dependent devices.
This type of attack is particularly concerning in IoT devices and industrial equipment, which historically take longer to receive security updates.
The positive news is that most contemporary operating systems have already solved this limitation by adopting 64-bit time records. Recent versions of Linux, Windows, macOS, and iOS are not affected by the issue. However, millions of obsolete devices will still need to be replaced, adapted, or updated before January 2038.
Experts advise companies to immediately begin identifying vulnerable devices, checking the support offered by manufacturers, and conducting tests in isolated environments to prevent any failure from compromising operational systems. Although there are more than 11 years until the critical date, researchers warn that the deadline may be insufficient to replace all existing legacy infrastructure. Just as happened with the millennium bug, the success of prevention will depend on a coordinated effort to correct the systems before the clock reaches its limit.
Researchers have created a prototype of glasses capable of transforming infrared light into visible colored images, allowing users to perceive both the common environment and information normally imperceptible to the human eye simultaneously.
How the technology expands human vision beyond the light we see
Human eyes cannot capture infrared light because the photons in this spectral range do not possess enough energy to activate the retina. Although existing equipment, such as thermal cameras and night vision goggles, can detect this radiation, they usually display it in a single tone, either green or grayscale.
The new approach proposed differs by not only representing the intensity of infrared radiation but also converting different wavelengths and intensity levels into various colors. Due to the ease with which the human brain processes colors, this conversion allows for the identification of subtle nuances in infrared light with greater accuracy compared to conventional methods.
The authors of the study themselves state that the technology 'redefines infrared vision by transcending the monochromatic paradigm, translating spectral and intensity signatures of the infrared into discernible color variations, rather than mere brightness changes.'
The prototype employs microscopic particles called mercury telluride colloidal quantum dots. When hit by infrared light, these particles absorb the radiation and convert it into electrical charges. These charges are subsequently sent to an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), which consists of two emitting areas: one red and one cyan.
Lower energy infrared signals generate just enough charge to illuminate the red region. Conversely, higher energy signals activate both regions of the OLED, resulting in distinct color combinations that reflect the characteristics of the received radiation.
The researchers managed to build a model of glasses weighing only 23 grams and conducted tests using infrared light projected onto various objects and moving shapes. During the tests, the device produced sharp, color-coded images while maintaining the ability to allow visible light to pass through. This means the user can view the normal environment while receiving information from the infrared radiation.
The team also monitored electrical responses in the human retina, which confirmed that the light converted by the system was capable of stimulating the participants' eyes normally.
Although the device is still in the prototype phase, researchers believe this technology may have implications far beyond infrared vision. In the scientific article, they mention that by 'surpassing the evolutionary limits of biological photoreception,' this innovation could pave the way for a new generation of visual prosthetic systems and tools capable of expanding human senses.
