That's how long radio astronomer Frank D. Drake pointed the 26-meter telescope at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) research facility in Green Bank, West Virginia, towards the heavens, looking for signs of intelligent life beyond Earth. He dubbed his efforts Project Ozma, in honor of the Queen of Oz from L. Frank Baum's famed children's book series. Between April and July of 1960, Drake recorded some 150 hours of tape speckled with radio noise. While no meaningful encoded signals or patterns emerged from those readings, Drake still earned himself a place in history for performing what would become the first scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence in the modern era. Since then, research organizations around the world have performed nearly 100 SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) experiments.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is nothing but several interesting technologies clubbed together to better the human efficiency. The term AI might seem a little daunting to accept but in reality, it is just a way of work. Today, AI is bringing about innovations across all the sectors globally. It is bringing in a considerable change in how systems will perform in future. However, implying that computers will be replacing the human brain is an unnecessary worry.

A herd of elephants walks in front of Mount Kilimanjaro in Amboseli National Park. A centuries-old problem that has affected nearly every region on Earth is about to get a high-tech solution. Artificial intelligence company Neurala is using machine learning coupled with cameras and drones to put a stop to the poaching crisis in Africa. Focusing on the rhino population (which, for just black rhinos, has dwindled by 97.6 percent since 1960) and African elephants (35,000 of which were killed last year), the company is enhancing the Lindbergh Foundation's effort to track and predict the paths of both at-risk animals and the poachers who are hunting them. "We believe that Neurala is the first to have AI software that can identify wildlife and poachers," Neurala CEO Massimiliano Versace told the Observer.

The Middle East and North Africa's youthful, fast-urbanizing population are perfectly placed to embrace technology and reap the rewards of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Much has been written already about the arrival of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the opportunity that the convergence of its new technologies offers in terms of building value into production systems and economies around the world. In one sense, the playing field could be levelled out. Localized production is being made more feasible for many small producers, setting developing communities on a path towards self-sufficiency, while falling costs could enable factories of all sizes to boost their productivity levels. However, on the opposite side of the equation, news headlines have been dominated by predictions that human workers will be substituted by robots, leading to widespread job losses and heightened societal challenges. Additionally, doubt has been shed on the ability of regions that are less industrialized, or those with fractured economies and infrastructure, to be able to respond to these disruptions and compete effectively in the future.

New and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and cognitive computing – underpinned by Big Data and advanced data analytics – could completely transform the shopping experience as we know it. While still in its infancy in South Africa, a handful of retailers are testing some pretty cool technologies in an attempt to improve the shopping experience and better serve their customers. World Wide Worx found that online shopping in South Africa is expected to reach just 1% of overall retail spend in 2016, constrained by challenges such as high data costs, a lack of trust in e-commerce and a large unbanked population who do not have the means to transact online. The adage that online is killing the brick-and-mortar store might be true for more developed markets, but, for now, South Africans still flock to the more than 2 000 shopping malls across the country, limiting their online activities to window shopping and price comparison. If this trend continues, then South Africans could be in for a real treat when these new technologies make it to our shores.

Garry Kasparov, one of the greatest chess players of all time, is famous for his pair of faceoffs against the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue. Kasparov won the first match against the computer, 4-2, in 1996, but lost in the rematch, 3½-2½, in 1997. He recently published a book, "Deep Thinking," about the experience. Business Insider recently spoke with Kasparov about Deep Blue, his thoughts on AI, and machine advancements over the past 20 years -- and how he sees the interplay between machine intelligence and humanity. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Garry Kasparov: AI as a concept is surrounded by mythology. Most of the things we mention we understand. You know, if we say "white," we all see it's white. If we talk about elements of computer science or some general items, we are in agreement.

"Artificial intelligence company Neurala is using machine learning coupled with cameras and drones to put a stop to the poaching crisis in Africa" writes Business Editor Writing for observer.com. And while the current effort is focused on elephants and rhinos, Versace said this technology could be used to save other animals from poaching as well.We have heard of a company using AI to predict the paths that poachers might take, but that is not working directly with the animals." Neurala's AI will assist human analysts by automatically sifting through terabytes of video taken by drones in real time.

Drones have the potential to play a big role in protecting endangered species, with a number of trials being conducted to investigate how small aerial surveillance aircraft can be used to combat poaching. The latest effort involves the use of artificial intelligence software to quickly identify poachers and animals in drone footage, in an attempt to better protect elephants and rhinos. Developed by Neurala, the software will be used by the Lindbergh Foundation in its efforts to combat poaching. It's designed to keep an eye on video as it's streamed back to researchers from drones in the field and identify animals, vehicles and poachers in real time without any human input. The software can analyze regular or infrared footage, so works with video taken day or night.

On January 22nd, two days after President Trump was inaugurated, he received a memo from his new Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, recommending that the United States launch a military strike in Yemen. In a forty-year career, Mattis, a retired Marine Corps general and a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, had cultivated a reputation for being both deeply thoughtful and extremely aggressive. By law and by custom, the position of Defense Secretary is reserved for civilians, but Mattis was still a marine at heart. He had been out of the military for only three years (the rule is seven), and his appointment required Congress to pass a waiver. For the first time in his professional life, he was going to the Pentagon in a suit and tie. Mattis urged Trump to launch the raid swiftly: the operation, which was aimed at one of the leaders of Al Qaeda in Yemen, required a moonless night, and the window for action was approaching. Under previous Administrations, such attacks entailed ...

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei said on Tuesday it planned a global expansion into computers, posing a fresh challenge to established PC players in a market that has suffered two years of falling sales volumes. At a news conference in Berlin, Huawei introduced its first line-up of three personal computer models, including a 15.6-inch screen notebook, a 2-in-1 tablet and notebook hybrid and an ultra slim, metallic 13-inch notebook. Initially, the new entrant is targeting the premium-priced consumer market, pitting it against Lenovo, HP and Dell, which collectively hold more than 50 percent of the PC market, and possibly even Apple's shrinking Mac computer business. China's Huawei launches its first laptop line and takes aim at Apple Lenovo, HP and Dell: The Matebook X is a fanless notebook with splash-proof screen and combined fingerprint sign-on and power button Huawei's Matebook X is a fanless notebook with splash-proof screen and combined fingerprint sign-on and power button, priced between $1,570-$1,900, although no Us pricing has yet been revealed. Its Matebook E 2-in-1 hybrid will run around $1099 while the Matebook D with 15.6-inch display is expected to be priced at around $899. Overall, PC market sales volumes dropped 8.3 percent in 2015 and a further 3.7 percent in 2016, according to research firm Gartner, which has predicted a flat outcome this year and increasing market consolidation through 2020.