What's New in Tech, Space, and Music This Week?

This week has seen a range of developments across various fields, from space and technology to music. Here's a rundown of the latest news.

First, let's take a look at the Moon's current phase. As of February 24, the Moon is in its First Quarter phase, with 48% of its surface illuminated. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, this phase offers a great opportunity to spot several prominent features on the Moon's surface, including the Mares Fecunditatis, Tranquillitatis, and Serenitatis. With the aid of binoculars or a telescope, you can also see the Endymion Crater, the Mare Nectaris, and the Posidonius Crater.

In the world of technology, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking public comment on AI agent security. The deadline for comments is March 9, 2026. This move is part of NIST's effort to develop guidelines for the secure development and deployment of artificial intelligence systems.

Meanwhile, in Iowa, farmers are leading the fight for the Right to Repair. The Iowa House Agriculture Committee has advanced a bill (HSB 751) that would allow farmers to repair their own equipment, rather than relying on manufacturers. This move is seen as a significant step forward for the Right to Repair movement, which has gained momentum in recent years.

In other tech news, a new language model called Steerling-8B has been released. This model is capable of explaining any token it generates, making it a significant breakthrough in the field of natural language processing. Steerling-8B has been trained on 1.35 trillion tokens and achieves downstream performance within range of models trained on 2–7× more data.

Finally, in the world of music, William Shatner has announced a new metal album featuring 35 iconic metal musicians. The album, which is set to be released soon, promises to be a unique collaboration between Shatner and some of the biggest names in metal.

These developments highlight the diversity of innovation and progress being made across various fields. Whether it's advances in space exploration, AI security, or music, there's always something new and exciting on the horizon.

Sources:

• NASA's Daily Moon Guide
• NIST's Federal Register notice
• Iowa House Agriculture Committee's bill (HSB 751)
• Steerling-8B language model
• William Shatner's metal album announcement