Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2024

Notes:
David Salvagnini, formerly NASA’s chief data officer, is appointed as the new chief artificial intelligence (AI) officer. His expanded role emphasizes responsible AI use. NASA leverages AI tools to support missions and research, analyze data, and develop autonomous systems for spacecraft and aircraft. According to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, AI has long been safely utilized, accelerating discoveries. David will lead NASA’s efforts in responsible AI use, aligning with its mission to benefit humanity.

Notes:
HDFC Bank introduces Pixel Play, India’s first virtual credit card in collaboration with Visa. Available in two variants, Pixel Play and Pixel Go, it allows users to customize cards based on lifestyle and preferred merchants via the PayZapp app. Featuring streamlined digital management, card controls, rewards, and EMI dashboards, HDFC Bank redefines banking experiences.

Notes:
Neeraj Chopra, Olympic champion, clinched gold in his first home competition in three years at the 27th Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar on May 15. Despite a hero’s welcome in Odisha, he expressed dissatisfaction with his performance in the men’s javelin final, despite claiming the top spot on the podium.

Notes:
National Dengue Day, observed annually on May 16, highlights the severity of dengue fever, a potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease affecting millions globally. In 2024, the theme, “Dengue Prevention: Our Responsibility for a Safer Tomorrow,” underscores the importance of community engagement in combating the disease. The initiative aims to raise awareness and promote proactive measures to control dengue outbreaks, emphasizing collective responsibility for public health and safety.

Notes:
The 12th Joint Working Group (JWG) of Indian and Mongolian defence ministers met in Ulaanbaatar on May 16-17, 2024, as part of their annual meetings. Indian delegation led by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary of Defence, and Mongolian delegation by Brigadier General Gankhuyag Davagdorj. Discussions included bilateral cooperation, Indian Armed Forces capabilities, and potential collaboration in defence manufacturing. Both sides expressed satisfaction with ongoing cooperation and pledged to enhance it further.

Notes:
Renowned Hindi and Marathi storyteller Malti Joshi, Padma Shri awardee, passed away at 90 due to oesophagus cancer in New Delhi on May 15, 2024. Born on June 4, 1934, in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, she grew up in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. She excelled in Hindi literature, earning a Master’s from Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University. Known as the “Meera of Malwa,” Joshi’s impactful storytelling legacy spans across Hindi literature.

Notes:
Marble mined in Ambaji, Gujarat, has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the Central Government. Known as Ambaji White Marble, it is renowned for its pristine white color with unique gray or beige veining. This marble is durable, long-lasting, and has a smooth, polished surface, making it popular for luxury architectural projects, sculptures, and monuments.

Notes:
NASA’s PREFIRE polar mission, launching from New Zealand on May 22, involves twin satellites measuring Earth’s poles six hours apart. The mission aims to reveal the full spectrum of heat loss from polar regions, improving climate models. PREFIRE will address knowledge gaps, enhancing predictions of climate change and sea level rise by providing new data on how Earth’s atmosphere and ice influence heat radiation from the Arctic and Antarctic.

Notes:
RoseTTAFold, an AI software from the University of Washington, could transform target discovery and drug interaction understanding. Developed at the Institute for Protein Design, it employs generative diffusion-based architectures to predict structural complexes. This ‘three-track’ neural network integrates sequential patterns in proteins, amino acid interplay, and probable 3D configurations. It can forecast structures and interactions among protein, DNA, and RNA combinations, offering profound potential for scientific advancement.

Notes:
New genetic research reveals South Africa’s Mpumalanga-based leopards trace their ancestry back to an ice age nearly 1 million years ago. Mitogenomes, distinct DNA molecules outside the cell nucleus, hold maternal genetic information, inherited solely from mothers to offspring. Abundant and easily extractable, mitogenomes offer a reliable means to trace species lineage as genes mutate consistently over time.