Scientists have achieved a net energy gain in nuclear fusion for the second time, marking major progress towards realising the potential of the near-limitless energy source. A team at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, who first achieved the feat last December, claimed to have passed a new milestone with fusion ignition by producing even greater energy output than the original experiment. The nuclear fusion process has been described as the “holy grail” of clean energy, as it requires no fossil fuels and leaves behind no hazardous waste. Instead it mimics the natural reactions that occur within the Sun, though harnessing its potential has puzzled scientists since the 1950s. Achieving nuclear fusion ignition is a crucial step towards building commercial power stations, though the technology needs to be significantly scaled up from the current experiments for it to be a viable energy source. The first ever successful fusion energy gain experiment on 5 December, 2022, used lasers to fuse two light atoms into a single one, releasing 3.15 megajoules of energy from 2.05 megajoules of input. Researchers described the milestone as “one of the most significant scientific challenges ever undertaken by humanity” that would “enable the next steps toward clean fusion energy for the future”. Scientists that were not involved in the fusion experiments said the advance had profound implications for the future of the planet. “We are witnessing a moment in history: controlling the power source of the stars is the greatest technological challenge humanity has ever undertaken,” said physicist Arthur Turrell. “This experimental result will electrify efforts to eventually power the planet with nuclear fusion – at a time when we’ve never needed a plentiful source of carbon-free energy more.” A spokesperson for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory said the final results of the latest experiment are still being analysed. The lab plans to present the results at upcoming scientific conferences and in peer-reviewed journals. Several companies are already investing heavily in nuclear fusion, with Microsoft making the world’s first purchase agreement earlier this year. The US tech giant made the deal with Helion Energy, which aims to set up a nuclear fusion power plant within the next five years despite the challenges remaining to make it commercially viable. Helion chief executive David Kirtley said at the time: “We still have a lot of work to do, but we are confident in our ability to deliver the world’s first fusion power facility.” Read More Superconductor breakthrough could represent ‘biggest physics discovery of a lifetime’ – but scientists urge caution Microsoft makes world first nuclear fusion energy deal Zuckerberg says he is ‘ready today’ but ‘not holding breath’ for cage fight with Musk Musk pledges to fund legal bills of X users ‘unfairly treated’ by employers for posts Scientists want to hack the planet to cool it down. The consequences could be extreme

The Biden administration is canceling $72 million in student loans for 2,300 borrowers who say they were cheated by Ashford University, a former for-profit college that was purchased by the University of Arizona in 2020

A British startup spun out from University College London and the University of Bristol raised £13 million ($16.5

The combination of "warp speed" advances in neurotechnology, such as brain implants or scans that can increasingly peek inside minds, and artificial intelligence poses a threat to...

Ever since ChatGPT plugins arrived a few weeks ago, it's been an all-you-can-eat buffet of

Google’s latest Pixel smartphone, unveiled on Wednesday, contains artificial intelligence that is “miles ahead” of its rivals, according to an executive at the company. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro use AI in everything from screening spam phone calls to improving the sound quality of calls – all driven by the new Tensor G3 processor. The unveiling of new AI capabilities comes after the tech giant consolidated its DeepMind and Google Brain research units into one division responsible for developing a “general AI”. Michiel van Eldik, Google vice president for devices and services in Europe, said the company’s AI innovations were how it could set itself apart from rivals, and that it gave them an advantage in the hardware business. “We have probably 15 or 20 years of experience in AI, and that’s where we can truly differentiate in the hardware business,” he said. “Our products are on par, if not better, than any other player out there. If you look at RAM, if you look at display, if you look at batteries, for example. So our story today is very much about artificial intelligence. “The message to the user is that we will give you services nobody else has. It’s not about hardware for us any more – it’s about bringing that great innovation that Google has, and the best of Google to the consumers out there.” Google also announced plans to add generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to its virtual assistant, allowing it to do things like help people plan a trip or catch up on emails and then ask follow-up questions. The Alphabet subsidiary said during its hardware event in New York that it plans to add generative AI features from its Bard chatbot into Google’s version of a virtual assistant, that aims to provide personalized help with reasoning and generative capabilities on mobile devices. “(A) whole task is done through a couple of simple questions that you’re asking your assistant, which is, we think, a very, very powerful concept,” said Sissie Hsiao vice president, Google assistant and Bard. Google and other tech companies have been racing to build some form of generative AI into new or existing products. Meta, Amazon and Microsoft have all stepped up efforts this year. The new version of Google’s assistant will have access to a mobile phone’s camera and microphone, and let users input pictures or audio into the large language model to help answer questions, Hsiao said. It will not include revenue generating features, Hsiao said, because Google is still in the “learning phase” with generative AI. “We want to learn how to make a great experience out of this,” the Google vice president said. Google said the new software would be available to its trusted tester program “soon” but did not disclose a general release date. The company plans to release a version for Android and Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS. The unveiling of the Pixel 8 smartphone, seen as one of the main Android rivals to the recently released iPhone 15, comes amid overheating issues with Apple’s flagship phone. Additional reporting from agencies. Read More 10 ways AI will change the world – from curing cancer to wiping out humanity Google Pixel 8 camera will include ‘creepy’ face-changing AI Man drives off bridge ‘following Google Maps’ Google’s powerful ‘Bard’ AI can now get into your email

Rapper Eminem is ready to dazzle fans in Fortnite's new Big Bang event

OSLO, Norway & AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 22, 2023--

Solar panels combined with next-generation batteries now outperform military-grade diesel generators, according to new analysis. Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that the novel clean energy solution was both cheaper and more reliable than its fossil fuel-powered counterpart. Tests of the two systems were carried out in accordance with the US Department of Defense’s requirements to sustain critical electric loads during a power outage over a 14-day period. The solar systems proved to have a higher resilience and lower cost compared to the diesel-based systems that are currently used, while also being less vulnerable to interruptions in the diesel supply. The researchers also highlighted the net present value (NPV) of the solar storage system, meaning it pays for itself in the long term. “The diesel-fuel-free LDES system outperforms the traditional diesel-based system and provides a large net saving that can be used to pursue third-party financing,” the researchers noted. “The continued rapid decline in photovoltaic (PV) costs allows for utility-scale PV to be economically attractive at many locations. These declines are expected to continue, which will further increase the positive NPV in the future.” The tests were performed on three separate military bases, using an innovative carbon-based battery rather than the more expensive lithium-ion batteries that are typically found in such renewable energy storage systems. The batteries tested in the experiments were Antora Energy’s battery energy storage system (BESS), which the researchers warned were not yet ready for full-scale deployment. The results of the study, however, mean decision makers are already anticipating their roll out. Michael McGhee, the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, described the new system as “the most likely way to easily and simply generate power without the need for off-base supply chains”. The results of the research were published in a study, titled ‘Long-duration energy storage: resiliency for military installations’. Read More Solar panel advances will see millions go off grid, scientists predict

US-based Circle Internet Financial Ltd. is closely watching regulatory developments in Hong Kong after the territory’s new crypto

China’s leading internet search provider Baidu Inc. may get a fresh tailwind from the sooner-than-expected launch of its

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 10, 2023--