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Jul 31, 2023

The first US nuclear reactor built from scratch in decades enters commercial operation in Georgia

Posted by in categories: business, nuclear energy

ATLANTA (AP) — A new reactor at a nuclear power plant in Georgia has entered commercial operation, becoming the first new American reactor built from scratch in decades.

Georgia Power Co. announced Monday that Unit 3 at Plant Vogtle, southeast of Augusta, has completed testing and is now sending power to the grid reliably.

At its full output of 1,100 megawatts of electricity, Unit 3 can power 500,000 homes and businesses. Utilities in Georgia, Florida and Alabama are receiving the electricity.

Jul 31, 2023

Latest Prompt Engineering Technique Inventively Transforms Imperfect Prompts Into Superb Interactions For Using Generative AI

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

Many aim to enter prompts into generative AI that are so-called perfect prompts. A new technique in prompt engineering says don’t worry, be happy with imperfect prompts.

Jul 31, 2023

Rumors are swirling about a new Tesla battery that could give its cars 100 miles of charge in just 5 minutes

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is the frequent subject of rumors and speculation, all of which must be taken with a grain of salt. But if the newest batch of rumors is to be believed, Tesla is currently looking into an “extreme fast charging” technology developed by Israeli startup StoreDot, per Inside EVs.

The news comes via an article in USA Today that, as Inside EVs noted, “doesn’t cite any sources.” The USA Today article in question was written by a contributor and contained a disclaimer at the bottom reading, “Members of the editorial and news staff of the USA TODAY Network were not involved in the creation of this content.”

If the report is to be believed, Tesla’s interest in StoreDot could mean shorter charging times for Teslas, as the company claims to have developed batteries that can charge 100 miles of driving range in just five minutes, per Inside EVs.

Jul 31, 2023

Euclid space telescope sends back amazing first images of the cosmos

Posted by in category: space

The European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope launched on 1 July, and now it has delivered its first stunning pictures of stars and galaxies across the cosmos.

By Leah Crane

Jul 31, 2023

How Humans Will Become a Multi-Planetary Species

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, policy

Rothschild calls this “living tech,” which starts with the power of the cell. Microscopic organisms will produce silk, wool, latex, silica, and other materials. We’ll send digital information to biofactories on Mars through DNA sequences. We’ll generate and store power using living organisms. Rothschild said one of her students incorporated silver atoms into plant DNA to make an electrical wire.

“Once you think of life as technology,” Rothschild said, “you’ve got the solution.”

Continue reading “How Humans Will Become a Multi-Planetary Species” »

Jul 31, 2023

DeepMind Announces Med-Palm M: A Generalist Medical AI System

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, robotics/AI

The first generalist medical AI system is out. DeepMind just announced Med-PaLM M, a Multimodal Generative AI model that understands:

Jul 31, 2023

The ‘doomed Phobos moon’ is about the crash into Mars

Posted by in category: space

When NASA’s Perseverance Rover observed an image from Mars of its moon Phobos eclipsing the Sun, it was a reminder that the astronomical body is doomed to crash into the planet. Phobos is the closest of Mars’ two moons and it is due to fall out of orbit relatively soon.

Jul 31, 2023

To Avoid War, the U.S. Should Increase Its Nuclear Arsenal

Posted by in categories: government, military

Arms reduction is a noble goal, but it’s not one being pursued by some of the worst regimes in the world. The late George Shultz, former secretary of state for Ronald Reagan and a Cold Warrior, once advised against proliferating nuclear weapons. He quipped that “proliferation begets proliferation,” which the arms control lobby has used for decades to prevent the U.S. government from developing nukes.

Jul 31, 2023

Headlines Last Week Linked Aspartame to Cancer — Were They Right?

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

The World Health Organization stated it’s possible but based this on limited evidence and no explanation of the mechanism for causing it.

Jul 31, 2023

News About Advances in Sodium-Ion and Solid-State Batteries

Posted by in categories: economics, energy, sustainability, transportation

Sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries and solid-state batteries have both been in the news recently. Why? Because the need for battery storage is growing rapidly as the global economy seeks carbon-based energy alternatives in pursuit of the goal to achieve net-zero emissions by the mid-century.

Na-ion Battery News

In April I wrote about BYD, a Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, that is using sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery packs instead of lithium-ion (Li-ion) in some of its models. In its latest report, IDTechEx, out of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, states that although Na-ion batteries are not the answer to all battery-power applications, they do provide a complimentary addition to battery packs used not just in EVs but also for backup power within utilities and factories.