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TSMC Fast-Tracks Production of Cutting-Edge Nodes in The US, With A16 (1.6nm) To Now Debut a Year Earlier Amid US-Taiwan Parity Pressure
TSMC plans to accelerate US manufacturing, with its new Arizona fab now expected to introduce high-end nodes, such as the A16, significantly ahead of the original timeline.
For those unaware, there’s still a concern by the US administration around TSMC’s operations in the US and Taiwan, and according to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the USG is now demanding that TSMC produce ‘50% of its total chip capacity’ in America, to ensure that the nation is safeguarded from geopolitical tensions between China and Taiwan. According to a report by the Taiwan Economic Daily, the new Arizona Fab 3 is set to introduce 2nm and A16 in America by 2027, a year ahead of the original timeline.
TSMC is currently pursuing mass production of 4nm in its Arizona facility, and 3nm production lines are also being laid, with production expected to commence by year-end. More importantly, TSMC plans to introduce both 2nm and A16 (1.6nm) with TSMC’s fourth Arizona fab by 2027, which means that relative to Taiwan, the US will just be a year behind, which is a considerable progress in just a span of ‘few months’. In general, TSMC’s 2nm production is slated for next quarter, while A16 will be introduced around H2 2026.
Teams with budding researchers are more likely to drive scientific disruption, new study finds
Scientific research apparently has its own share of beginner’s luck. According to a study by Mahdee Mushfique Kamal and Raiyan Abdul Baten, teams with a larger number of newbies take the cake when it comes to transformative scientific research. Their study examined 28 million articles spanning five decades of scientific publications to understand how beginner authors drive scientific advancement.
The duo developed what they call a disruption score, ranging from-1 to +1. A score closer to-1 indicates that a paper mainly reinforces existing knowledge and builds directly on established work. On the other end of the spectrum lies +1, which signals a disruptive paper which has the ability to shift the direction of science by opening new paths and making previous work less central.
They observed a universal phenomenon known as the “beginner’s charm,” where teams with higher fractions of beginner authors systematically produced more disruptive and innovative scientific work. Teams with more senior members produce less disruptive work, and this negative correlation was strong.
Autism should not be seen as single condition with one cause, say scientists
Autism should not be viewed as a single condition with a unified underlying cause, according to scientists who found that those diagnosed early in childhood typically have a distinct genetic profile to those diagnosed later.
The international study, based on genetic data from more than 45,000 autistic people in Europe and the US, showed that those diagnosed in early childhood, typically before six years old, were more likely to show behavioural difficulties from early childhood, including problems with social interaction, but remain stable.
Those diagnosed with autism later, typically after the age of 10, were more likely to experience increasing social and behavioural difficulties during adolescence and also had an increased likelihood of mental health conditions such as depression.
Study reveals genetic and developmental differences in people with earlier versus later autism diagnosis
Researchers find different genetic profiles related to two trajectories that autistic children tend to follow. One is linked to early diagnosis and communication difficulties in infancy. The other is linked to later diagnosis, increased social and behavioral difficulties in adolescence, and higher rates of conditions like ADHD, depression, and PTSD.
An international study led by researchers at the University of Cambridge has discovered that autism diagnosed in early childhood has a different genetic and developmental profile than that of autism diagnosed from late childhood onwards.
The scientists say that the findings challenge the long-held assumption that autism is a single condition with a unified underlying cause.
