All posts tagged: energy

China Working on Energy Weapon That Converges Multiple Beams

China Working on Energy Weapon That Converges Multiple Beams

Where have we heard this one before? Jim Beam China’s military is working on an experimental weapon system that converges multiple streams of microwaves into a powerful energy beam, the South China Morning Post reports. In other words, it’s not entirely unlike the Death Star from the “Star Wars” franchise, albeit on a much smaller scale. According to the report, scientists claim they’ve “completed experimental trials on its potential military use.” However, whether their efforts will ever culminate in a weapon capable enough to destroy a planet like in “Star Wars,” let alone destroy much smaller targets, remains to be seen. Shooting at Alderaan Places For one, accumulating sufficient electromagnetic waves in the same location remains incredibly difficult. According to the SCMP, scientists calculated that they needed to achieve a positional accuracy of mere millimeters, and time synchronization of 170 trillionths of a second — more precise than an atomic clock. Nonenthless, scientists claim to have achieved this level of accuracy during recent experiments. While it won’t be blowing up adversary targets, the researchers found …

IEA highlights uneven global progress in clean energy deployment

IEA highlights uneven global progress in clean energy deployment

The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) recent report on clean energy deployment reveals a complex landscape of growth and challenges in the first half of 2024. While the deployment of clean energy technologies is on the rise worldwide, the report exposes significant variations across regions and technologies. This uneven progress underscores the need for supportive policies to help countries accelerate their clean energy transitions. Solar power and electric vehicles drive clean energy growth According to the IEA’s Clean Energy Market Monitor, solar photovoltaics (PV) and electric vehicles (EVs) are leading the global clean energy surge. Solar PV installation has seen substantial growth, with new capacity additions up by 36% compared to the same period last year. In the United States, solar deployment surged by an impressive 80%. This growth is attributed to lower equipment costs and expanded manufacturing, which have made solar energy more accessible for both residential and commercial users. Similarly, EV sales have seen a robust increase, growing by 25% globally. This trend is especially prominent in China, where EVs accounted for nearly 45% …

EU foreign policy chief warns French energy giant on human rights violations – POLITICO

EU foreign policy chief warns French energy giant on human rights violations – POLITICO

TotalEnergies contracted a Mozambican security unit to defend the plant despite warnings that some soldiers had allegedly carried out human rights abuses.  The energy company told POLITICO it had “no knowledge of the alleged events described” nor “any information indicating that such events took place.” The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, responding to written questions from members of the European Parliament, said Wednesday that he and the Commission had “taken note of the article” and “the alleged actions of the Mozambican army against civilians.” He said that EU legislation going into effect in 2027 would make European companies accountable for the impact of their operations on human rights and the environment inside and outside Europe and require EU countries to “ensure that any victims receive compensation.”   “As such, TotalEnergies will have to comply with the directive should they decide to resume their operations in Cabo Delgado,” Borrell said. The directive, adopted in July, compels companies to safeguard the environment and human rights in their supply chains. The revelation of alleged atrocities at TotalEnergies’ …

Clean energy rollout means China’s emissions may have peaked

Clean energy rollout means China’s emissions may have peaked

China is embracing solar power, with panels on the North Barren Mountain in Zhangjiakou Costfoto/NurPhoto/Getty Images A massive rollout of wind and solar power across China may mean the country’s emissions peaked in 2023, in what would be a historic turning point in the fight against climate change. China’s CO2 emissions hit an all-time high in 2023 as its economy rebounded from the impacts of the covid-19 pandemic. But since then, huge amounts of wind and solar power have been added to the nation’s electricity grid, while emissions from the construction industry have fallen. A new analysis indicates that China’s carbon emissions remained flat from July to September 2024 after falling 1 per cent in the second quarter of the year. It means 2024 emissions may remain flat on 2023 levels overall, or even fall slightly. This would be hugely significant for global climate efforts, says Lauri Myllyvirta at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, a think tank in Finland. “China’s emissions growth has been the dominant factor pushing global emissions up for …

Liquid AI Is Redesigning the Neural Network

Liquid AI Is Redesigning the Neural Network

Artificial intelligence might now be solving advanced math, performing complex reasoning, and even using personal computers, but today’s algorithms could still learn a thing or two from microscopic worms. Liquid AI, a startup spun out of MIT, will today reveal several new AI models based on a novel type of “liquid” neural network that has the potential to be more efficient, less power-hungry, and more transparent than the ones that underpin everything from chatbots to image generators to facial recognition systems. Liquid AI’s new models include one for detecting fraud in financial transactions, another for controlling self-driving cars, and a third for analyzing genetic data. The company touted the new models, which it is licensing to outside companies, at an event held at MIT today. The company has received funding from investors that include Samsung and Shopify, both of which are also testing its technology. “We are scaling up,” says Ramin Hasani, cofounder and CEO of Liquid AI, who co-invented liquid networks as a graduate student at MIT. Hasani’s research drew inspiration from the C. …

Energy drink use associated with shorter, less efficient sleep in college students

Energy drink use associated with shorter, less efficient sleep in college students

A recent study of over 50,000 Norwegian students revealed that individuals who drank energy drinks daily tended to have lower-quality sleep compared to students who rarely or never consumed energy drinks. Daily energy drink consumers had shorter, less efficient sleep, took longer to fall asleep, and required more time to wake up. The research was published in BMJ Open. Energy drinks are beverages designed to boost energy, alertness, and concentration. They typically contain high levels of caffeine, sugar, and other stimulants such as taurine, guarana, and B vitamins. These drinks are popular among individuals seeking a quick energy boost, particularly students, athletes, and those working long hours. However, excessive consumption can lead to side effects such as increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and anxiety. Regular intake of energy drinks, especially those high in sugar, may contribute to health risks like obesity and dental problems. Due to these potential health concerns, many health organizations recommend moderation in their use, particularly among young people. Study author Siri Kaldenbach and her colleagues aimed to investigate how often …

Strategic spatial plan to transform UK energy infrastructure

Strategic spatial plan to transform UK energy infrastructure

The UK Government is accelerating its mission to become a global clean energy superpower by developing a comprehensive plan to reshape the nation’s energy infrastructure. This strategic move to optimise UK energy infrastructure is designed to fast-track the transition from fossil fuels and create a robust, sustainable energy system that benefits both the economy and the environment. Minister for Energy Michael Shanks explained: “To help drive growth and investment in our clean energy future, we need to provide investors with the long-term certainty and stability that they have been crying out for. “That’s why we need a more strategic approach to our energy system, ensuring we can quickly scale up investment in the right infrastructure where we need it to keep costs down and speed up our transition to clean power. “Delivering the country’s first-ever spatial plan will be a major milestone for our new public energy body.” Long-term stability for investors and communities To ensure the UK’s energy transition is smooth and sustainable, the newly formed National Energy System Operator (NESO) has been tasked …

US Government Says Relying on Chinese Lithium Batteries Is Too Risky

US Government Says Relying on Chinese Lithium Batteries Is Too Risky

Analysts at the US Department of Homeland Security shared an internal report to local agencies in August, warning them about the economic risks of using Chinese utility storage batteries. It warns that the dependence on Chinese batteries could hurt developing a secure supply chain in the US. The document, first obtained by national security transparency nonprofit Property of the People and seen by WIRED, accuses Chinese companies of “using People’s Republic of China state support to quickly and cheaply enter the emerging US utility battery energy storage industry and create supply chain dependencies on China,” and asks that any suspicious activity be reported. Specifically, the report alleges three companies—Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), Build Your Dreams (BYD), and Ruipu Energy Co. Ltd. (REPT)—have “benefited from the various forms of state support and leveraged this to further business strategies for gaining US market share.” Currently, CATL and BYD lead the global energy storage battery market by far, with 40 percent and 12 percent market shares, respectively, according to South Korean energy research firm SNE Research. …

Michael Keaton Brought Oddball Energy to ‘SNL’

Michael Keaton Brought Oddball Energy to ‘SNL’

The actor can go from “regular guy” to awkward eccentric in a heartbeat. Rosalind O’Connor / NBC October 20, 2024, 12:50 PM ET Michael Keaton is a movie star who has the air of just a regular dude. That much was evident during his Saturday Night Live monologue last night, where he played the straight man to Mikey Day and Andy Samberg. The comedians were dressed as Beetlejuice, the beloved bio-exorcist character that Keaton reprised in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice earlier this year. As Day and Samberg got silly around him, mugging in their striped suits, Keaton stepped into the role of the bemused observer—that is, until they goaded him into doing Beetlejuice’s deep bellowing voice himself at the very last minute. The opening was a good example of Keaton’s gift for turning on his weirdness when the situation requires it, a trait he would trot out as the night went on. Because as “dadcore” as the actor can seem when out of character, he has the ability to get odd in a way that …

Energy for Tomorrow offers grants of up to £100k for South West projects

Energy for Tomorrow offers grants of up to £100k for South West projects

Berkshire-based energy company Centrica is inviting social enterprises, organisations, charities and non-profits across the South West to apply for grants of up to £100,000 through its Energy for Tomorrow (EfT) social impact fund. Recipients can receive funding and support for innovative energy projects to drive a “greener, fairer future for the South West” – whether that’s installing EV charging points or developing a pioneering energy tool. Energy for Tomorrow was launched in 2007 to support the UK’s transition to net zero, encouraging the development of initiatives within local communities that deliver affordable, accessible and sustainable energy solutions. Applicants have until 18 October to submit their entries, with up to six organisations being awarded funding. The social impact fund derives revenue from the feed-in tariffs linked to solar panels installed by British Gas on 268 schools across the UK, saving them over £8 million and 14,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions to date. So far, Energy for Tomorrow has awarded over £5 million in funding to more than 35 projects across Scotland, Wales, the Midlands, North West, …