Plus: Meta was keen to construct a censorship system with the intention to function in China
That is at this time’s version of The Obtain, our weekday publication that gives a day by day dose of what is going on on on the planet of know-how.
The most cost effective method to supercharge America’s energy grid
—Brian Deese is an innovation fellow on the Massachusetts Institute of Expertise and served as director of the White Home Nationwide Financial Council from 2021 to 2023. Rob Gramlich is founder and president of Grid Methods and was financial advisor to the chairman of the Federal Vitality Regulatory Fee through the George W. Bush administration.
US electrical energy consumption is rising quicker than it has in a long time. Accommodating that progress would require constructing wind generators, photo voltaic farms, and different energy vegetation quicker than we ever have earlier than—and increasing the community of wires wanted to attach these services to the grid.
However one main downside is that it’s costly and sluggish to safe permits for brand spanking new transmission traces and construct them throughout the nation. Thankfully, there are some shortcuts that would develop the capability of the prevailing system with out requiring utterly new infrastructure: a collection of {hardware} and software program instruments often known as superior transmission applied sciences (ATTs), which might improve each the capability and the effectivity of the facility sector.
ATTs have the potential to radically scale back timelines for grid upgrades, keep away from tough allowing points, and yield billions in annual financial savings for US customers. So why are we not seeing an explosion in ATT funding and deployment within the US? Learn the total story.
Thinking about studying extra about this matter? Learn extra of our tales:
+ What’s driving electrical energy demand? It isn’t simply AI and knowledge facilities.
+ That stated, AI’s seek for vitality is rising extra pressing.
+ Why this developer gained’t give up preventing to attach the US’s grids.
+ Listed below are 4 methods AI is making the facility grid quicker and extra resilient.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to search out you at this time’s most enjoyable/essential/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 China claims to have created the world’s first totally autonomous AI agent
The agent, referred to as Manus, can allegedly function totally freed from human intervention. (Forbes)
+ Nevertheless it’s not clear if the hype might be justified at this stage. (TechCrunch)
+ Two former DeepMind researchers are chasing superintelligence. (Bloomberg $)
+ 4 Chinese language AI startups to look at past DeepSeek. (MIT Expertise Overview)
2 Meta went to excessive lengths to win China’s approval
Together with growing a censorship system to adjust to the CCP. (WP $)
+ Nevertheless, its makes an attempt to curry favor with the occasion didn’t bear fruit. (Gizmodo)
3 Nameless Chinese language buyers are quietly funding Elon Musk’s ventures
They’re blissful to take a position tens of tens of millions—as long as their identities stay below wraps. (FT $)
+ Regardless of the inflow of money, SpaceX isn’t having an ideal 12 months. (NYT $)
+ Starlink is reaping the advantages of its founder’s proximity to the White Home. (NBC Information)
4 Ukraine doesn’t have minable uncommon earths
And even when it did, it could take at the least 15 years to achieve them. (IEEE Spectrum)
+ The nation is getting ready to carry negotiations with the US this week. (Economist $)
5 Farewell, the Athena lunar lander
It landed sideways in a crater and has been formally written off. (The Register)
+ Intuitive Machines, the corporate behind it, is contracted for an additional two landings. (AP Information)
+ Firefly Aerospace, one other personal agency, had higher luck. (Economist $)
6 The American public actually doesn’t like DOGE
And Donald Trump is beginning to concentrate. (The Atlantic $)
+ Musk represents the issue he’s claiming he needs to unravel. (Wired $)
+ The Trump administration is threatening scientific progress. (New Yorker $)
+ Anti-Musk protestors are focusing on Tesla shops and infrastructure. (WP $)
7 Wikipedia is struggling to doc the warfare within the Center East
Sure editors have been forbidden from engaged on associated pages. (Bloomberg $)
8 How one can retailer the world’s knowledge
Arduous discs appear the plain selection—for now. (WSJ $)
+ Music labels are going after the Web Archive for copyright infringement. (Ars Technica)
+ The race to save lots of our on-line lives from a digital darkish age. (MIT Expertise Overview)
9 YouTube bros are peddling Taliban tourism
Contained in the miserable rise of movies purporting to point out “one other facet to Afghanistan.” (Insider $)
10 Amazon and Google’s AI calls Mein Kampf “a real murals”
That’s what occurs if you seek for optimistic evaluations of the Nazi manifesto. (404 Media)
+ Need AI that flags hateful content material? Construct it. (MIT Expertise Overview)
Quote of the day
“The US gained the web and the US ought to win crypto.”
—Tyler Winklevoss, who runs crypto trade Gemini together with his twin brother Cameron, couldn’t be happier with the end result of Donald Trump’s crypto summit, in accordance with a put up on X.
The large story
How this Turing Award–profitable researcher turned a legendary educational advisor
October 2023
Each educational subject has its superstars. However a uncommon few obtain superstardom not simply by demonstrating particular person excellence but in addition by constantly producing future superstars.
Pc science has its personal such determine: Manuel Blum, who gained the 1995 Turing Award—the Nobel Prize of laptop science. He’s the inventor of the captcha—a check designed to tell apart people from bots on-line.
Three of Blum’s college students have additionally gained Turing Awards, and lots of have obtained different excessive honors in theoretical laptop science. Greater than 20 maintain professorships at prime laptop science departments. So what’s the formulation to his success? Learn the total story.
—Sheon Han
We will nonetheless have good issues
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+ What can’t White Lotus star Walton Goggins dwell with out? An orange pen and 22-year previous sand, apparently.
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