GOOGLE SIGNS DEAL TO POWER AI WITH NUCLEAR REACTORS
Google has signed a groundbreaking deal to purchase energy from a fleet of small nuclear reactors (SMRs) to support the growing electricity demands of artificial intelligence (AI). The company has ordered six to seven reactors from California’s Kairos Power, with the first expected to be operational by 2030 and the others by 2035. This initiative aims to provide a low-carbon power solution for Google’s data centers, which consume vast amounts of electricity. Google highlighted that nuclear energy offers a “clean, round-the-clock power source” to meet its energy needs reliably. The rising demand for generative AI and cloud storage has intensified electricity consumption among tech companies. Additionally, Microsoft recently secured energy from the Three Mile Island plant, while Amazon acquired a data center powered by nuclear energy. Google has committed to purchasing a total of 500 megawatts from Kairos Power, which is also developing a demonstration reactor in Tennessee, set for completion in 2027. (The Guardian)
LEBANON HOSPITAL EVACUATED AMID ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE THREATS
At 12:54 a.m., Elie Hachem, director of St. Therese Hospital in Beirut, received a panicked call from the chief nurse, alerting him that the Israeli military would strike “Hezbollah facilities” in the area, necessitating an evacuation. With only about 20 minutes to act, staff and patients, including premature babies in incubators, scrambled to safety as an airstrike hit just 80 yards away, causing severe damage to the hospital but miraculously resulting in no injuries. The following day, fearing further attacks, Hachem ordered the hospital shut down. St. Therese is one of at least nine hospitals in Lebanon now closed or partially functional due to Israeli airstrikes aimed at Hezbollah. The ongoing conflict has overwhelmed Lebanon’s health system, with over 2,300 fatalities and significant injuries reported since the conflict began. As hospitals face attacks and staff shortages, many patients have been transferred to Rafik Hariri University Hospital, which is nearing capacity as airstrikes continue to ravage the region. (New York Times)
WARD CHRISTENSEN, BBS CO-INVENTOR, PASSES AWAY AT 78
Ward Christensen, co-inventor of the computer bulletin board system (BBS), passed away at age 78 in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. He was found deceased at home after friends requested a wellness check. Along with Randy Suess, Christensen created the first BBS in Chicago in 1978, pioneering a significant era of digital community-building prior to the widespread availability of the Internet. BBSes introduced many home computer users to multiplayer online gaming, message boards, and shareware, laying the groundwork for companies like Epic Games. Friends remember Christensen as humble and unassuming, despite his groundbreaking contributions to technology. He also invented XMODEM, a file transfer protocol that facilitated online file sharing. Christensen and Suess developed the BBS concept during the Great Blizzard of 1978 to stay connected with their computer club. After completing the project in February 1978, they shared their work openly, inspiring others to create their own BBS systems. His legacy of humility and collaboration continues to influence the tech community. (Ars Technica)
AI-POWERED HACKATHON SPARKS INNOVATION IN PROTEIN DESIGN
On a Saturday morning in August, protein engineer Alex Naka hosted a “little hackathon” in his girlfriend’s kitchen, using his laptop and AI processors to design proteins aimed at blocking a mutated cell receptor found in some tumors. Naka entered his ten best designs into a new protein-design competition run by the Swiss start-up Adaptyv Bio and saw them rise to the leaderboard. This competition is among several that have emerged recently, encouraging participation from individuals using AI tools like AlphaFold. While these contests could drive scientific advancements, they also raise concerns about the overwhelming pace of protein production, potentially leading to confusion over effectiveness. Despite the excitement, Naka’s designs ultimately did not succeed in lab tests, highlighting the inherent challenges in protein engineering. He emphasized the importance of collaboration and community-building in the field, noting that competitions can lower barriers to entry and engage newcomers in protein design. (Nature)
GIANT PANDAS ARRIVING AT NATIONAL ZOO AMID CONSERVATION DEBATE
Two giant pandas, a male and a female, are set to arrive this week at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., potentially paving the way for cubs. This exchange is part of a broader program aimed at conserving giant pandas, where U.S. zoos pay up to $1.1 million annually per pair to help preserve the species’ habitat in China. However, a New York Times investigation reveals that the program has often struggled to meet its conservation goals. While U.S. zoos sought panda cubs to attract visitors and generate revenue, the number of pandas released into the wild remains low. Since the program’s inception, more pandas have been removed from their natural habitat than have been released. The investigation highlights the consequences of artificial breeding practices, including injuries and deaths among pandas due to excessive medical procedures. Critics argue that the program prioritizes financial gain over animal welfare, raising ethical questions about the treatment of these iconic creatures. (New York Times)
MYSTERIOUS WHITE BLOBS WASH UP ON NEWFOUNDLAND SHORE
Mysterious white “blobs” have recently been washing up on the shores of Newfoundland, perplexing both residents and marine scientists. These blobs, described as slimy on the outside and firm on the inside, were first highlighted in a Facebook post by Philip Grace, who compared them to the dough used for toutons, a local fried delicacy. The blobs vary in size from a dinner plate to a Canadian two-dollar coin, leading to various speculative explanations, including paraffin wax and sea sponges. Local resident Dave McGrath reported seeing hundreds of these blobs along the beach, prompting concern about their safety. Despite a previous incident in 2001 involving a decomposing sperm whale, scientists have ruled out any link to whales for the current blobs. Federal scientists are investigating but have yet to identify the substance, confirming that it is not petroleum-related. Until answers are found, one local humorously suggested frying the blobs with molasses for a taste test. (The Guardian)
GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR REVEALS PETRA’S HIDDEN ANCIENT TREASURES
Dr. Richard Bates recently utilized ground-penetrating radar to investigate Petra’s ancient Treasury building, marking the first deep examination of the site in over two decades. This effort comes after archaeologists discovered hidden tombs near the Treasury in 2003 but were unable to fully explore the area due to bureaucratic obstacles and funding shortages. This year, researchers were granted permission to survey within the Treasury, leading to the discovery of an untouched tomb containing 12 human skeletons and a variety of grave offerings. The findings could significantly enhance understanding of Petra, built by the Nabateans around the fourth century B.C. The tomb likely predates the Treasury, which has long been a subject of intrigue and speculation regarding its original purpose. Researchers are now working to date the skeletal remains, which are estimated to be from the peak of Nabatean civilization. Despite the discoveries, Dr. Bates emphasizes that many unanswered questions remain about Petra’s hidden past. (New York Times)
NASA DATA REVEALS BLACK HOLE DESTROYING STARS IN CHAOS
New NASA data reveals a supermassive black hole engaged in a chaotic killing spree, destroying one star and bombarding another with its remnants. These findings, published in *Nature*, highlight a phenomenon known as tidal disruption events (TDEs), where a star ventures too close to a black hole and is shredded by its gravitational forces. The study connects TDEs to quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs), a newly identified class of bright X-ray pulses emitted from the centers of galaxies around black holes. “It’s like getting a cosmic two-for-one in terms of solving mysteries,” said Dheeraj Pasham from MIT. Using data from NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope, researchers analyzed a TDE called AT2019qiz, which left behind a disk of material. This disk eventually collided with another orbiting object, likely another star, producing periodic X-ray flashes. Lead author Matt Nicholl compared this process to a diver creating splashes in a pool, emphasizing the immense power of supermassive black holes. (Futurism)
EUROPA CLIPPER LAUNCHES TO INVESTIGATE JUPITER’S OCEAN MOON
NASA’s Europa Clipper has begun its journey to Jupiter to investigate Europa, a moon with a vast subsurface ocean that may harbor conditions for life. Launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center, the spacecraft is the largest ever built for a mission to another planet and represents NASA’s first dedicated mission to study an ocean world beyond Earth. Traveling 1.8 billion miles, Europa Clipper will use gravity assists from Mars and Earth, reaching Jupiter in 2030, where it will perform 49 flybys of Europa. The mission aims to assess whether Europa has the necessary conditions for life, building on discoveries from previous missions like Galileo. Equipped with nine scientific instruments, including ice-penetrating radar and thermal sensors, the spacecraft will explore Europa’s icy shell and potential geological activity. Europa Clipper’s findings could significantly enhance our understanding of habitable worlds in our solar system and beyond. (NASA)
Thanks for reading. Let’s be careful out there.
WORDS: The Biology Guy.