According to Altman, AI will require vast amounts of energy to operate, and nuclear fusion would be the best bet for its source.
Category: nuclear energy – Page 48
AI solves huge problem holding back fusion power
Princeton researchers have trained an AI to predict and prevent a common problem arising during nuclear fusion reactions — and they think it might be able to solve other problems, too.
The challenge: If the Spice Girls were physicists, their song “2 Become 1” might have been about nuclear fusion, a reaction that occurs when two atoms merge.
Fusion releases a tremendous amount of energy in the form of heat — it’s what powers the sun and other stars — and if we could harness the reaction here on Earth, we would have a near limitless source of clean energy.
Northrop Grumman wins DARPA contract for a railway on the Moon
In preparation for a permanent human colony on the Moon, DARPA has awarded a contract to Northrop Grumman to develop a lunar railway concept, as part of the 10-year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) Capability Study.
Running a train on the Moon may seem profoundly silly, but there is some very firm logic behind it. Even as the first astronauts were landing on the Sea of Tranquility in 1969, it was realized that a permanent human presence on Mars would require an infrastructure to maintain it. That includes mines for water ice, nuclear power plants, factories, and railways.
Though many people think the Moon is small, it is, in fact, a very large place with a surface area equivalent to that of Africa. Over such an expanse, even a limited presence would require some sort of a transport system to link various outposts and activities.
Synchrotron nuclear facility saves big with massive solar push
The Australian Synchrotron, a crown jewel of Australian scientific infrastructure, is making major strides towards sustainable energy independence. The nuclear research facility recently completed the installation of 3,200 solar panels which now blankets the facility’s rooftops. This move is expected to generate substantial savings and support Synchrotron’s world-class research.
The state-of-the-art particle accelerator has now gone green with a 1.59 MW/ 1,668 kWh rooftop solar system. The facility will save about $2 million in energy costs over the next five years.
Startup Says Its Coin-Sized Nuclear Battery Could Fly Drones “Continuously”
Imagine never having to change a battery in a device ever again — or, in fact, a battery that could outlive you.
That’s what Betavolt, a Chinese tech company, is claiming with its newly unveiled miniature nuclear battery that it says can keep working for up to 50 years.
The Beijing-based company claims to have entered the “pilot stage” for the battery, which is smaller than a coin and will soon put it into mass production.
