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Category: sustainability – Page 8

From Purple Rain To AI’s Technology Reign!

Bruce and John are embracing AI innovation, one hug at a time.

In the latest episode of AI Bros, Bruce Burke and John Lawson III take listeners on a journey through the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, peppered with personal anecdotes and industry insights. Titled “From Purple Rain to AI’s Technology Reign,” this episode is a testament to the dynamic nature of technology and its impact on various sectors.

The conversation begins with a light-hearted discussion about Prince’s iconic “Sign O’ the Times” concert film, which is being re-released in IMAX. Bruce and John reminisce about the legendary artist’s influence and the technological advancements that have allowed his work to be experienced in new formats. This naturally leads into a broader conversation about how industries, including the adult industry, are often at the forefront of adopting new technologies.

As the discussion progresses, the focus shifts to the recent release of ChatGPT-5 by OpenAI. Bruce and John explore the mixed reactions from the tech community, highlighting the improvements in reasoning and factual accuracy promised by the new model. They delve into the implications of these advancements for businesses and consumers alike, noting the strategic moves by companies like OpenAI to make AI more accessible and integrated into everyday life.

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the economic impact of AI, particularly the rapid creation of wealth in the sector. Bruce shares insights from a report by CB Insights, revealing the unprecedented speed at which AI companies are minting new billionaires. The hosts ponder the sustainability of such rapid growth and the potential for a bubble, offering a thoughtful analysis of the current economic landscape.

Throughout the episode, John and Bruce also touch on the personalization features of AI models, which allow users to tailor interactions to their preferences. They discuss the emotional attachment users develop with AI, drawing parallels to the nostalgia some feel for older versions of technology. This personalization, they argue, offers both enhanced user experiences and potential challenges in managing user expectations.

As the episode draws to a close, Bruce and John reflect on the future of AI and its role in shaping industries and personal lives. They emphasize the importance of embracing innovation and staying informed about technological advancements.

Continue reading “From Purple Rain To AI’s Technology Reign!” | >

Building energy model offers cities decarbonization roadmap

A new software tool developed by Cornell researchers can model a small city’s building energy use within minutes on a standard laptop, then run simulations to help policymakers prioritize the most cost-effective approaches to decarbonization.

Using the City of Ithaca, New York, as a , the urban building energy model quickly mapped more than 5,000 residential and and their baseline energy use. Simulated investments in weatherization, electric heat pumps and rooftop solar panels, while also factoring in financial incentives, generated insights that are informing city efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.

The tool’s automated workflow, accessibility and accuracy—without advanced computing power—could be particularly valuable for smaller cities that lack resources and expertise dedicated to decarbonization, the researchers said. But they said the new model—now also supporting the county that surrounds Ithaca—could be further scaled up to serve big cities or an entire state.

Quasi-solid electrolyte developed for safer and greener lithium-ion batteries

3D-SLISE is a quasi-solid electrolyte developed at the Institute of Science Tokyo, which enables safe, fast-charging/discharging of 2.35 V lithium-ion batteries to be fabricated under ambient conditions. With energy-efficient manufacturing using raw materials free from flammable organic solvents, the technique eliminates the need for dry rooms or high-temperature processing. Moreover, it also allows direct recovery of active materials through water dispersal—ensuring a sustainable, recyclable approach to battery production.

In today’s era of portable power and , form the backbone of modern technology—powering everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. While demand for lithium-ion batteries continues to grow, so do concerns about their safety, environmental impact, and recyclability. Most lithium-ion batteries that rely on flammable organic solvents are energy-intensive to manufacture, and require complicated recycling processes. These issues not only drive up costs but also pose serious safety and —highlighting the need for safer and cleaner alternatives.

To address this challenge, a research team from Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), Japan, led by Specially Appointed Professor Yosuke Shiratori and Associate Professor Shintaro Yasui from the Zero-Carbon Energy Research Institute, Science Tokyo, developed a new quasi-solid electrolyte called 3D-Slime Interface Quasi-Solid Electrolyte (3D-SLISE), which can transform battery manufacturing. With a simple borate-water matrix, the electrolyte supports the production of 2.35 V lithium-ion batteries under standard air conditions. The detailed findings of the study were made available in the journal Advanced Materials on July 9, 2025.

Black metal could give a heavy boost to solar power generation

In the quest for energy independence, researchers have studied solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) as a promising source of solar electricity generation. Unlike the photovoltaics currently used in most solar panels, STEGs can harness all kinds of thermal energy in addition to sunlight. The simple devices have hot and cold sides with semiconductor materials in between, and the difference in temperature between the sides generates electricity through a physical phenomenon known as the Seebeck effect.

But current STEGs have major efficiency limitations preventing them from being more widely adopted as a practical form of energy production. Right now, most solar thermoelectric generators convert less than 1% of sunlight into electricity, compared to roughly 20% for residential solar panel systems.

That gap in efficiency has been dramatically reduced through new techniques developed by researchers at the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics.

Scientists Invent Plastic That Nature Eats 2,800 Feet Underwater

Scientists have unveiled a new biodegradable plastic that vanishes in one of the harshest environments on Earth—the deep sea.

In an experiment nearly 3,000 feet underwater, a bioengineered material called LAHB broke down while conventional plastics stayed intact. Deep-sea microbes not only colonized the plastic’s surface, but actively digested it using specialized enzymes, turning it into harmless byproducts. This breakthrough suggests a promising solution to the global plastic crisis, especially in oceans where most waste lingers for decades or centuries.

Global plastic waste problem still looms.

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