Science and technology strategy
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded $24 million to research teams in three states through a spurred competitive research program to enhance R&D competitiveness
According to the National Science Foundation (NSF) on May 14, NSF allocated $24 million to research teams in three states through the Stimulating Competitive Research Program (EPSCoR) to enhance the state's R&D competitiveness. These include: the South Dakota Research Ecosystem Network for STEM education, community engagement; New Hampshire's long-term investments drive transformative research; Maine strengthens the research ecosystem through strategic capacity building. It is reported that according to the EPSCoR plan, each project will receive a grant of 8 million US dollars to strengthen the research base in a targeted manner.
The U.S. Defense Industrial Base Alliance (ARI) has issued a new OTA announcement soliciting solutions from the U.S. and select international partners in key areas
According to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on May 14, the DoD issued a new public announcement through the Defense Industrial Base Alliance's "Other Transaction Authorization" (DIBC OTA) to solicit white papers for research or prototype projects involving one or more key areas for institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. Key areas sought include: kinetic capabilities, including hypersonic and directed energy weapon technologies; battery and energy storage technologies, including high-capacity lithium batteries; castings and forgings, including metal composites and high-strength forging processes for critical components; strategic and critical materials, including military and civilian industrial materials that are lacking in the U.S. homeland; Microelectronics; Workforce development. Other areas of interest include: emerging manufacturing technologies; small unmanned aerial vehicles; submarine industrial base; Aerospace industry base. The DoD said the approved white paper will be funded by Title III of the Defense Production Act (DPA) and the Industrial Base Analysis and Maintenance Considerations (IBAS).
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the implementation of Internet routing security measures
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce on May 13, the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Bureau of Industry and Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the International Trade Administration began to implement an important Internet routing security measure. Routing security has always been a key issue for Internet services, and the Biden administration's National Cybersecurity Strategy has identified routing security as a "common problem." As a result, NTIA helped develop a model contract and created a Routing Authorization of Origin (ROA). ROA prevents service loss or data interception, and also validates the cryptographic statements of the border network protocol target announcement. In addition, NTIA is working with the Internet Registry, the Internet Society, and other agencies to further advance routing security in the United States.
Information
The Aurora supercomputer at Argonne National Laboratory in the United States has reached exascale computing power
According to TechXplore on May 14, the Aurora supercomputer of Argone National Laboratory in the United States has reached 10 billion times (EFlop/s) computing power. The computing power of the "Aurora" supercomputer has increased from 585.34 PFlop/s to 1012 PFlop/s (based on 87% of the system scale), exceeding the exascale for the first time, becoming the second fastest supercomputer in the Top500 supercomputer list. Oak Ridge National Laboratory's first Class-E supercomputer, Frontier, remains the world's most powerful supercomputer. It is reported that Aurora is mainly used to carry out research involving simulation, artificial intelligence and data analysis.
The U.S. Department of Defense Innovation launches a tender for quantum sensing technology
According to MeriTalk on May 13, the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) launched the first tender for its emerging technology portfolio, focusing on quantum sensing technology and hypersonic technology. DIU's Emerging Technologies Portfolio is designed to integrate emerging technologies from commercial and non-traditional ecosystems that do not have a clear, well-established path to development within the Department of Defense. The portfolio will also be closely coordinated with DI's National Security Innovation Capital, which aims to fund hardware technology, and with other innovation agencies within the Department of Defense. DIU is soliciting industry calls for quantum sensors with positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) capabilities for use by the Joint Force. The tender seeks to design sensors at the atomic level that offer significant improvements in precision, accuracy, and sensitivity compared to conventional sensors.
Google has released a number of AI products, covering the fields of Wensheng pictures, Wensheng videos, and AI assistants
According to TechWeb on May 15, Google released a number of AI products at the I/O developer conference, covering the Wensheng graph model Imagen 3, the Wensheng video model Veo, and the AI assistant project Project Astra. Compared to its predecessor, Imagen 2, Imagen 3 is able to more accurately understand text prompts and turn them into images, and the resulting images are more "creative and detailed" with fewer distracting elements and errors from the model. Veo produces "high quality" video over 1 minute in length and up to 1080p resolution, with a variety of visual and cinematic styles. Based on Google's understanding of agents, Google has launched Project Astra, an AI assistant project that can achieve voice interaction similar to GPT-4o. Project Astra is proactive, teachable, and personalized, and users can talk to it naturally, with no lag or delay.
Google Inc. of the United States has released a new generation of AI chip Trillium, which has improved performance by nearly 5 times
According to Reuters news on May 14, Google released the sixth-generation AI chip Trillium, which improved performance by nearly 5 times. Compared to the previous generation, Google has enlarged Trillium's Matrix Multiplication Unit (MXU), increased its overall clock speed, and doubled its memory bandwidth. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said Trillium is Google's "most energy-efficient" tensor processor (TPU) to date, which is especially important as demand for AI chips continues to grow exponentially.
creature
The U.S. Biosecurity Act prohibits contracts with Chinese biotech companies such as BGI and WuXi AppTec
According to the Homeland Security News Network on May 14, the U.S. Congress issued a revised version of the "Physical Security Act", restricting U.S. entities from doing business with BGI, MGI, Whole Genome, WuXi AppTec, AppTec Labs, and WuXi Biologics, and explicitly requiring U.S. companies to end cooperation with these companies before January 2032.
The U.S. research team developed an AI platform to synthesize 32 potential multi-target drugs
According to China Science and Technology Network on May 15, the research team of the University of California, San Diego has developed a machine learning algorithm POLYGON that can simulate the early chemical process of drug discovery, and has synthesized 32 new drug candidates for the treatment of cancer. The algorithm is trained on data from a database of more than 1 million known bioactive molecules to generate information such as the original chemical formula of a new drug candidate. The 32 newly synthesized drugs have been tested to interact with MEK1 and mTOR, important potential targets in cancer combination therapy, and are expected to kill cancer cells by inhibiting these two "synthetic lethal proteins". The study can significantly simplify the drug development process and find new avenues for treatment. The research results were published in the journal Nature Communications.
Australian researchers have discovered new enzyme functions in cyanobacteria that could lead to better carbon-capturing crops
According to CNBETA on May 12, scientists from the Australian National University and the University of Newcastle have discovered a key enzyme mechanism in cyanobacteria, revealing the key process of cells to control carbon fixation, which is a fundamental process of life on Earth. The findings could help design climate-resilient crops that can more efficiently absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to produce more food in the process.
U.S. biotech companies develop novel gene technology platforms with the potential to cure virtually any genetic disease
According to the news on the official account of the biological world on May 12, the biotechnology company Tessera Therapeutics has developed a new gene technology platform called "Gene Writing" (gene writing), which can modify any base pair to other base pairs, delete or insert small DNA fragments, and write large fragments of complete genes into the genome. The technology platform has the potential to cure almost any genetic disease, and will also bring life-saving drugs to other serious diseases such as cancer, and is expected to be used to develop preventive gene medicines.
The UK government has rolled out a package of measures to support the agriculture and food sectors
According to the news on the official website of the UK on May 14, the British government launched a package of major measures to support farmers and develop the British agricultural and food sector, aiming to promote industry innovation and encourage economic potential. Further actions to ensure equity in the food supply chain were also announced.
Tianjin University research team develops new biological bacteriostatic agent to prevent and treat "plant cancer"
According to China Science and Technology Network on May 15, the scientific research team of Tianjin University has developed a new biological bacteriostatic agent, which can not only inhibit root rot, which is known as "plant cancer", but also promote the growth and metabolism of astragalus. The bacteriostatic agent can play an antibacterial role by inhibiting the growth gene of Fusarium oxysporus, stimulating the production of antibacterial components in Astragalus, activating the resistance gene of Astragalus, etc., and can be used as a substitute for traditional pesticides, and has great application potential in plant protection. The research results were published in the journal Journal of Chemical Engineering.
energy
The United States announced that it would impose Section 301 tariffs on $18 billion worth of products in China's new energy and other fields
According to the White House on May 14, the White House officially issued a notice announcing that the Biden administration has officially instructed the White House Trade Representative (USTR) to further impose 301 tariffs on China's exports worth $18 billion of products to the United States according to the review of China's "Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property and Innovation-related Behaviors, Policies and Practices 301 Investigation", including 14 products such as electric vehicles, steel and aluminum, semiconductors, batteries, critical minerals, solar cells, ship-to-shore cranes and medical. The levy range is 25%-100%, and the start and end time of the tax collection will be this year at the earliest and 2026 at the latest. Among them, the tariff on electric vehicles will be increased from the current 25% to 100%, with an additional tariff of 2.5%, bringing the combined rate to 102.5%. In 2024, the tariff rate for lithium-ion EV batteries will be increased from 7.5% to 25%, the tariff rate for battery parts will also be increased from 7.5% to 25%, and the tariff rate for certain other critical minerals will be increased from 0 to 25% in 2024. In 2026, the tariff rate will be increased from 7.5% to 25% for lithium-ion non-EV batteries, and from zero to 25% for natural graphite and permanent magnets. For solar cells, whether assembled or unassembled, tariffs will be increased from the current 25% to 50%.
Researchers in the United States have developed polymer-based electrolytes for efficient carbon dioxide capture and conversion
According to the double carbon intelligence on May 15, a research team composed of Columbia University and the University of California in the United States attached polyethylenimine (PEI) to silica nanoparticles in the form of ionic bonds, and prepared a nanoparticle organic hybrid material (NOHM) WITH HIGH CARBON DIOXIDE SOLUBILITY AND GOOD ELECTRODE-ELECTROLYTE INTERFACE INTERACTION - NOHM-I-PEI. NOHM's high CO2 solubility, chemical adjustability, and thermal-oxidative stability effectively improve the CO2 capture and conversion efficiency, and the research team coupled multiple NMR characterization methods to reveal the carbon occurrence and transport characteristics of PEI and NOHM-I-PEI after carbon dioxide absorption, and the results show that CO2 exists in the form of carbamate and carbonate/bicarbonate. This study provides a new strategy for the electrochemically selective reduction of the adsorbed form of carbon dioxide and the design of high-efficiency electrolytes. The research results were published in the journal Science Advances.
ocean
Germany and Norway jointly developed anti-ship missiles
According to the reference news network on May 15, Norway's Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace Company signed a contract with German partners Deere Defense and the European Missile Group to jointly promote the development of "supersonic precision-guided weapons" in Norway and Germany. The development of this anti-ship missile, which is planned to be installed on German and Norwegian naval vessels from 2035, will ensure Norway's leading position in the international missile market and strengthen the defense capabilities of Norway and Germany in the current context of international turmoil.
The Royal Navy will purchase six special warships that can launch drones and laser weapons
According to the official website of the British Ministry of Defense on May 14, British Defense Minister Grant Shapps revealed that the Royal Navy will purchase six multi-functional support ships (MRSS) capable of launching drones and laser weapons to replace the two types of amphibious assault ships in service. This type of warship can not only carry landing craft, helicopters, gyroplanes, but also launch unmanned aerial vehicles. It is worth noting that the multifunctional support ship can also be equipped with "Dragon Fire" laser weapons to further improve its defense capabilities against UAVs and ballistics.
The United States will increase the production of bombs for striking underground nuclear facilities
According to Bloomberg news on May 15, an army ammunition plant in southeastern Oklahoma is expanding to more than triple the production of GBU-57 giant ground-penetrating bombs in the United States every month. The bomb weighs 30,000 pounds, can penetrate 60 meters of concrete fortifications, is equipped with GPS guidance, and is delivered by B-2A stealth strategic bombers with precision guidance, and the warhead is equipped with 2,300 kilograms of high explosives enough to inflict a devastating blow on objects inside the bunker fortifications. Currently, the Army Ammunition Plant is capable of producing two GBU-57 giant ground-penetrating shells per month.
aviation
The Swedish Defence Equipment Agency has signed contracts with Saab Group and GKN to carry out conceptual studies on the next generation of fighters
According to the National Defense News on May 15, the Swedish Defense Equipment Administration has signed contracts with the Swedish defense company Saab Group and the aerospace company GKN to conduct conceptual research on the next generation of fighter systems and fighter engines. The contract includes conceptual research, technology development and demonstration of manned/unmanned aircraft cooperative operations from a systems perspective. According to the plan, Sweden plans to officially start the development of the next generation of fighter systems in 2025, and ensure that the fighter is combat-capable around 2040.
The United States has developed the Razor combat drone with artificial intelligence capabilities
According to the Russian military website on May 12, the United States Mayman Aerospace (Mayman Aerospace) launched the new "Razor" (Razor) drone, which will provide support for military operations. The drone has vertical take-off and landing capabilities, autonomous navigation, threat identification, and multi-mission management supported by the Skyfield AI software suite. According to the developers, the Razor can reach a top speed of 800 kilometers per hour and can carry a payload weighing 450 kilograms to an altitude of 6 kilometers. The Razor can transport battlefield supplies such as medicines and Hellfire air-to-surface missiles.
space flight
The British Space Agency has provided £250,000 funding to the University of Surrey to develop an ultra-low-orbit air-breathing electric propulsion system
According to China's space science and technology on May 15, the British Space Agency funded 250,000 pounds from the University of Surrey for the development of an ultra-low-orbit air-breathing electric propulsion system, including conceptual design, propulsion testing, orbital mechanics analysis and aerodynamic simulation. The system captures air from the uppermost layers of the atmosphere as a propellant. Mansur Tisayev of the Surrey Space Center said that it plans to develop new specialized equipment and components independently, such as the cathode of an ultra-low-orbit air-breathing electrostatic thruster, which collects and compresses the surrounding air to create a propellant stream.
The U.S. Space Force held the "Space Flag 24-1" exercise, focusing on the integration and planning of space missions
According to the AirandSpaceForces website on May 14, the U.S. Space Training and Readiness Command held the "Space Flag 24-1" exercise at the Schriever Space Force Base from April 17 to May 8, focusing on the integration and planning of space missions. The exercise involved nearly 400 people, covering both the theory and tactics of warfare, of which the first seven days were devoted to generating the necessary mission-type commands, and the second 14 days were simulated by the 527th, 57th, and 26th Space Aggressor Squadrons, and the 20 combat squadrons of the Space Force conducted a large number of simulated confrontation tests and practiced the ability of coordinated and comprehensive planning. The official in charge of the exercise said that the exercise has matched the realistic mission plan of the Space Force to the greatest extent and is close to the actual action plan to meet the challenges faced by the Space Force. The exercise test iterated on a scenario in which the Space Force uses mission-type commands to support great power competition.
Materials
Japan's Toyoda Gosei Corporation has developed seawater-derived fiber reinforcement materials
According to the compositesworld website on May 14, Japan's Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. has developed a new lightweight plastic material, reinforced with magnesium hydroxide fiber derived from seawater. This development aims to reduce the weight of the interior and exterior parts of the car, contributing to decarbonization efforts. This new material for polypropylene provides a stronger reinforcement than previous talc-based materials, halving the amount of reinforcement required. This results in lighter products and improved environmental performance of the vehicle, while reducing CO2 emissions from the manufacturing process.
Advanced manufacturing
British researchers have developed a new robot inspired by snails that can climb walls
According to the TechXplore website on May 14, researchers at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom were inspired by snails to develop a new type of robot that can use a sliding suction mechanism to climb walls. The robot uses water as an artificial slime, allowing it to adhere and move effectively on vertical surfaces. This innovation could revolutionize the inspection of hard-to-reach areas such as wind turbine blades, ship hulls, aircraft and skyscraper windows. With its low energy consumption and high adhesion efficiency, the lightweight robot demonstrates great potential for future industrial applications.
The U.S. announced that it will provide Polar with a $120 million "CHIPS Act" subsidy to boost domestic chip manufacturing capacity
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce on May 13, the Biden administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce has reached a preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) with Polar Semiconductor (Polar Semiconductor) to provide Polar Semiconductor with a subsidy of $120 million to establish an independent U.S. wafer foundry in Bloomington, Minnesota. The subsidy is part of the CHIPS & Science Act and plans to double Polar Semiconductor's sensor and power chip production capacity in the U.S. and create more than 160 jobs. The move aims to secure domestic chip supply and strengthen supply chain resilience while attracting more than $525 million in private and state investment to transform Polar into a predominantly U.S.-controlled commercial foundry.
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