More expansive than the island of Manhattan, Thacker Pass in northern Nevada is the biggest U.S. lithium-mining project developed in decades. And it's been one of the country's most visible flash points in the race to build new critical-mineral mines. While at first spurred by the clean-energy transition, the demand for critical minerals is now driven by their role as essential ingredients for AI data centers. Meanwhile climate advocates have tried to thread the needle between its potential to produce lithium, a key component of some rechargeable-battery technology needed to manufacture electric vehicles, and mining's risks to the local environment. Today, Thacker Pass is grinding ahead alongside dozens of other projects in the U.S. facing similar concerns. Much of the world's critical-mineral supply chain currently runs through China, leaving the U.S. vulnerable to geopolitical wrangling. The success of the ongoing American mining renaissance will shape whether the U.S. and other allies can insulate themselves from such challenges--not to mention power the transition to renewable energy.

The world's oldest lightbulb has been shining for 125 years Conspiracy theorists say the Centennial Bulb proves a longtime utility cover-up. The answer is more complicated. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. The Centennial Bulb was made by Ohio's Shelby Electric Company in 1901. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week.

Beijing is competing with the U.S. for tech supremacy. Who wins will have huge political implications. As Donald Trump has cut research funds, China has pursued what one investor calls an "all-hands-on-deck approach to national innovation." Kai-Fu Lee, the C.E.O. of the artificial-intelligence company 01.AI, lives in a mirrored high-rise in Beijing, near a procession of landmarks that emperors considered the center of the cosmos. Lee takes early meetings at a nearby hotel that could be in any country, except that the room service is delivered by robots painted in the livery of butlers and maids. State propaganda hails these robots as emblems of China's ascent; in the hallway, most people sidestep them with the kind of indifference usually reserved for a Roomba. Over breakfast one recent morning, Lee, wearing a white polo shirt and rimless glasses, spoke about the future with an air of sanguine curiosity. He was born in Taiwan in 1961 and built his career by following the moving ...

Researchers discovered a vibrant ecosystem that is'dark, ancient, and almost entirely hidden' from humans. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. A research team led by University of Michigan isolated and grew more than 200 kinds of fungi from the deep subsurface. The collection is now the first public collection of deep subsurface fungi, and is stored at the U-M Herbarium. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week.

Environment Animals Wildlife World's largest jellyfish spotted near Cape Cod Its tentacles can be twice the size of a city bus. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. The lion's mane jellyfish, highly toxic, is the largest jellyfish in the world known to reach a width of eight feet across. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .

Rightmove searches for rental properties that allow pets have plummeted since law changes gave renters more rights. Following the introduction of the new rules, pet searches dropped by more than 50% in May and June compared with a year earlier. Landlords in England cannot unreasonably refuse pets in their properties under changes made in May in the Renters' Rights Act. But agents say some renters wrongly believe permission to have a pet is guaranteed, and landlords say some homes remain unsuitable for multiple pets or large dogs. Landlords must consider requests fairly and cannot unreasonably refuse them, but they can still decline where there is a valid reason, said Megan Eighteen, immediate past president of lettings agents trade body ARLA Propertymark. She said there was plenty of potential for misunderstanding, among tenants about pet-friendly properties.

'Despite its vast progress, big doubts remain on whether AI can do everything a modern economy needs.' 'Despite its vast progress, big doubts remain on whether AI can do everything a modern economy needs.' I n March, Anthropic, the cutting-edge artificial intelligence business that gave us the chatbot Claude, published an analysis on the impact of AI on employment, to help us assess the claim that intelligent robots were about to redefine human existence, ending demand for human labor. Last year in May, Anthropic's co-founder, Dario Amodei, claimed AI could wipe out half of all entry-level jobs in one to five years. Last January, he told us AI would probably become a "general labor substitute for humans". In June he said we risk "a world where the economic trade-off dial is stuck on the hypergrowth, hyper-inequality setting". And yet, Anthropic's report suggests that, so far, AI's impact has fallen short of expectations: "We find no systematic increase in unemployment for highly exposed workers since late 2022," the report stated.

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These experimental ship designs rely on smaller nd potentially safer molten salt nuclear reactors. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. A graphic rendering of a containership that is powered by small modular nuclear reactors. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .