Nuclear fission

 No technology since nuclear fission will shape our collective future quite like artificial intelligence, so it's paramount AI systems are safe, secure, trustworthy and socially responsible. But unlike the atom bomb, this paradigm shift has been almost completely driven by the private tech sector, which has been resistant to regulation, to say the least. Billions are at stake, making the Biden administration's task of setting standards for AI safety a major challenge.To define the parameters, it has tapped a small…

The biggest experimental nuclear fusion reactor in operation was inaugurated north of Tokyo today, as scientists continue to plug away at making nuclear fusion a viable source of the world’s energy.“Even AI Rappers are Harassed by Police” | AI UnlockedThe reactor—JT-60SA—is a tokamak, a doughnut-shaped reactor that can heat plasma to 360 million degrees Fahrenheit (200 million degrees Celsius). The reactor fired up for the first time in October; at the time, researchers affiliated with the project estimated that it will…

A startup led by OpenAI boss Sam Altman that is working on developing small nuclear fission reactors is going public with a valuation of $850 million.One of Silicon Valley's leading figures since OpenAI released ChatGPT, Altman became an early backer of nuclear startup Oklo in 2015, and is also its chairman. Altman has explained that his investment in nuclear power is closely linked to the artificial intelligence revolution he champions, which will require massive amounts of energy. "I'm all-in on energy. I think there's…

Are we closer to the “Holy Grail” of clean energy? Silicon Valley wants you to believe. Warning! Microsoft Wants ChatGPT to Control Robots NextThis week, nuclear fusion startup Helion announced that it had inked a first-of-its-kind deal with Microsoft to provide 50 megawatts of power from a yet-to-be built power plant, all within the next five years. Unlike nuclear fission, the process that powers all the nuclear power plants existing today, nuclear fusion could create potentially unlimited energy. It’s a dream that…

Stars shine by the process of nuclear fusion in which lighter atoms, such as hydrogen, fuse together to create heavier ones. All stars, including the Sun, have a finite lifetime. Stars shine by the process of nuclear fusion in which lighter atoms, such as hydrogen, fuse together to create heavier ones. This process releases vast quantities of energy which counteracts the ever-present inward pull of the star's gravity. Ultimately, fusion helps stars to resist gravitational collapse. This balance of forces is called…

An illustration of a potential design for a fission system that could power astronauts’ stay on the Moon.Illustration: NASANASA wants to build and transport a nuclear reactor to the Moon, which would power a sustained human presence for at least 10 years. To that end, the space agency has chosen three companies to develop design concepts for a nuclear fission system to be placed on the Moon in conjunction with the Artemis program. On Tuesday, NASA announced that it had awarded contracts to Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse,…