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🌐 China’s 8,080-mile network, our primate ancestors had twins all the time, aquatic research robot

Plus: Taiwan unveils Mach 6 hypersonic missile with 1,243-mile-range

China has taken a huge leap forward in data transfer with the completion of its super-fast computer network, the China Environment for Network Innovations (CENI). This high-tech infrastructure promises to accelerate artificial intelligence development and transform data services nationwide.

Interestingly, the industry experts describe CENI's internet service as akin to “high-speed rail for computers.” The network is designed to support high-speed, efficient, and reliable data transfer throughout the nation.

The successful completion of the CENI network was recently announced at a scientific conference held in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province in eastern China. Let's take a closer look at this Must Read.  

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This network links major cities across 13 provinces. It uses a novel architectural approach that merges the swiftness of optical communication with the dependable nature of “deterministic networks.”

As a result, the network demonstrates zero packet loss, extraordinarily low latency, and unwavering stability, regardless of the volume of network traffic.

“CENI has achieved zero packet loss, with delay jitter under 20 microseconds, even under full network load, spanning 13 provinces, 13,000km (8,080 miles), and handling 10,000 deterministic services,” Liu Yunjie, Zijin Mountain Laboratory’s chief scientist and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, told SCMP.

Sixty million years ago most primates had twins automatically but our mammalian ancestors ceased birthing them to give us an evolutionary advantage.

Anthropologists from Western Washington University and Yale University performed a thorough investigation of the litter size in our mammalian family to support a longstanding study surrounding the size of the human body and brain.

After exhaustive mapping, research, and tests, researchers effectively overturned the commonly held belief that primates such as lemurs, lorises, tamarins, and marmosets that regularly give birth to twins and triplets were exceptions to the general rule.

Hong Kong-based robot firm Beatbot has revealed its new RoboTurtle at CES 2025. The RoboTurtle is a machine designed for exploration, ecological research, and disaster response.

Interestingly, the futuristic-looking robot draws inspiration from autonomous machines that serve a function much closer to home. Beatbot is known for its line of robotic pool cleaners, which the firm describes as the “most innovative” in the world

Beatbot explains that RoboTurtle includes features that allow it to monitor water levels, as well as endangered species. 

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