⚙️ China’s ‘fastest-ever’ 2D chip, cold plasma shields rice from pests, nuclear fusion blanket

Peking University (PKU) claims to have made a breakthrough in chip technology, potentially reshaping the semiconductor race.

The newly developed 2D transistor is said to be 40% faster than the latest 3-nanometre silicon chips from Intel and TSMC while consuming 10% less energy.

This innovation could allow China to bypass the challenges of silicon-based chipmaking entirely. “It is the fastest, most efficient transistor ever,” according to an official statement published last week on the PKU website. Let's take a closer look at this Must-Read

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MUST-READ

⚙️ China’s ‘fastest-ever’ 2D chip beats Intel with 40% more speed

The Chinese team’s breakthrough revolves around a bismuth-based transistor. It outperforms the most advanced commercial chips from Intel, TSMC, Samsung, and Belgium’s Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre.

The traditional silicon-based transistors struggle with miniaturization and power efficiency at extremely small scales, but this new design offers a solution without those constraints.

The restrictions imposed by US sanctions on advanced silicon transistors have driven China to accelerate its research into alternative semiconductor technologies.

🍚 Cold plasma shields rice from pests and boosts growth naturally

The same phenomenon that forms the Northern Lights could change modern agriculture as we know it by replacing chemical pesticides and fertilizers.

Researchers from the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station examined how cold plasma—an electrically charged gas—aids in plant growth and defense against insect pests. They highlight that this innovation could be central to sustainability and organic farming.

“I thought it would be a good idea that we expose our seeds to cold plasma and then grow those seeds out into plants and ask the question of whether the plants are doing better,” said Rupesh Kariyat, one of the study authors.

✨ Idaho Lab’s nuclear ‘fusion blanket’ could spark unlimited energy era

Scientists at the United States Idaho National Laboratory (INL) are carrying out tests for ‘fusion blanket’ technologies to create a critical component of the nuclear fusion reactor.

The work at INL is being carried out as part of the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) $107 million funding award to six research centers called Fusion Innovative Research Engine (FIRE) collaborative. INL is leading one of the centers in the FIRE collaborative and contributing to research for two other centers.

The aim is to develop an operational fuel cycle within a decade and innovate solutions for commercial nuclear fusion plants to secure a resilient, reliable energy source.

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