☢️ World’s largest nuclear reactor won’t power up for 15 years, NYPD’s new 60-mph boats armed with bomb-sniffing noses, world's oldest cave painting

The running of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France has been delayed by 15 years, according to Director-General Pietro Barabaschi.

The first test of the ITER fusion reactor is now scheduled to achieve full magnetic energy in 2036 – representing a delay of three years relative to the 2016 reference – while the start of the deuterium-tritium operation phase in 2039 represents a delay of four years.

For more on this development, check out today’s Must-Read.

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MUST READ

☢️ Fusion confusion: World’s largest nuclear reactor won’t power up for 15 years

This announcement means that the hope of generating commercial fusion from ITER is dashed for now, and it will take years for it to offer a viable solution to the climate crisis.

Barabaschi also suggested that the world should not keep waiting for nuclear fusion energy to arrive as a solution for the problems it is facing.

“Fusion cannot arrive in time to solve the problems our planet faces today, and investment in other technologies, known and unknown, is absolutely needed,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday.

🚤 4th of July: NYPD’s new boats armed with bomb-sniffing noses, speed at 60 mph

Ahead of the United States’ 4th of July celebration, New York Police Department (NYPD) is turning to new technology to provide heightened security.

NYPD’s Counterterrorism Maritime Unit is using special boats that are equipped with radiation detectors to sniff out a bomb to ensure safety of people during the Independence Day celebrations.

The advanced boat will provide safety as Macy’s fireworks will launch from the Hudson river for the first time in 10 years on Thursday, July 4. With a speed of more than 60 mph, the counterterrorism boats have the capacity to spot explosives secreted on a pier or the bow of a ship.

🐖 Indonesia: 51,200-year-old painting of pig, humans declared world’s oldest

A 51,200-year-old cave painting was uncovered on an Indonesian island, making it the oldest evidence of storytelling in art ever found.

The discovery took place on the island of Sulawesi, inside a limestone cave called Leang Karampuang. Inside the cave, the researchers stumbled upon a mysterious painting depicting a scene unlike any other found so far. The artwork showcases “three human-like figures interacting with a wild pig.”

For years, Europe held the crown for the oldest known cave paintings. But this new artwork has smashed this previously held record.

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