Commonwealth Fusion Systems books a $1B+ power deal for its future fusion reactor. Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has secured a groundbreaking deal to supply over $1 billion worth of fusion-generated electricity, marking a pivotal step toward commercial fusion power. This agreement brings CFS closer to demonstrating net-positive energy output and delivering clean, carbon-free power at scale. The deal underwrites the construction and operation of its first demonstration plant, accelerating the transition from experimental reactor to grid-connected facility. By coupling advanced high-temperature superconductors with proprietary plasma confinement, CFS aims to achieve breakeven within five years, reshaping the global energy landscape and validating fusion as a feasible replacement for fossil fuels. (techcrunch.com)
“Commonwealth Fusion Systems books a $1B+ power deal for its future fusion reactor” (techcrunch.com)
Could we reboot a modern civilisation without fossil fuels?. This Aeon essay examines whether an industrial society could emerge and thrive without relying on coal, oil or gas. By exploring renewable electricity from renewables, hydroelectric and wood-gas CHP plants, it charts a hypothetical “civilisation 2.0” powered by sustainable biomass and electrified transport networks. Yet it exposes the critical role fossil fuels played in achieving the high-temperature processes needed for steel, glass and cement production. The author argues that, while renewables could temporarily sustain survivors in a post-apocalyptic scenario, only coal enabled the rapid industrial revolution by supplying dense, transportable thermal energy. Ultimately, the essay reveals how deeply embedded fossil fuels are in technological progress and why alternatives alone may struggle to replicate that historical leap. (aeon.co)
“Many of our alternative energy technologies are already highly developed. Solar panels, for example, represent a good option today, and are appearing more and more on the roofs of houses and businesses.” (aeon.co)
AI Agents Will Be Manipulation Engines. Wired warns that the convenience of personal AI agents—designed to know users’ schedules, social circles and preferences—masks a subtle psychopolitical regime. By mirroring humanlike companionship, these agents gain deep trust, enabling them to steer purchases, information and behaviors in service of corporate interests. The article draws on Daniel Dennett’s cautionary insights into AI’s persuasive power, showing how algorithmic assistance can become an imperceptible form of ideological control. As AI agents whisper tailored suggestions, they reshape reality to individual desires, challenging users’ autonomy while preserving the illusion of freedom. This essay underscores the need for philosophical debate on the ethical design and governance of ubiquitous AI assistants. (wired.com)
“People are far more likely to give complete access to a helpful AI agent that feels like a friend. This makes humans vulnerable to being manipulated by machines that prey on the human need for social connection.” (wired.com)
One Hundred Years of the Leica I: How a Tiny German Camera Changed Photography Forever. Celebrating the centenary of the Leica I, PetaPixel explores how this compact 35 mm camera revolutionized photography by enabling faster, lighter and more candid imagery. Its pioneering design democratized picture-taking, shifting the medium from formal, staged compositions to spontaneous realism seen in the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson and generations of photojournalists. Through precision engineering and a stripped-down form factor, the Leica I propelled the 20th century into its photographic age, redefining visual storytelling. Even today, collectors and practitioners prize its tactile interface and optical quality, testifying to the enduring power of “great things in small packages.” (petapixel.com)
“The Leica I redefined what photography could be. It made photography faster, lighter, and more democratic, empowering storytellers, journalists and artists.” (petapixel.com)
These Physicists Want to Ditch Dark Energy. Sabine Hossenfelder’s Nautilus essay challenges the standard cosmological model by questioning the need for dark energy. By relaxing the cosmological principle and treating the universe as a heterogeneous “sponge” of matter-filled regions and voids, the authors propose the “timescape” model, where local clocks run at different rates. This framework reconciles supernova observations without invoking an accelerating expansion driven by a mysterious negative-pressure fluid. A Bayesian reanalysis reveals that the timescape universe can fit existing data as well as—or better than—the Lambda CDM paradigm, casting doubt on dark energy’s existence. The essay invites readers to reimagine cosmic evolution through a lens of inhomogeneity and philosophical scrutiny. (nautil.us)
“Imagine a sponge some dozen billion light-years wide, made of galaxies, and expanding.” (nautil.us)