The Download: lasers for nuclear fuel, and organ preservation advances
This newsletter highlights advancements in nuclear fuel enrichment and organ preservation technology. It also covers the ongoing debate in Silicon Valley regarding the regulation of open-source versus closed-source AI models.
Why it matters
These developments represent critical breakthroughs in energy efficiency and medical science, while the AI debate shapes the future of global technological sovereignty.
Plus: Silicon Valley is split over how to respond to Chinese AI.
This is today's edition of The Download , our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology.
Nuclear power provides about 9% of global electricity today, and that fraction could tick up as countries look to build new reactors. New, cheaper methods to obtain fuel could help ensure that those nuclear projects stay on track.
One of those methods is called laser enrichment. It allows you to separate out the material you want (in this case, uranium) from others in a mixture of old waste.
A company called Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) is about to start testing whether the technology works at commercial scale. Read our story about their efforts .
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in