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July 22^nd 2025

💻 Technology

🇨🇳 Chinese researchers achieve first quantum teleportation of telecom qubit into solid-state memory

Scientists at Nanjing University have successfully teleported a photonic qubit in the telecom band into a solid-state quantum memory using erbium ions - marking the first such integration compatible with existing fiber-optic networks. This achievement eliminates the need for frequency conversion, enabling seamless integration of quantum communication with current telecom infrastructure. Published in Physical Review Letters, the breakthrough is a major step toward scalable, long-distance quantum networks and the realization of a functional quantum internet.

⚡️ Energy

🇨🇳 Chinese engineers begin world’s largest hydropower dam in Tibet to generate 300 billion kWh annually

China has launched construction of a record-breaking hydroelectric project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, expected to produce 300 billion kWh of electricity per year - three times the output of the Three Gorges Dam. The $167 billion project will feature five cascading power stations and is led by the newly formed China Yajiang Group. While China claims ecological safeguards are in place, the dam has triggered regional tensions with India and Bangladesh over downstream water impacts.

🇬🇧 🇩🇪 UK and German engineers advance 1.4 GW subsea energy link to cut 13M tons of CO₂

The NeuConnect project has begun its second phase of offshore cabling, using Prysmian’s Leonardo da Vinci, the world’s largest cable-laying vessel, to install 140 kilometers of undersea cable between the UK and Germany. When complete, the 725-kilometer HVDC interconnector will deliver 1.4 GW of electricity, enough to power 1.5 million homes, and reduce CO₂ emissions by 13 million tons over 25 years by supporting renewable energy integration. Converter stations are under construction in Kent and Wilhelmshaven, with full operation expected by 2028.

🚀 Space

🇺🇸 US scientists develop cryocooler to prevent fuel loss on long-duration Mars missions

NASA engineers have successfully tested a two-stage cryocooler system that prevents boil-off of supercooled fuels, a critical hurdle for future crewed Mars missions. Using helium-cooled loops embedded in insulation, the system keeps cryogenic propellants like hydrogen and oxygen stable for years, ensuring spacecraft retain return fuel after months in space. Developed at Marshall Space Flight Center, this breakthrough in cryogenic fluid management eliminates the need for fuel overloading and enables viable deep-space missions.

🌎 Sustainability

🇦🇺 Australian scientists use native microbes to create compostable plastic that leaves no trace

Researchers at Murdoch University and the CSIRO in Western Australia have developed a biodegradable bioplastic made from local microbes that fully breaks down in the environment, leaving no microplastic residue. These microbes produce a natural polymer called PHB, which the team harvests to create compostable packaging materials - especially useful as food-safe linings for recyclable paper and cardboard. Developed by the Bioplastics Innovation Hub, the innovation offers a scalable solution to single-use plastic waste and aligns with circular economy goals.

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Max

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