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May 19^th 2025

💻 Technology

 🇨🇳 Chinese researchers launch world’s first quantum-encrypted telecom system to counter future cyber threats

China Telecom Quantum Group has unveiled a quantum cryptography system combining Quantum Key Distribution and Post-Quantum Cryptography, enabling the first 600-mile quantum-encrypted phone call between Beijing and Hefei. Featuring a three-layer architecture and supported by quantum networks in 16 cities, the system promises secure, large-scale communication resistant to quantum computer attacks. This breakthrough positions China as a global leader in next-generation cybersecurity infrastructure.

⚡️ Energy

🇩🇪 German engineers test giant seabed spheres to store renewable energy using deep ocean pressure

Researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute are developing massive concrete spheres, dropped to ocean depths, to store renewable energy by harnessing water pressure. The StEnSea system stores electricity by pumping water out of the hollow spheres, then regenerates power as water flows back in through turbines. With global potential to store 817,000 GWh and a pilot off California launching in 2026, this approach could rival pumped hydro without consuming valuable land.

🚘 Transport

🇺🇸 US engineers design windowless jet for 35% fuel savings through transonic laminar flow

Otto Aviation's Phantom 3500 replaces passenger windows with seamless surfaces to maximize aerodynamic efficiency, aiming for a 35% boost in fuel economy through sustained transonic laminar flow. Using advanced carbon-fiber materials, the aircraft reduces drag and emissions while offering passengers high-definition digital screens instead of portholes. With a projected 3,200-nautical-mile range and 80% lower emissions, the jet could reshape sustainable private aviation by 2030.

🇨🇦 Canadian engineers achieve first fan-in-wing eVTOL transition flight with hybrid long-range aircraft

Toronto-based Horizon Aircraft has completed the world’s first stable wing-borne transition flight using a fan-in-wing eVTOL design with its Cavorite X7 demonstrator. This hybrid aircraft uses retractable lift fans and a turbine engine for 500-mile range, allowing vertical or conventional takeoff with fast recharging in-flight. Designed for urban and emergency use, it combines VTOL flexibility with fixed-wing efficiency, setting a new standard in advanced air mobility.

🚀 Space

🇨🇳 Chinese scientists launch world’s first orbital supercomputer project to pioneer space-based AI computing

China has begun building the world’s first space-based supercomputer, launching 12 satellites as part of its ambitious Three-Body Computing Constellation. Developed by Zhejiang Lab with international collaboration, the system will perform real-time data processing in orbit and aims to scale computing power to 1,000 peta operations per second. This project marks the start of space-based cloud computing and positions China at the forefront of AI integration in orbital systems.

🌎 Sustainability

🇨🇦 Canadian engineers launch world’s first CO₂ filter gigafactory to cut industrial emissions at scale

Svante Technologies has opened the world’s first gigafactory for commercial carbon capture filters in British Columbia. The 141,000-square-foot facility will mass-produce MOF-coated solid sorbent filters capable of removing up to 10 million tonnes of CO₂ annually—equivalent to emissions from 27 million cars. This milestone positions Canada as a leader in scalable carbon removal and supports industrial decarbonization across sectors like cement, steel, and waste-to-energy.

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Max

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