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SCMP

We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. How China cracked US ‘super code’ that controls most power grids in the world
China is no longer using American software to run its power grid. The Southern Regional Electricity Market (SREM) – the world’s largest unified power market – has switched fully to Tianquan, a solver developed by Chinese engineers with speeds 14 per cent faster than American products, according to a report by the official Science and Technology Daily.
2. Chinese nuclear experts believe Japan could build nukes in less than 3 years

Chinese nuclear experts estimate that Japan has the political motivation but also the technical capacity to develop nuclear weapons in less than three years, echoing Kissinger’s warning that Japan harbours ambitions to revive its pre-war military stature when the opportunity arises.
3. A year after near total blackout, China builds world’s largest smart transformer
Just over a year after an incident that nearly triggered a cascading failure across China’s national power grid, engineers have developed the most powerful smart direct current (DC) transformer on the planet – an innovation poised to neutralise renewable energy shocks to the system.
4. China’s military maglev achieves 0-700km/h acceleration in less than 2 seconds

Researchers at China’s National University of Defence Technology have successfully accelerated a tonne-class vehicle to a record speed of 700 km/h (435mph) within just two seconds on a 400 metre (1,310-foot) magnetic levitation test line, and brought it safely to a stop.
5. Second reusable rocket recovery failure in a month puts China 10 years behind US

China’s commercial and state-owned space developers have been racing to launch and recover the country’s first reusable rocket – a feat first achieved a decade ago by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. But efforts from both sectors have so far been unsuccessful, leaving China 10 years behind the US in the technology.
6. Chinese team builds optical chip AI that is 100 times faster than Nvidia’s A100
Chinese scientists have unveiled an optical computing chip that outperformed Nvidia’s leading AI hardware by over a hundredfold in speed and energy efficiency – particularly for generative tasks such as video production and image synthesis.
7. Lard can actually keep you fit and feeling more comfortable, Chinese study finds

Consuming a diet with a moderate amount of lard can decrease both fat accumulation and inflammation in body fat, according to a new study by Chinese scientists.


Selfies and symbolism: behind the scenes from Xi’s summit with Trump and Putin

Leaders Xi, Putin meet over tea; rare earth find in northeast China: SCMP’s 7 highlights

Shenzhen’s 24-hour spa, a glimpse of 1970s Hong Kong: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Xi’s back-to-back meetings with Trump and Putin in Beijing: everything you need to know

SCMP Highlights

How China cracked US ‘super code’, health benefits of lard: 7 science highlights

China’s Southern Regional Electricity Market, the world’s largest unified power market, has fully switched to the homegrown Tianquan solver, which is 14 per cent faster than US rivals. Photo: EPA-EFE

Some Chinese nuclear experts estimate that Japan has the capacity to develop nuclear weapons in less than three years. Photo: Shutterstock

Footage of the test aired by state broadcaster CCTV shows a vehicle flashing across the maglev track, leaving a trail of mist in its wake. Photo: CCTV

The Long March 12A, China’s first state-owned reusable rocket, has failed on its debut launch. Photo: Weibo

A scientific study has found that in moderation, lard can have health benefits. Photo: Shutterstock

Cheaper fresh water in China, potential Parkinson’s treatment: 7 science highlights

China has figured out a way to produce fresh water from seawater for just two yuan (US$0.28) per cubic metre. Photo: AFP

Albert Einstein is seen in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1954. Photo: AP

This first glimpse of a J-36 fighter on the ground, reportedly parked on a tarmac at Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, started circulating on X earlier this year. Photo: X/ @WZZJWZ

Chinese medical experts have created an ultra-efficient stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s disease that has achieved remarkable results in clinical trials. Picture: Shutterstock Images

China’s new tech war warriors, study on jamming Starlink signals: 7 science highlights

Excavation at the large stone-walled site at Shimao began in 2012. Photo: Handout

Harbin Institute of Technology. Photo: Shutterstock

Reports say Guo Wei may only have a high school qualification. Photo: Handout

Satellites that will form part of SpaceX’s Starlink constellation await release into orbit from a Falcon 9 rocket on May 24. Photo: SpaceX

Artist impression of the 78,000-tonne “far-sea floating mobile island”. Photo: SJTU, China State Shipbuilding Corporation

Chinese robotics firm UBtech has released footage showing hundreds of humanoid robots carrying out visually striking feats. Photo: Handout

Shenzhou-20 astronauts return home, Qian Hong leaves US for China: 7 science highlights

Astronaut Wang Jie waves as he is carried out of the Shenzhou-21 spaceship’s return capsule after it touched down at the Dongfeng landing site on Friday. Photo: Xinhua

Qian Hong, previously the Olga Jung Wan endowment professor in applied mathematics at the University of Washington in Seattle, has returned to China after 40 years in the US. Photo: Handout

For nearly three millennia, she has been remembered not as a person, but as a symbol: the beautiful femme fatale whose cold heart and untouchable beauty brought down a dynasty. Photo: Handout

Chinese geologists have discovered a rare gold deposit in the Kunlun Mountains near the western border of Xinjiang, the third large haul to be found this year. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Researchers at CHIPX pose for a photo with their high-performance 6-inch thin-film lithium niobate chip, an advance that is poised to accelerate progress in AI and quantum computing. Photo: Handout

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Science

From China building world’s largest smart transformer to health benefits of lard, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting


From China building world’s largest smart transformer to health benefits of lard, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting.


How China cracked US ‘super code’, health benefits of lard: 7 science highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From China building world’s largest smart transformer to health benefits of lard, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting

1. How China cracked US ‘super code’ that controls most power grids in the world

From China building world’s largest smart transformer to health benefits of lard, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting