Core Scientific

A Peking University team led by Chen Mohan has ported ABACUS, an open-source density functional theory package used in materials science, to Huawei's Kunpeng 920 processors, optimising 19 classes of core operators. According to the report, the SVE build ran 1.3 to 3.9 times faster than x86 chips on 28 cores. The work is being discussed as another sign of Chinese scientific software adapting to domestic chip alternatives amid ongoing export restrictions.

A recurring question over whether science and religion can coexist is circulating among users discussing atheism, faith and belief in God. The core argument posed is that science treats faith as a flaw requiring evidence, while religion treats it as a virtue, making the two worldviews difficult to reconcile. Responses typically split between those who see conflict as inherent and those who argue the domains address different kinds of questions.

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara are reported to be working on rebuilding the core component of a quantum computer, the element where quantum information is processed. No further details about the team's findings or methods are available. Advances in quantum computing hardware are closely followed because they could eventually affect cryptography, materials science and computing power more broadly.

Danone has launched a new research laboratory in China centred on gut health, health span and early life nutrition, reflecting the company's view of the gut as central to overall health. The move signals Danone's continued investment in the Chinese market and in nutrition science aimed at healthy ageing and infant development.

A science-and-culture commentary revisits a core claim of the intelligent design movement: that design-based explanations should lead us to expect optimally engineered systems in nature. The piece asks why, in principle, design proponents predict 'ultimate engineering,' probing the reasoning behind the inference from apparent design to an intelligent cause and how that shapes the movement's scientific predictions.

Investors are weighing Core Scientific's pivot from bitcoin mining toward AI data-center colocation services, comparing it with rivals Cipher Mining (CIFR) and TeraWulf (WULF), which are pursuing similar strategies. The question under debate is whether repurposing mining infrastructure to host AI workloads can unlock lasting shareholder value, as miners seek steadier revenue amid bitcoin mining's volatility.

A widely shared Atlantic essay argues that the journal article, long the core unit of scientific credit and careers, is losing its value as AI-generated papers, preprints and alternative publishing models erode the prestige and trust attached to formal publications. Commenters are debating whether peer-reviewed articles can remain the currency of academic advancement, or whether science needs new ways to establish credibility and reward researchers.

Shareholders of bitcoin miner Core Scientific have voted down CoreWeave's roughly nine billion dollar acquisition offer for a second time, blocking the AI infrastructure company's attempt to take over the firm. The renewed rejection leaves the future of the proposed merger uncertain and keeps attention on the booming demand for data centre capacity driving CoreWeave's interest.