Lead Story
China's solar power capacity overtakes coal for the first time in history
China's National Energy Administration announced on September 1, 2026, that the country's installed solar power capacity had surpassed installed coal power capacity for the first time, ending a pattern that had held since the birth of the electric power industry more than a century ago. As of the end of July, installed solar capacity reached 1.286 billion kilowatts versus coal's 1.285 billion kilowatts, with solar now accounting for 31.5% of China's total installed generation capacity. Solar generation itself rose 15.5% year-on-year to 802.4 billion kilowatt-hours in the first seven months of 2026, about an eighth of the country's total electricity output, marking a historic milestone even though coal still generates more actual power overall.
Read more →Lead Story
China's solar power capacity overtakes coal for the first time in history
China's National Energy Administration announced on September 1, 2026, that the country's installed solar power capacity had surpassed installed coal power capacity for the first time, ending a pattern that had held since the birth of the electric power industry more than a century ago. As of the end of July, installed solar capacity reached 1.286 billion kilowatts versus coal's 1.285 billion kilowatts, with solar now accounting for 31.5% of China's total installed generation capacity. Solar generation itself rose 15.5% year-on-year to 802.4 billion kilowatt-hours in the first seven months of 2026, about an eighth of the country's total electricity output, marking a historic milestone even though coal still generates more actual power overall.
AI framework masters nuclear fusion plasma control faster than any human operator
Researchers at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Princeton University published results on September 2, 2026, in the journal Nuclear Fusion detailing PACMAN (Prediction And Control using MAchiNe learning), a framework that lets AI models plug directly into a fusion experiment's control system, reading plasma measurements and issuing commands in about 20 milliseconds. Tested successfully across five real fusion experiments, the system in one case predicted a damaging plasma instability roughly 200 milliseconds before it appeared and adjusted conditions to stop it from forming, far faster than any human operator could react. The advance tackles one of fusion power's key engineering hurdles: plasma disturbances that can grow and destabilize a reactor within milliseconds.
Read more →AI framework masters nuclear fusion plasma control faster than any human operator
Researchers at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Princeton University published results on September 2, 2026, in the journal Nuclear Fusion detailing PACMAN (Prediction And Control using MAchiNe learning), a framework that lets AI models plug directly into a fusion experiment's control system, reading plasma measurements and issuing commands in about 20 milliseconds. Tested successfully across five real fusion experiments, the system in one case predicted a damaging plasma instability roughly 200 milliseconds before it appeared and adjusted conditions to stop it from forming, far faster than any human operator could react. The advance tackles one of fusion power's key engineering hurdles: plasma disturbances that can grow and destabilize a reactor within milliseconds.
Compound from sea squirts reverses signs of aging in mice, boosting memory and hair color
A team led by Professor Lei Fu at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University published findings in early September 2026 in Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences showing that plasmalogens, lipid compounds found in edible sea squirts, reversed several signs of aging when given as supplements to 16-month-old mice over two months. Treated mice showed improved memory and learning, strengthened connections between brain cells, reduced inflammation, and grew thicker, darker hair, with researchers suggesting the compounds may encourage brain regeneration and protect aging synapses. The doses used were far higher than a typical seafood meal would provide, so the team cautions the findings do not yet show that eating sea squirts would have the same effect in humans.
Read more →Compound from sea squirts reverses signs of aging in mice, boosting memory and hair color
A team led by Professor Lei Fu at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University published findings in early September 2026 in Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences showing that plasmalogens, lipid compounds found in edible sea squirts, reversed several signs of aging when given as supplements to 16-month-old mice over two months. Treated mice showed improved memory and learning, strengthened connections between brain cells, reduced inflammation, and grew thicker, darker hair, with researchers suggesting the compounds may encourage brain regeneration and protect aging synapses. The doses used were far higher than a typical seafood meal would provide, so the team cautions the findings do not yet show that eating sea squirts would have the same effect in humans.
Scientists find a weak spot in glioblastoma, one of the deadliest brain cancers
Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center published a study on August 31, 2026, in the journal Cancer Letters showing that blocking a protein called SET restored activity of PP2A, a tumor-suppressing enzyme that glioblastoma cells normally disable, and prevented tumors from forming in preclinical models. Targeting two related proteins, ANP32A and CIP2A, also made cancer cells more vulnerable to radiation. The strategy is designed to make existing glioblastoma treatments work better rather than replace them, giving researchers a promising new target against a cancer that has long resisted effective therapy, though human trials are still needed to confirm safety and effectiveness.
Read more →Scientists find a weak spot in glioblastoma, one of the deadliest brain cancers
Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center published a study on August 31, 2026, in the journal Cancer Letters showing that blocking a protein called SET restored activity of PP2A, a tumor-suppressing enzyme that glioblastoma cells normally disable, and prevented tumors from forming in preclinical models. Targeting two related proteins, ANP32A and CIP2A, also made cancer cells more vulnerable to radiation. The strategy is designed to make existing glioblastoma treatments work better rather than replace them, giving researchers a promising new target against a cancer that has long resisted effective therapy, though human trials are still needed to confirm safety and effectiveness.
New European guidelines aim to catch kidney disease early in heart patients, breaking a dangerous cycle
The European Society of Cardiology, in collaboration with the European Renal Association, presented its first-ever joint guidelines on managing cardiovascular disease alongside chronic kidney disease at ESC Congress on August 29, 2026, later published in the European Heart Journal. The guidelines recommend screening every patient diagnosed with cardiovascular disease for kidney disease using simple blood and urine tests, under a new "STAMP on CKD" framework standing for Screen, Triage, Address CKD risk, Modify CVD management, and Plan health services. Because the two conditions can each accelerate the other, the guidelines aim to catch kidney damage earlier in heart patients and improve long-term outcomes through coordinated, proactive care.
Read more →New European guidelines aim to catch kidney disease early in heart patients, breaking a dangerous cycle
The European Society of Cardiology, in collaboration with the European Renal Association, presented its first-ever joint guidelines on managing cardiovascular disease alongside chronic kidney disease at ESC Congress on August 29, 2026, later published in the European Heart Journal. The guidelines recommend screening every patient diagnosed with cardiovascular disease for kidney disease using simple blood and urine tests, under a new "STAMP on CKD" framework standing for Screen, Triage, Address CKD risk, Modify CVD management, and Plan health services. Because the two conditions can each accelerate the other, the guidelines aim to catch kidney damage earlier in heart patients and improve long-term outcomes through coordinated, proactive care.