JAPAN EYES BLOCKCHAIN FOR REAL-TIME MARKET SETTLEMENT
Japan plans to trial real-time stock and bond settlements using blockchain technology, according to Nikkei.
The FSA, Finance Ministry, Bank of Japan and financial institutions will launch a study group this summer.
A development plan could emerge in early 2027, with operations potentially beginning within several years and a broader system running by the early 2030s.
US EYES NEW 7.5% TARIFF ON CHINA
The US is considering a 7.5% tariff on Chinese goods over concerns about excess manufacturing capacity ahead of Trump’s September meeting with Xi Jinping.
The move would bring Trump’s second-term China tariffs to around 20%, while staying within the threshold previously accepted by Beijing.
Final rates remain under discussion and could change.
Washington and Beijing are also negotiating an extension of their trade truce, currently set to expire November 10.
We don't have enough power.
AI chip-driven electricity demand is projected to surge to a record ~315 gigawatts globally by 2033.
That would represent an increase of more than +1,100% since 2025.
The US is expected to account for ~64% of this new AI electricity demand, or ~200 GW.
Meanwhile, AI data centers are also putting huge strain on power infrastructure.
During model training, hundreds of thousands of GPUs can power up and down simultaneously, causing electricity usage to spike as much as 50% above design capacity.
These sharp power swings can accelerate wear on batteries, generators, cooling systems, and other critical infrastructure, increasing maintenance and replacement costs.
We need new energy infrastructure.
Recent findings indicate that mitochondria may offer a pathway to decelerate or potentially reverse aspects of biological aging.
Long regarded as the energy generators within cells, mitochondria undergo a progressive deterioration whose causes have remained unclear. A significant study appearing in Nature Communications has now outlined a key process underlying this deterioration.
Investigators at the Leibniz Institute on Aging in Germany determined that the gradual reduction of a membrane lipid known as phosphatidylcholine substantially restricts the adaptability of mitochondria.
In the absence of this essential lipid, the cellular power centers become unable to merge and adjust effectively, resulting in energy shortages that hasten the bodily changes linked to growing older.
Particularly promising is the demonstration that the mechanism can be modified. When aging C. elegans nematodes and challenged human cell cultures received phosphatidylcholine or its precursor choline, the researchers observed a notable recovery of youthful mitochondrial form and performance.
Although experts emphasize that no single daily supplement will immediately restore youthfulness in people, the capacity to safeguard and rejuvenate these microscopic energy units marks an important advance in longevity science and supplies a clear objective for forthcoming treatments aimed at postponing age-related illnesses.
[Poliezhaieva, Tetiana, et al. “Aging-Associated Decline of Phosphatidylcholine Synthesis Is a Malleable Trigger of Natural Mitochondrial Aging.” Nature Communications 17 (2026): 3589. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-71508-7]