In a world-first, Chinese scientists claim to have successfully constructed an artificial moon. Capable of creating zero-gravity and limited-gravity environments at the switch of a button, the lunar stand-in will be used to prepare astronauts for moon-based operations and to learn more about how matter interacts in low-gravity. Recreating the moon’s gravity on Earth has…
Chinese-based electric vehicle (EV) battery firm, Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), has launched a battery swapping service. The world’s largest producer of EV batteries says it will allow EV users to swap out batteries in a minute, hopefully alleviating much of the “range-anxiety” experienced by prospective EV owners who might still be sitting on the fence.…
A team of Chinese scientists has developed a little-known method to increase the yields of certain crops using electricity. Working out of Beijing’s Chinese Academy of Sciences, the researchers found that pea yields were increased by almost 20% when a rain- and wind-powered triboelectric nanogenerator was among the plants. While it may sound outlandish at…
China’s “artificial sun” continues to shatter records. This time, the hyper-expensive fusion reactor recorded temperatures five times greater than the surface of the sun. Scientists are hopeful the feat may be the next step to unlocking unlimited power – the holy grail of clean energy. Secured in Hefei, China, the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST)…
The Chang’e 5 lunar lander, China’s latest moon-going vehicle, has become the first craft of its kind to locate water in real-time. The historic first has set the scientific community’s tongues wagging as researchers race to discover more about the anomaly. The presence of water was discovered at the Chang’e 5’s landing site near the…
After a bumper year in 2021, South African farmers are gearing up for another stellar export season. Last year, citrus, wine, apple and maize exports saw significant growth. This year, South African pear farmers have cause for celebration as the Chinese market has finally opened up to them. The announcement, which came in late December…
Chinese engineers are confident their first floating nuclear reactor is sturdy enough to withstand gale force winds. The offshore reactor, located in the Bohai Sea, is used to power ocean-based oil rigs and is reportedly capable of toughing out “once in 10 000-year” storms. The novel 60GW (gigawatt) reactor was subjected to powerful winds and currents…
In the final days of 2021, Zeekr, the Geely-owned manufacturer announced it had teamed up with Waymo, one of the United States’ largest self-driving tech companies, to create a fleet of driverless ‘robotaxis’. Zeekr, the year-old electric vehicle (EV) startup, has created a significant disturbance in the industry. According to a recent Waymo blog post,…
A “mystery hut” has been spotted on the moon by China’s lunar rover, Yutu 2. The cube-shaped object was first observed in early December and since then has become a focus of mainstream media and the scientific community. It turns out the plucky car-sized rover has made several other significant discoveries during its stay on…
A team of Chinese researchers has developed an ultra-absorbent material capable of extracting uranium from seawater. Inspired by the blood vessels inside our anatomy, the group’s new method is reportedly 20 times more efficient than previous techniques. Uranium extraction processes on land involve traditional practices like in-situ leaching and underground or open-pit mining. However, according…