Can Michael Pollan crack the problem of consciousness in his new book?

• The Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted final approval for Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant to continue operations through 2030, concluding a three-year regulatory review process. • This decision represents a significant policy shift regarding nuclear energy in California and demonstrates regulatory confidence in the plant's safe operation and maintenance standards. • The approval reflects broader national conversations about nuclear energy's role in meeting energy demands and climate goals, particularly as the U.S. seeks to expand clean energy capacity.

• A paralyzed man successfully controlled a robotic arm by using a neural interface device that relays signals from his brain to a computer, enabling him to grasp, move, and drop objects through thought alone. • The breakthrough demonstrates the practical application of brain-computer interface technology, allowing the patient to perform complex motor tasks that were previously impossible due to paralysis. • This advancement represents a significant milestone in neurotechnology and rehabilitation, offering hope for individuals with paralysis by restoring functional control of external robotic limbs through neural signals.

• Researchers from Binghamton University and University of Virginia developed a machine-learning system that analyzed over 55 million scientific papers and patents to identify truly disruptive research that changes the direction of science. • The new metric, published in Science Advances, measures "disruptiveness" — the degree to which a paper pulls a field away from its earlier path — and successfully identifies major simultaneous discoveries often overlooked by traditional citation-based measures. • The study addresses a critical gap in how science evaluates impact, recognizing that scientific progress occurs through abrupt changes rather than incremental steps, helping identify overlooked breakthrough moments in research history.

• NASA's Artemis II mission has reached a critical point of no return, with the Orion spacecraft performing its trans-lunar injection burn and now headed toward the Moon. • The mission represents a major milestone in NASA's efforts to return humans to lunar exploration after decades since the Apollo program. • Artemis II serves as a crucial test flight for the Space Launch System and Orion capsule before planned crewed lunar landings.

• The MajesTEC-3 clinical trial led by UAB researchers demonstrates that a new two-drug immunotherapy regimen can lead to long-lasting remission for multiple myeloma patients. • Over 83 percent of patients enrolled in the trial remain alive and progression-free three years after therapy, supporting approval of this potentially curative treatment. • The findings represent a significant advance for multiple myeloma, a blood cancer with limited treatment options historically.

• Scientists warn that rapid advances in artificial intelligence and neurotechnology are advancing faster than our scientific understanding of consciousness, creating serious ethical risks. • The acceleration of AI capabilities and brain-computer interface technologies raises urgent questions about the nature of consciousness and ethical implications. • Researchers emphasize the need for parallel development of ethical frameworks to accompany technological progress.

• Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York, along with colleagues at the University of Virginia, published a study in Science Advances mapping innovation landscapes to identify disruptive studies and patents that challenge existing scientific paradigms. • The method, developed by Sadamori Kojaku and colleagues, helps pinpoint discoveries that reshape the course of science, such as the theory of evolution, atomic splitting, and antibiotic development. • The robust measure of disruptiveness provides a systematic way to identify simultaneous breakthroughs across scientific fields and could accelerate recognition of transformative research.

• On March 10, the University of Houston announced researchers at its Texas Center for Superconductivity broke the ambient-pressure temperature record for superconductivity, potentially enabling more efficient energy generation, transmission, and storage. • Superconductivity is a quantum phenomenon where materials exhibit zero electrical resistance and expel magnetic fields when cooled below a critical temperature threshold. • This breakthrough represents a major advancement in materials science that could have significant implications for energy infrastructure and technology development.

• The U.S. Department of Energy's Genesis Mission, led by Dr. Dario Gil (formerly IBM senior vice president), is deploying AI supercomputing infrastructure to transform American science and engineering across fusion, energy, and national security. • Argonne National Laboratory will deploy approximately 10,000 state-of-the-art GPUs this year via Nvidia and Oracle, with a comparable AMD-HPE cluster launching at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, and a planned 100,000-GPU cluster at Argonne in 2027. • The mission aims to produce 50 to 100 comparable breakthroughs across all scientific domains within three to five years, creating a durable platform of AI supercomputers and next-generation quantum computers for the scientific community.

• NASA revealed a $20 billion fast-tracked initiative to establish a permanent moon base, with the rocket for astronaut lunar missions launching Wednesday. • The plan accelerates U.S. space exploration goals amid competition, building on Artemis program advancements for sustainable lunar presence. • This development matters for enabling long-term human spaceflight, resource utilization, and preparation for Mars missions.

• NASA's most powerful rocket, Artemis II, faces its critical pre-launch test essential for future crewed missions. • The test evaluates structural integrity and systems for the high-stakes lunar program. • Success is vital for U.S. leadership in space exploration and timeline adherence.

• Caltech scientists led by Manuel Endres unveiled a theoretical design for neutral-atom quantum computers that slashes required hardware by roughly 100 times, potentially making scalable machines feasible within years. • The breakthrough uses laser-trapped atoms movable across arrays, enabling long-distance connections unlike fixed-qubit systems; Endres noted, 'It’s actually very surprising how well this works,' calling it 'ultra-efficient error correction.' • Last year, the team assembled a record 6,100 atomic qubits, published in Nature, advancing beyond nearest-neighbor limitations in other platforms.