Building AI models that understand chemical principles

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Carbon Neutral Regulation in AI Training

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Among all of the possible chemical compounds, it’s estimated that between 1020 and 1060 may hold potential as small-molecule drugs. Evaluating each of those compounds experimentally would be far too time-consuming for chemists. So, in recent years, researchers have begun using artificial intelligence to help identify compounds that could make good drug candidates. One of those researchers […]

Investing in flood defences, air conditioning and other measures to protect the UK from climate change will provide “long-term savings” for the country, according to the Climate Change Committee (CCC). The government’s climate advisors have proposed a set of climate-adaptation actions that would require at least an extra £11bn per year in spending, largely from […]

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Justin Solomon, associate professor in the MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), has been appointed associate dean of engineering education in the MIT School of Engineering, effective July 1. In this new role, Solomon will focus on advancing innovation in engineering education across the school. He will help shape new pedagogical approaches […]

Among a flurry of posts on social media last weekend, US president Donald Trump declared “good riddance” to a specific emissions scenario used in global climate projections. The “RCP8.5” scenario, which envisages a future of very high carbon emissions, was “wrong, wrong, wrong”, the president wrote in block capitals. This was “just admitted” by the […]

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Most people don’t think about the carbon trail behind a two-day delivery. You click “buy,” and two days later a box appears on your doorstep. What happened in between – the warehouse energy, the packaging materials, the trucks, the failed delivery attempts, the returns – is largely invisible to consumers, and until recently, to many […]

Many right-leaning figures have tried to push the idea that the UK is an outlier on net-zero. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed that other countries are “not following us” in aiming to cut emissions to net-zero, while GB News owner Paul Marshall said in March that the UK is “pursuing a path of unilateral […]

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Something quiet is taking place in a section of the Columbia River Gorge, which features striking basalt cliffs, wind turbines whirling above the highway, and small towns that are half defiant and half asleep. Not loud enough to garner national attention. Not glamorous enough for a press release from Silicon Valley. However, real, in the […]

The UK is no longer the top contributor to the UN’s flagship Green Climate Fund (GCF), after the government announced that it only intends to honour half of its most recent pledge. Amid wider cuts to its climate aid for developing countries, the UK informed the GCF in May that it will reduce its commitment […]

Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week US-China meet ENERGY TALKS: Trump administration officials have raised the prospect of China buying more US oil in response to the disruption caused by the Iran war, following two days of talks between the leaders of the […]

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EU rules designed to accelerate the use of sustainable aviation fuels may unintentionally favour production pathways that are more energy-intensive and expensive than necessary, according to new research from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. The study examined different methods for producing synthetic methanol — a fuel molecule that can be converted into sustainable aviation […]

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An internal view of the reactor system (image credit: Bruce Logan). US researchers have developed a microbial electrosynthesis reactor system that converts carbon dioxide and renewable electricity into methane, while demonstrating that the technology can be scaled up roughly tenfold without losing efficiency — a step that could help move the long-studied approach beyond laboratory-scale […]

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MIT master’s student Sunshine Jiang ’25 and Rupert Li ’24 are recipients of this year’s Knight-Hennessy Scholarship. Now in its ninth year, the highly competitive scholarship provides up to three years of financial support for graduate studies at Stanford University. Sunshine Jiang ’25 Sunshine Jiang, from Hangzhou, China, graduated from MIT in 2025 with a […]
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More and more homeowners are starting to put the planet first – and also want to keep their homes safe from harm. Smart security monitoring solutions tick both boxes – they help you save energy, while keeping your home secure. Smart Systems Save Energy & Make Life Easier Old-school alarm systems were limited to just […]

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A new industry group, the Scottish Onshore Wind Developers Forum (SOWDF), was formally launched on 13 May, in a bid to bring together leading onshore wind developers and operators to ensure the sector has a strong and dedicated voice in Scotland. The launch of the Forum comes at a critical moment for the sector. Scotland’s […]

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Overshadowed politically by mounting speculation over Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, the King’s Speech nevertheless set out an expansive programme of infrastructure and regulatory reform, with energy independence, grid resilience and the future governance of the UK water sector emerging as major themes alongside headline measures on immigration, NHS restructuring, transport infrastructure and closer EU cooperation. […]

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There is a soil that doesn’t behave like soil should somewhere along a slow bend of the Xingu river, where the macaws scream louder than the rain. It is dispersed throughout an otherwise pale, sandy, and, to be honest, somewhat worn-out landscape in dark, nearly charcoal-black patches. It has been known for generations by the […]

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Alan Gordon made a statement in front of a small group of people in Newton on a rainy Tuesday in early May that initially seemed almost too modest for the occasion. He discussed the sense that the future has already been decided, the gloom of the climate, and doom. Conversely, he stated that this is […]

Compounding their significant climate and environmental harms, fossil fuels are also volatile commodities. In 2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted the supply of natural gas, causing prices to spike. More recently, the United States’ war on Iran resulted in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important oil and gas chokepoints […]