China Scientist Awards Blog

  Discovery to unravel mystery of early universe Scientists have revealed new insights into the distant X-ray universe, with the Einstein Probe satellite offering fresh perspectives on the distant explosions in the cosmos. The research results of its discovery of a mysterious blast of X-rays in March — less than three months after EP was launched in January last year — was published on international academic journal Nature Astronomy on Thursday. The discovery could require us to change the way we explain the extraordinary explosions known as gamma-ray bursts, said Liu Yuan, co-first author of the paper and a scientist from National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The burst of low-energy X-rays EP's Wide-field X-ray Telescope detected in March lasted for more than 17 minutes, and fluctuated in brightness before fading away again. Such an event is known as a fast X-ray transient, or FXRT, and this particular transient was designated as EP240315a. "EP2403...

Tencent ramps up global AI efforts with roll-out of advanced Hunyuan 3D-generation system The open-source Hunyuan3D 2.0 is expected to lower barriers to entry for using AI models across video gaming, social media and other sectors Tencent Holdings  released an updated 3D-generation system based on its  artificial intelligence  (AI) foundation model,  Hunyuan , on open-source platforms, a move that is expected to help  video game  developers produce three-dimensional content more efficiently, from days to a few minutes. The open-source Hunyuan3D 2.0, built on Tencent’s own large language model (LLM), is used to generate high-resolution, textured 3D assets, according to a statement by the  Shenzhen -based company on Tuesday. The advanced system includes two foundation components: a shape-generation model called Hunyuan3D-DiT and a texture-synthesis model, Hunyuan3D-Paint. Tencent also rolled out Hunyuan3D Studio, which it touted as “the industry’s first ...

  Chinese study finds hotpot ingredient can boost battery performance in the cold Chinese scientists have found fibre from the konjac plant – an ingredient in noodles and jelly added to hotpot – can improve the performance of water-based zinc batteries in low temperatures by keeping their components from freezing. Aqueous zinc-ion batteries, still largely in development, are a promising alternative to lithium batteries because of their high theoretical capacity, superior safety, and the wider availability of zinc compared with  lithium . Despite these benefits, the use of these batteries has been limited as the water-based electrolytes used in them are prone to  freezing  in low temperatures. An electrolyte is a component within a battery that allows the flow of power between the two electrodes. “A critical challenge in electrolyte development involves improving the antifreeze characteristics without compromising high-rate performance,” the scientists wrote in a pape...

  Global education AI lab, EduPX launched in Beijing A seminar on education planning and governance in the intelligent era concluded on Sunday, launching the Lab of AI Governance and Planning in Education and its first result — Education Policy and Planning AI Agents, according to the organizers. Held by Beijing Normal University and UNESCO arms, the seminar opened in Beijing on Jan 14, aiming to tackle the intersection between education policy, planning and the transformative role of artificial intelligence in shaping global education systems. It brought together 38 participants from 19 countries, including government officials, educational planners and international scholars, to engage in discussions on the future of education in an AI-driven world. The six-day event focused on topics including digital transformation in global education planning, AI applications in education governance, the future of education and the value of education planning. The Lab of AI Governance and Plan...

   China launches Long March 2D carrier rocket to deploy three spacecraft China launched a Long March 2D carrier rocket on Friday afternoon, deploying three spacecraft, including an advanced atmospheric research satellite, into their preset orbit. The rocket blasted off at 12:07 pm at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and soon delivered the Tianlu 1, PRSC-EO1 and Lantan 1 into their orbit, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the maker of the rocket. Designed and built by GalaxySpace, a Beijing-based private satellite maker, the Tianlu 1 is carrying several advanced scientific equipment to measure temperature, density, composition of middle and upper atmosphere, and features high resolution, around-the-clock operational capability as well as multi-element detection capacity, according to Xi Bin, a senior spacecraft designer at GalaxySpace. He explained that it is difficult for most of the satellites and aircraft to...