Is AI the answer to life, the universe and everything?
People’s Republic of China policies, economy, and international relations
TL;DR: To meet climate goals, the world must triple renewable energy capacity to 11 terawatts by 2030—equivalent to building approximately one entire current U.S. electrical grid every year for six years. This requires 1,500 gigawatts of energy storage, primarily batteries, making battery innovation the central nervous system determining whether humanity can avoid catastrophic warming. The…
Made in China: How Beijing Won the Battery War Before America Noticed TL;DR: While Western governments debated free market principles, China deployed the most successful industrial policy of the 21st century to capture 85% of global battery production capacity. Through $73 billion in subsidies, strategic acquisitions, and forced technology transfer, Beijing built companies like CATL…
This is Part 2 of “The Battery Wars” series. Read Part 1: From Galvani’s Frogs to Lithium Kings: The Hidden History That Explains Today’s Battery Wars While the world fixates on China’s dominance in battery manufacturing, the real chokepoint of the energy transition lies thousands of miles away in the remote salt flats of South America….
The race for battery supremacy transforming global power didn’t begin with Tesla or climate change—it started when a dead frog’s leg twitched in a laboratory in 1780. In late 1780, Italian physician Luigi Galvani was dissecting a frog in his laboratory when something extraordinary happened. He touched the creature’s leg with two different metal instruments,…
While Western nations focus on quantum computing, China is quietly establishing neuromorphic supremacy through coordinated state investment and breakthrough achievements like the 2+ billion neuron Darwin Monkey system. In August 2025, Chinese researchers at Zhejiang University unveiled Darwin Monkey—a neuromorphic supercomputer implementing over 2 billion artificial neurons at ~2,000W typical power, built from 960 Darwin…
Introduction: When Physics Becomes Geopolitics In October 2019, Google announced it had achieved “quantum supremacy”—the first demonstration of a quantum computer solving a problem faster than classical computers could. The milestone lasted just 10 days before IBM challenged the claim, disputing both the methodology and the implications. But beneath this scientific debate lay a deeper…
The global race for quantum computing leadership has moved beyond laboratory discoveries into the realm of high-stakes geopolitical competition. While Part 1 of this series explored why quantum computing matters, Part 2 examines how the world’s major powers are organizing their quantum strategies—and why their different approaches reveal deeper truths about 21st-century technological competition. Editor’s…
Editor’s Note: This is the final installment of our five-part series “The New Physics of Power,” examining how quantum technologies are reshaping international relations and strategic competition. Part 1 explored quantum as a force multiplier, Part 2 analyzed the quantum arms race, Part 3 examined economic power dynamics, Part 4 investigated strategic stability challenges, and…