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MIT scientists discover amino acid that helps the gut heal itself
MIT scientists have identified cysteine — an amino acid found in foods like meat, dairy, beans, and nuts — as a potent trigger for intestinal repair. In mice, a cysteine-rich diet activated immune cells that released healing signals, helping stem cells rebuild damaged intestinal tissue after radiation exposure. Researchers say the discovery could eventually lead to new dietary therapies for cancer patients suffering from treatment-related gut damage.
Trade, politics and inflation impacting state and county seasonal tourism
Drops are steep; rural communities trying to draw people from closer to home.
Sherritt agrees to sell stake in Cuba mining business to company linked to former Trump adviser
Canadian miner Sherritt International Corp. has signed a non-binding agreement with Gillon Capital LLC.
Scientists discover massive natural hydrogen source beneath Canada
Scientists in Canada have discovered that ancient underground rocks are naturally producing hydrogen gas — and lots of it. Measurements from mine boreholes in Ontario show the gas can flow continuously for years, offering a potential new source of clean energy called “white hydrogen.” Researchers say this hidden resource could help power industries and remote communities while cutting carbon emissions and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion DLC adds Cyclops and The Thing, more DLC to follow
Dotemu and Tribute Games revealed DLC plans for Marvel Cosmic Invasion, starting with the arrival of Cyclops and The Thing today. This first DLC is out today on Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch. Here’s some information about the new DLC characters: The Thing: The Fantastic Four’s heaviest hitter brings his cosmic radiation-induced might to the fray, excelling in Marvel Cosmic...
New MatterChat Model Helps AI to ‘See’ the Language of Science
From writing emails to generating computer code, much of the artificial intelligence prevalent in our daily lives has succeeded by mastering one domain: text. However, this leaves a major blind spot in the physical sciences, where models depend on the high-resolution, three-dimensional data of the physical world, like the intricate lattice of atoms in a crystal. Delivering on the promise of using AI for science requires teaching these data-driven text models to seamlessly “talk to” physics-based models. Now, a new AI framework from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), called MatterChat, solves this problem by creating a specialized “bridge.” It connects the conversational power of a Large Language Model (LLM) with a physics-based AI that models “interatomic potentials”: the complex physical forces between atoms. The resulting system already significantly outperforms general-purpose AI tools like GPT-4 at predicting material properties, and the team hopes it can accelerate scientific discovery by serving as a robust research partner that provides grounded insights and generates step-by-step instructions for synthesizing novel materials. A paper describing this work was recently published in Nature Machine Intelligence. “Traditional simulations can provide the physical rigor required for materials science, yet their computational cost remains prohibitive for high-throughput screening. Conversely, while LLMs excel at rapid knowledge synthesis, they inherently lack the ‘structural vision’ to interpret materials directly from their underlying atomic coordinates,” said Yingheng Tang, a postdoctoral researcher in Berkeley Lab’s Applied Math and Computational Research Division (AMCR) and lead author on the paper. “MatterChat was built to solve this dilemma, empowering LLMs with a structural ‘vision’ that allows researchers to leverage their full potential for solving complex, real-world materials challenges.” Empowering language models to solve complex challenges in materials science To build MatterChat, the Berkeley Lab team drew inspiration from technologies like Vision Question Answering (VQA) and Text-to-Image (T2I) generation. In these tasks, AI must translate high-level text concepts into visual images, or vice versa. Doing so requires developers to build tools that “bridge” two fundamentally different forms of data. The researchers adapted this concept to the physical sciences. With MatterChat, they created a “bridge model” that successfully connects an LLM’s general knowledge with the deep understanding of the atomic-scale world encoded in scientific interatomic potentials. Until now, researchers using LLMs to solve materials problems usually had to feed them raw data files as if they were just strings of text. It’s like asking an AI to understand a complex 3D engine based only on a parts list: the LLM can read the names, but it can’t “see” how the atoms fit together in space. MatterChat solves this by training a specialized AI bridge model, pre-trained on millions of crystal structures and an LLM, to align the LLM’s representation of the world with the interatomic potential’s representation of the world. The bridge model can translate physical insights into a format the LLM can actually understand. By giving the LLM these “scientific eyes”— a scientific “inductive bias” in the terminology of AI — the Berkeley Lab team has transformed it into a robust research tool capable of providing grounded scientific insights into complex materials challenges, such as predicting thermal stability or analyzing electronic band gaps. “We think of atoms as living in a physical space, but from a machine learning perspective, they are just vectors living in some very non-trivially structured manifold in a high-dimensional Euclidean space; and, of course, the same is true for the sentences and paragraphs that we use to express our ideas about those atoms,” said co-author Michael Mahoney, Berkeley Lab’s Scientific Data Division (SDD) AI Initiative Research Lead. “The bridge model basically gets those two structures to ‘talk with’ each other.” As a proof-of-concept of this general approach, the team trained their bridge model on a dataset curated by pairing nearly 143,000 stable atomic structures from the Materials Project with their corresponding physical properties. This training data was automatically assembled using the Materials Project’s API and deliberately enriched with properties fundamental to microelectronics design — like formation energy and bandgap — allowing MatterChat to learn the complex patterns connecting a material’s atomic blueprint to its functional performance. To validate their model, the researchers benchmarked MatterChat against a suite of other AI systems, from general-purpose LLMs to other specialized scientific AI methods. The results show that MatterChat consistently outperformed its competitors across a range of tasks. The model was more accurate in classifying material types and demonstrated superior precision in predicting numerical properties. For example, it excelled at predicting a material’s bandgap, a property critical for designing new electronics from high-capacity energy storage to next-generation computer chips. “Our design is significantly more efficient because we don’t have to build a massive AI model from the ground up,” said co-author Zhi (Jackie) Yao, a research scientist in Berkeley Lab’s AMCR. “Instead, we take two powerful, pre-trained models — a structural encoder for materials physics and an open-source LLM — and use them off-the-shelf. The only component we actually train is the lightweight ‘bridge model’ that translates between them. It’s the difference between building an entire car factory and simply designing a smart adapter that connects a world-class engine to a world-class navigation system. This approach is not only computationally efficient, but also makes the system modular, so we can easily upgrade components or adapt the bridge for other scientific domains in the future.” Crucially, this modular design highlights exactly how institutions like Berkeley Lab and the Department of Energy are carving out a highly valuable niche in the booming AI landscape. Rather than competing with Silicon Valley tech giants to build ever-larger language models from scratch, the lab is focusing on the specialized connective tissue that makes commercial AI useful for hardcore science. Because the bridge model approach underlying MatterChat is forward-compatible, it is perfectly positioned to leverage these parallel tracks of innovation. As Mahoney pointed out, “We expect that industry will continue to develop improved LLMs, and we expect domain scientists and facilities will continue to generate new data. An important part of scientific machine learning is not simply to solve problems on today’s data, but instead to develop general methods that will be forward-compatible with orders of magnitude more data, whether from scientific domains or from LLMs.” According to Yao, the MatterChat project, which was initially developed and enhanced with funding from a Berkeley Lab Laboratory Directed Research & Development (LDRD) Program, will now expand its capabilities. In a collaboration with Fermilab, MatterChat is already contributing to a U.S. Department of Energy Genesis Mission project — called Accelerating eXtreme Environment Specs-to-Silicon (AXESS) — that aims to speed up the development of next-generation, high-speed, radiation-hardened detectors for challenging particle physics experiments by using advanced 3D integrated circuits (chiplets) and AI-driven data analysis. In addition to the LDRD support, the team also credits supercomputing resources at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), located at Berkeley Lab, with MatterChat’s success. “We are incredibly grateful to NERSC; this research simply would not have happened without access to the Perlmutter supercomputer through their AI for Science program,” said Tang. Wenbin Xu, a NERSC postdoctoral fellow at the time, was also a major co-author of the work, as was Benjamin Erichson, a research scientist in Berkeley Lab’s SDD, highlighting the benefits of AMCR-SDD collaboration on AI for science. ### Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 17 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.
What’s Next for Artemis II AVATARs
Organ chips from Artemis II's AVATAR investigation have arrived at the laboratory at Emulate, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts for analysis. The AVATAR (A Virtual Astronaut Tissue Analog Response) investigation uses personalized organ chips made from each astronaut's own cells to study the impacts of space radiation and microgravity on human health.
Guest writer: Kidney disease prevention begins with public health action on diabetes
Whatcom's 'moonshot' is within reach; it begins by making diabetes prevention a public health priority
Canadian national health agency confirms 1 positive hantavirus test
Canada's national health agency confirms that one of four Canadians returning from a cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive.
Canadian national health agency confirms 1 positive hantavirus test
Canada's national health agency confirms that one of four Canadians returning from a cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive.
Canadian national health agency confirms 1 positive hantavirus test
Canada's national health agency confirms that one of four Canadians returning from a cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive.
Canadian national health agency confirms 1 positive hantavirus test
Canada's national health agency confirms that one of four Canadians returning from a cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive.
Canadian national health agency confirms 1 positive hantavirus test
Canada's national health agency confirms that one of four Canadians returning from a cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive.
Canadian national health agency confirms 1 positive hantavirus test
Canada's national health agency confirms that one of four Canadians returning from a cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive.
Canadian national health agency confirms 1 positive hantavirus test
Canada's national health agency confirms that one of four Canadians returning from a cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive.
Canadian national health agency confirms positive hantavirus test
Canada's national health agency confirms that one of four Canadians returning from a cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive.
Max Verstappen: Red Bull F1 driver plans Nurburgring 24 Hours return after reliability costs his team chance at win
Max Verstappen was on course for a remarkable win on debut at the Nurburgring 24 Hours but his car suffered a problem when in contention for victory in the closing hours of the race; watch the Canadian Grand Prix Sprint weekend from this Friday, live on Sky Sports F1
Scientists discover why some cancers survive chemotherapy
Scientists have uncovered a surprising new trick used by one of cancer’s most notorious proteins. MYC, already infamous for fueling runaway tumor growth, also appears to help cancer cells survive by repairing their damaged DNA — including damage caused by chemotherapy and radiation. Researchers found that MYC can rush directly to broken DNA and recruit repair machinery, effectively helping tumors recover from treatments meant to destroy them.
Now What? With Carbon Pricing Eroded and Pipeline Politics Advancing, Here Are the Pathways for Climate Success
At the end of a whirlwind week of news on carbon pricing and electricity strategy, capping a madcap year of pretty much non-stop, dramatic change, the word across much of Canada’s climate and energy transition community is that climate policy in this country has been shredded. Eviscerated. Hit with a sledgehammer by policy rollbacks that have pushed the country’s 2050 net zero target “well out of reach”. That means it’s never been more important to look for the rays of hope and glimmers of possibility. To glimpse the seeds of the next set of strategies to get Canada’s climate pollution under control and the country into the accelerating global dash away from fossil fuels. And then, once we’ve spotted those possibilities, get on with the hard, day-to-day slog of trying to make them a reality. Nothing takes away from the frustration and the deep disappointment so many climate and energy hawks are expressing, the sense of betrayal by the author of Value(s) and the former UN special envoy for climate action and finance. But we knew two things as the week drew to a close. We’re looking at the world as it most definitely is. And we don’t get to give up finding the pathways to confront climate change and deliver faster, deeper carbon cuts that leave no one else behind. So really, the first question we all have to ask ourselves is: What’s next? Subscribe All the Oxygen in the Room The outpouring of anger and grief over the carbon pricing deal between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been absolutely understandable. So much of the climate community poured years, more than a decade, into dragging the current federal pricing regime across the finish line, then defending it from a deluge of three-syllable rhymes after the Trudeau government proved utterly incapable of delivering its own message. The policy foisted on us by neo-classical economists took up all the oxygen in the room, burned through years of climate response time that we won’t get back, while cornering climate hawks into the position that the best response to the crisis of our lifetimes is a new tax…in an era of historic anti-tax sentiment. I mean, really—what could possibly have gone wrong? Against that history, let’s appreciate columnist Max Fawcett’s point that even a modest carbon pricing agreement with a government as off-the-wall libertarian/conspiracist as Danielle Smith’s—those adjectives are mine, not Max’s—is a win worth savouring (as long as Smith keeps her promises for a change). But part of living in the world as it is (no, I’m not letting that go) is to be clear-headed about what we can and can’t control. And one thing we get to decide, after seeing this week’s carbon price festivities take up all the oxygen yet again, is whether we want to keep letting that happen. Particularly when success down that road depends on a factor that no one with a climate agenda can control or influence—a provincial carbon pricing mechanism that has been manipulated and eroded beyond its lowest possible denominator. Thankfully, that’s not the way it has to go. Not when we have so many other powerful, practical tools at our disposal, including the ones still available to us through this abominable Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canada and Alberta. Tools In Our Toolbox When I started roughing out this list, I didn’t expect it to grow to nearly a dozen bullet points. It’s probably still incomplete. Some of the greatest hits in today’s climate solutions toolbox include: • No Carbon Capture, No Pipeline: On Friday, Prime Minister Mark Carney explicitly stated that there’s been no change to the MOU provision that there will be no West Coast pipeline without an industry commitment to build its massive, $16.5-billion carbon capture and storage (CCUS) hub in Northern Alberta, and vice versa. The two megaprojects were joined at the hip when the MOU was signed Nov. 27, and the implementation agreement this week affirmed that they still are. A parade of independent analysts have spent years pointing to the economic and technical flaws in CCUS, while the industry kept postponing its investment decision until it could arm-twist the government for more “clarity” (by which it meant even more lavish taxpayer subsidies) on the project. Now the industry itself is running away from the CCUS hub and insisting the pipeline should proceed without it, but Carney doesn’t seem to be budging from a central tenet of the MOU to which Smith has signed on. • No Subsidies, No Investors: Climate analysts and advocates have quite rightly been hammering away at Carney and his team, insisting that any new capacity the industry wants to build must proceed without new subsidies. The government has responded with a growing collection of funding and financing mechanisms for the very wide menu of industrial development and nation-building projects they say they want to take on, and that menu always includes fossil fuel infrastructure. But it’s hard to see how even the combined fiscal clout of the federal and supportive provincial governments will deliver the financial backing private investors would need when the business case for new fossil fuel development is evaporating before their eyes. Particularly when… • No Market, No Demand, No Investors: As our friend Markham Hislop at Energi Media (our apparently sleepless friend, given the massive volume of great material he’s been churning out) points out this morning, the biggest vulnerability in any pipeline deal is the assumption that Asian buyers will want the oil or liquefied natural ga that our fossil industry is so keen to send them. Hislop writes in part: Ottawa and Alberta are effectively betting that countries like China and India will continue increasing oil imports for decades as their economies grow and energy consumption rises. That assumption underpins the entire economic rationale for expanding oil sands production and building billions of dollars in new export infrastructure. But Asian energy systems are changing rapidly… China, India, South Korea, and other major hydrocarbon importers are now investing hundreds of billions of dollars into electricity systems built around wind, solar, batteries, nuclear, hydro, and expanded transmission infrastructure. Domestic “energy sovereignty” is increasingly replacing the old energy-security model based on stable oil and gas imports. Those investments are expected to sharply slow oil demand growth and eventually reverse it, even as overall energy consumption continues rising. There are also refining constraints. Many Asian refineries and petrochemical complexes are already optimized to process discounted heavy crude from the Middle East and Latin America. That raises serious questions about how much additional Canadian bitumen Asian markets can absorb at profitable prices. Small wonder that there’s still no private sector investor for the project, despite Smith’s government desperately beating the bushes to put together a deal. For now, Alberta is acting as proponent and covering early start-up costs for a pitch to the federal Major Projects Office, which could actually turn into the next tough hurdle for Smith and her pipeline to jump. • Canada Day Looms: How ironic that Canada’s birthday this year could become a major chokepoint for the provincial premier who’s been working so diligently to tear the country apart! The July 1 target date for Alberta’s pipeline proposal is baked into the MOU, was reaffirmed by the implementation plan, but it hadn’t dawned on me that it cuts both ways. As one very smart colleague wrote in an email yesterday, “they’ve thrown the ball into Alberta’s court to get the project proposal on the table really quickly and to have to do a whole pile of work to put together a massive, complicated project that would typically take years to assemble, and they’ve given them weeks to do it.” That makes July 1 a looming deadline that Smith won’t be able to run away from politically, especially with the separatists in her party and her caucus breathing down her neck. (See previous ref to off-the-wall.) But if Alberta comes in with a sloppy, incomplete submission, even after Carney bent over backwards to simplify the application process and the rules that govern it, it may be harder for the province or the industry to blame Ottawa and insist on the faster process they claim their investors are demanding. (Oh, wait—which investors would those be??) • We’ll See You In Court (Then We’ll See You Again): If Carney did cave, that would be just one more reason for Indigenous and other affected communities to take the government and the process to court—Just as Alberta First Nations did, successfully, in response to Smith’s half-baked separation referendum. Veterans of the Harper era have been warning that a shoddy process around fossil fuel infrastructure or other major projects will be a recipe for the very delays that process seeks to avoid. And now more than ever, with renewable energy and energy storage eating fossil fuels’ lunch in import markets around the world, a delayed pipeline or LNG terminal may be as good as a cancelled one. • Charged Up, Ready to Go: With its goal of doubling Canada’s electricity supply to meet a doubling of demand by 2050, the national electricity strategy that Carney unveiled Thursday has a lot to like. With its explicit language about speeding the shift from fuels to more efficient and affordable electricity, global investment and deployment patterns that already favour that shift, an emerging bidirectional power grid, the role of front-line options like rooftop solar and heat pumps, the emergence of electric vehicles as behind-the-meter energy storage, and the domestic jobs and manufacturing to make it all happen, the document doubles down on the essential cornerstone of a faster shift off fossil fuels. The strategy envisions a more prominent role for gas and nuclear power. But some of those provisions were already in the Clean Electricity Regulations that climate hawks are now fighting so hard to defend, inserted as a compromise in a futile attempt to mollify the industry and its political representatives in Alberta and Saskatchewan. But once again, gas will be a tougher sell when it’s more expensive and now so much more unpredictable than the clean alternatives. The new nuclear technologies are still speculative and deeply vulnerable to cost overruns. Increasingly, utilities, developers, and investors know it. Carney declared Thursday that “it doesn’t do us good to be sitting in court all the time with provinces. It doesn’t do us good to be talking past each other. What does do us good is to come together with specific projects.” There are no guarantees, but so much of the language and narrative-building in the electricity strategy suggests the lion’s share of those projects will be renewable. • The Party Has Already Started: The electricity strategy only rarely digs down to specific projects, but provinces representing three-quarters of Canada’s population are already embracing a faster transition. Hydro-Québec is working on a 10-year, $185-billion renewable energy and grid buildout by 2035. Ontario recently brought 10 provinces and territories together in a National Energy Corridor Agreement to boost interprovincial and -territorial transmission infrastructure. And the MOU implementation agreement commits Alberta to facilitate investment in renewable energy projects, a big step back from its continuing, punitive restrictions on renewables development. The electricity strategy envisions much of the financing and infrastructure that will be needed to pull those advances together into an integrated whole. • Delivering on Affordability: The MOU implementation plan has little or nothing to say about affordability (are you surprised?), but the electricity strategy does, with a top-line pledge to reduce home energy costs for seven out of 10 Canadian households by 2050, a total saving of $15 billion across the board. It’s just a start, but it puts affordability on the government’s narrative map. If they’re serious and deliberate about patching together a least-cost energy strategy, it’ll have little if any room for oil, gas, or nuclear—not with powerful evidence, for example, that electricity prices are higher when those prices are set by gas. • Smith Proves that Canada Works: By signing a deal that makes it harder to claim the federal government is blocking a new pipeline, Smith has helped prove Carney’s constant anti-separatist refrain that “Canada works”—incurring the rage, no doubt, of her own political base. Canada also needs to work for anyone who depends on a clean environment, healthy and thriving ecosystems, and safe, stable climate. But with Smith and her separatist constituents setting up as a fifth column for annexation by Donald Trump’s United States, let’s set aside any notion that 51st state status for Canada is a recipe for anything other than climate disaster (and so much else). Resisting and withstanding Trump (just 170 more sleeps until mid-term elections, which is a damn sight better than the 730 we started with) doesn’t mean a free pass for a pipeline, but we can still appreciate it that keeping Canada whole and sovereign is still Carney’s Job One. • The Words Not Spoken: Apart from a commitment to export a million barrels of “low-emission” Alberta bitumen per day (memo to Smith and Carney: You realize that that’s less than the industry is already exporting??), the MOU implementation plan says nothing about the international trade and economic sovereignty deals that Carney has been travelling the world to negotiate. It didn’t have to. Carney doesn’t need permission from Danielle Smith, her American enablers, or her separatist allies to continue building the alliances that will ratchet down our economic dependency on our unstable, unreliable neighbour to the south. But every connection he builds with countries outside North America helps align our economy and our future with a faster shift off fossil fuels. Little if any of this was on our bingo cards a year or two ago. But it’s the pathway that has opened up to us. And if it gives Canada any climate or energy gains at all in an era still dominated by Trump and his increasingly ridiculous tariffs, his loutish trade negotiations and his continuing annexation threats, we have to take the wins. Not least because they’ll be the point of departure for what we can achieve in 2027, 2029, and beyond, as Trump’s grip and this era begin to loosen and then fade. What is Carney Doing? If this line of thought is right—and it’s a possibility, not a prediction—it means that Carney’s actions and decisions are largely about buying time. Time for Trump’s power to wane. Time for Alberta’s separatist/conspiracist virus to spread, mutate, die out, or at least die back, with help from a vaccine of federal steadiness and calm (appropriate enough, for a movement populated largely by vaccine deniers) that no conspiracy theory can dismiss. And time for the government’s trade and investment agenda to deliver results—even knowing that some of those results will bring impacts that front-line communities will not and should not accept. In the immediate moment, none of this changes the way the wider climate community has to respond, from campaigners to investors to front-line practitioners. All of our voices are still essential. But those voices will be stronger and more confident if we have a clearer sense of the brutal game we’ve been pulled into, and a plausible path (or two it three) for playing it to the win we need. This conversation also underscores our biggest task for the remaining years of what was supposed to be the “decisive” decade for climate response: if we can shift the energy narrative in Canada, make it a mainstream view that the country’s preoccupation with oil and gas has us falling farther behind a changing world, we’ll see far better results in the 2030s and beyond. For many veteran climate advocates, taking on that part of the fight will begin with recognizing that most of our friends and family, neighbours and colleagues already understand that climate change is real and right in front of us: they’re looking away and staying silent because they don’t have what climate communicator Katharine Hayhoe calls “efficacy”. As Hayhoe recently pointed out in a feature interview with The Energy Mix, it amounts to science denial to keep hammering away at the dire news about global warming without also helping audiences understand what they can do about it, with multiple studies telling us why that won’t work. Far better to open those conversations with the dominant crises like energy security, food security, emergency preparedness and business continuity, affordability, and financial security that have knocked climate change far lower on the list of public priorities, and will likely keep it there. We Knew This Would Happen Climate hawks have always known this day would come. For decades, we warned that everyone had to pay attention to climate change right now, because it would be much tougher to respond once the crisis itself started affecting our daily lives. We were right, and here we are. But now, thanks to decades of hard work, communities and countries have an alternative to doubling down on fossil fuels. “In 10 years everyone will have ‘always known’ that solar and batteries were going to win,” Morgan Solar Executive Chair Mike Andrade writes on LinkedIn. With the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz roiling energy priorities around the world, Canada and the United States are among the shrinking number of countries that are still very keen on fossil fuel development. Understanding that gap is a first, essential step in spotting the opportunities ahead, and averting the deep economic as well as environmental and social risk we face if we don’t seize them. Thanks for reading The Energy Mix Weekender! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. Subscribe Mitchell Beer traces his background in renewable energy and energy efficiency back to 1977, in climate change to 1997. Now he and the rest of the Energy Mix team scan 1,200 news headlines a week to pull together The Energy Mix and The Energy Mix Weekender. Chart of the Week BYD Eyes 20 Dealership Locations After Canada Greenlights Chinese EV Imports ‘Sledgehammer’ Carbon Price Deal Boosts Emissions by 230Mt, Aims for Fall 2027 Pipeline Approval ‘Worse Than Harper’: Regulatory Rollback Would Stop Canada from Assessing Project Impacts, Critics Warn Electricity Strategy Aims for Doubling by 2050, Allows ‘Flexibility’ for Gas Power Plants Opposition Mounts as O’Leary’s Data Centre Approved in Drought-Stricken Utah Diluted Carbon Price Misses ‘Reality of the World We’re In’, Could Impede Diversified Trade: Climate Institute $200B in Clean Energy Investment Will Need On-Time Delivery, Reliable Policies, Trade Association Says ‘Sovereign Pipeline’: CEO Pitches to Keep Trans Mountain in Government Hands What a Supercharged El Niño Could Mean for Canada Canada’s future is electric, and here’s how a power grid superhighway would get us there (Toronto Star) The Perilous Waters of Hecate Strait (Globe and Mail) Saudi Aramco profits jump despite conflict in Middle East (The Guardian) Farmers confront rising cost of fertilizer and fuel as spring seeding under way (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) Clarkson forecasts 24% decline in offshore oil, gas capital expenditures (Oil & Gas Journal) Pipe Dreams: How Oil and Gas Fail to Deliver Economic Development in Africa (Oil Change International) Developing countries must hold the pen to script the fossil fuel transition (Climate Home News) Iran war threatens the dream of a post-oil economy in the Gulf (Washington Post) U.S. Oil, Gas Work Force Hits Lowest Level Since 2022 (Rigzone) Why Polestar Is Doubling Down on Net Zero as Rivals Pull Back on EVs (Bloomberg) Why this Michigan utility plans to sell its hydro dams for $13 (E&E News/Politico) Levees can no longer save New Orleans (Vox)
Lilly Singh To Receive Hollywood Reporter’s Equity in Entertainment Award
The Canadian actress and producer will pick up the award at the third annual Women in Entertainment Canada summit on May 28.
Lilly Singh To Receive Hollywood Reporter’s Equity in Entertainment Award
The Canadian actress and producer will pick up the award at the third annual Women in Entertainment Canada summit on May 28.
Canada confirms first suspected hantavirus case linked to cruise ship
Canadian in B.C. presumptively tests positive for hantavirus linked to MV Hondius cruise outbreak, pending lab confirmation, health officials say.
NASA’s new AI space chip could let spacecraft think for themselves
NASA is testing a next-generation space computer chip that could give spacecraft the ability to operate far more independently in deep space. The radiation-hardened processor is showing performance levels hundreds of times beyond current spaceflight computers while surviving punishing tests designed to mimic the harsh conditions of space. The technology could enable AI-powered spacecraft, faster scientific discoveries, and smarter missions to the Moon and Mars.
Netanyahu testifies his health is 'top decile' in libel suit over cancer reports
The Prime Minister Testified in Court After He Sued an Anti-government Activist and Two Journalists Over Reports on His Health. In April, a Medical Report Revealed Netanyahu Had Been Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer and Underwent Radiation Therapy Without Informing the Public in Real Time
Space Weather and Sun Science: A Conversation with Christina Cohen
Cohen, a space physicist, has been a member of the Solar Radiation Lab at Caltech for three decades.
BASF and NOD Apiary Products collaborate to advance honey bee health
BASF and NOD Apiary Products Ltd., a Canadian company specializing in honey bee health solutions, today announced a collaboration focused on advancing honey bee health and supporting beekeepers through shared expertise and funding.
Sleep and diet may matter more than exercise for buffering the health toll of chronic stress
A 10-year study of nearly 3,000 Canadian workers finds that sleep quality and diet do more to protect health under chronic work stress than exercise.
Montreal Victoire, Ottawa Charge meet in PWHL final: Schedule, what to know
The 2026 PWHL Walter Cup Finals will be an all-Canadian affair between the Montréal Victoire and Ottawa Charge.
The Heart of Entertainment: Canadians are Choosing YouTube More Than Ever
Last night we hosted Brandcast, YouTube’s annual Upfront event in New York City. The event showcased YouTube’s role as the epicentre of culture, announced exciting new p…
Time matters: circadian genetics and the molecular logic of human health and disease
Nature Reviews Genetics - The circadian clock controls transcriptional and signalling networks across tissues to maintain homeostasis, with pathological consequences to its disruption. Kuo et al....
Scientists discover the strange way CO2 cools part of Earth’s atmosphere
Scientists have finally cracked the mystery behind one of climate change’s strangest fingerprints: while Earth’s surface heats up, the upper atmosphere is rapidly cooling. Researchers at Columbia University discovered that carbon dioxide acts very differently high above the planet, where it actually helps radiate heat into space instead of trapping it. The team found that certain infrared wavelengths fall into a “Goldilocks zone” that becomes increasingly effective as CO2 levels rise, accelerating cooling in the stratosphere.
Canadian-based company ceases operations; dozens of people laid off in Pennsylvania
The company said its financial position has worsened significantly since 2021, and that it had faced additional pressure since 2024 due to the imposition of tariffs by the U.S. government, post-pandemic reductions in consumer demand, increased competition from offshore competitors, and ongoing cash constraints.
Staying safe from wildfire smoke | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
The health impacts of wildfire smoke range from minor ailments like headaches or coughing to more serious issues like heart attacks. But there are steps people can take to protect themselves, according to Harvard Chan School’s Mary Johnson.
It’s not just Canadian tourists snubbing U.S. cities. Business leaders are cancelling more trips to America as geopolitical tensions continue
An analysis of cell phone data shows Canadian visits to U.S. cities have plummeted 42% year-over-year, dwarfing previous estimations.
9 Light Ents Opens Unscripted Unit 'Lights, Camera... Kitchen!'
Canadian production house 9 Lights Entertainment has opened an unscripted division with 'Lights, Camera... Kitchen!' being its debut title.
Toronto’s 9 Light Entertainment Opens Unscripted Unit With Reality Series ‘Lights, Camera… Kitchen!’
EXCLUSIVE: Canadian production house 9 Light Entertainment has opened an unscripted division with Lights, Camera… Kitchen! being its debut title. To date, Toronto-based 9 Lights has focused on scripte...
Microplastics absorb heat in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming — as if they weren't bad enough
Climate scientists have discovered that microplastics and nanoplastics are helping to drive global warming by absorbing sunlight and radiation in the atmosphere.
Scientists learn how mosquitoes are able to track and bite humans
Researchers found that infrared radiation from a source at roughly the temperature of human skin doubles mosquitoes’ host-seeking behavior.
Music festival to benefit community action groups
The Bad Beaver Music Festival will take place at Bad Beaver Farm in Ellsworth on Saturday, May 23, from 4-8 p.m. The festival benefits Acadia Action and Hancock County Activists.
Entertainment Notebook: Grow blooms at the Segal Centre; Grand Prix Party fever and more
The Segal Centre for Performing Arts will conclude its 2025-26 season with Grow, a bold new Canadian musical by the originating producer of Come From Away, Michael Rubinoff. The musical
'Full House' star Dave Coulier shares health update amid cancer battle
Dave Coulier revealed he lost 45 pounds and struggled to eat or speak after extensive radiation treatment, while sharing positive news about his cancer prognosis.
'Full House' star Dave Coulier shares health update amid cancer battle
Dave Coulier revealed he lost 45 pounds and struggled to eat or speak after extensive radiation treatment, while sharing positive news about his cancer prognosis.
'Full House' star Dave Coulier shares health update amid cancer battle
Dave Coulier revealed he lost 45 pounds and struggled to eat or speak after extensive radiation treatment, while sharing positive news about his cancer prognosis.
'Full House' star Dave Coulier shares health update amid cancer battle
Dave Coulier revealed he lost 45 pounds and struggled to eat or speak after extensive radiation treatment, while sharing positive news about his cancer prognosis.
'Full House' star Dave Coulier shares health update amid cancer battle
Dave Coulier revealed he lost 45 pounds and struggled to eat or speak after extensive radiation treatment, while sharing positive news about his cancer prognosis.
'Full House' star Dave Coulier shares health update amid cancer battle
Dave Coulier revealed he lost 45 pounds and struggled to eat or speak after extensive radiation treatment, while sharing positive news about his cancer prognosis.
Kings Plaza Adds New Stores And Entertainment Options in Brooklyn
The mall now includes Coach, PacSun, Foot Locker, Arcadia and Digiso.
2026 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Award
First year Materials and Nanoscience graduate student Stéphane Miaule (Tolbert group) has been awarded the 2026 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship, one of the country’s most prestigious honors for graduate students in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The program, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, supports doctoral students across a broad range of scientific and technological fields of strategic importance. This highly competitive fellowship provides full tuition, fees, and a monthly stipend for three years. In 2026, only 102 fellowships were awarded nationwide, and Stéphane is the sole recipient from UCLA. Before transferring from Santa Monica College to UCLA, Stéphane interned at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center, where he researched the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of lunar regolith, as well as radiation shielding materials for lunar habitation development. At UCLA, he joined the Soft Materials Research Laboratory under Professor Qibing Pei, focusing on the synthesis and characterization of hafnium oxide nanocomposite scintillators. After earning his bachelor’s degree in chemistry, he remained in the Soft Materials Research Laboratory as a post-baccalaureate researcher for one year before joining Professor Sarah Tolbert’s group as a Ph.D. student. Stéphane’s Ph.D. research is focused on improving the properties of conjugated polymers, which are a family of plastic materials that can conduct electricity. Stéphane is specifically looking at self-assembling polymers that can be processed in water to create light-weight, flexible, high-conductivity polymer devices without the need for toxic or volatile organic solvents. After completing his Ph.D., Stéphane hopes to work in a national laboratory, researching semiconducting polymers for applications in new electronic devices. “The Graduate (1967) featured a memorable scene in which the protagonist was told that ‘there’s a great future in plastics.’ We know this still holds true today, as polymer research has expanded rapidly due to the wide variety of applications these materials enable. Through my work on semiconducting polymers, I hope to contribute to the continued development of plastic electronics,” Stéphane said. Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penjen@g.ucla.edu.
Lost my job while living abroad: Unique challenges, struggles
I lost my job while living in Germany as a Canadian. Navigating unemployment abroad was difficult, but I've created a rhythm and routine for myself.
Sports/Rec calendar: May 8–17, 2026
Upcoming recreation opportunities and college and prep sports
Sun Life quarterly profit jumps on Asia business strength
Sun Life reported a jump in first-quarter profit on Wednesday, as the Canadian insurer benefited from strong gains in its Asia business.
What’s behind the secessionist movement in the Canadian province Alberta?
Oil-rich western province could see independence referendum as soon as October, but complicated process remains ahead.
Mad Science of Greater Kansas City: Dino-Volcano
Mad Science of Greater Kansas City's Radiant Randy joins Shane and Kerrigan to share a dino-volcano experiment.
Open for business: Arcadia businesses frustrated by SR 70 construction
Road construction on State Road 70 in downtown Arcadia is testing the patience of local business owners.
Researchers are giving salmon cocaine. Don't worry, it's for science
With cocaine and its metabolite, benzoylecgonine, being detected in waterways across the globe, Canadian researcher Erin McCallum and her team set out to understand the impact of these illicit drugs on fish in Sweden.
‘World’s Most Evil Killers’ Library Lands at Radial Entertainment
Radial Entertainment secures all 10 seasons of true crime series 'World’s Most Evil Killers,' with Seasons 9 and 10 launching on FilmRise in May.
Fiddling a round? Festival to celebrate Acadian music, dance
The Acadia Festival of Traditional Music & Dance kicks off June 21 and runs through June 27, with a schedule full of classes, dances and concerts slated to take place
How BMO uses AI to get more of business clients' business
The Canadian bank is using machine learning to analyze customers' payments and provide recommendations to salespeople.
Canadian forward/real estate agent flashes business card in goal celebration
Tomasz Skublak scored in the Canadian Premier League, then showed his business card to advertise his other job as a real estate agent.
Guest writer: When the jail is Whatcom County's largest mental health provider
Overlooked in jail discussion: What kind of health care system will exist in that building?
Embrace science, logic to counter misconceptions: Ahmadiyya leader
Qadian (Gurdaspur): Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, headquartered in Qadian, has issued a strong call for greater focu.
FIFA World Congress in Vancouver, B.C., couldn’t shake politics
President Gianni Infantino botched a feel-good moment between Israeli, Palestinian soccer officials
Apotex becomes the first Canadian‑based pharmaceutical company to receive Health Canada approval for a generic equivalent of Ozempic®
/PRNewswire/ - Apotex Inc. ("Apotex" or the "Company"), Canada's largest Canadian‑based global health company, today announced that Health Canada has approved...
Cboe layoffs: exchange cutting 20% of workforce in 2026
The exchange operator notified affected workers Friday as part of a broader strategic realignment that also includes selling its Canadian and Australian operations
Research commissioner pitches EU to US scientists and investors
Research Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva is just back from a two-day trip to San Francisco, where she pitched the EU as the place to be for US researchers looking to move and US venture capitalists looking to invest. A Commission spokesperson told Science|Business that Zaharieva used the trip to “promote Europe as a stable, rule-based and vibrant innovation destination.” She emphasised Europe’s excellent infrastructure and predictable funding, particularly through the European Research Council (ERC) and Europe Innovation Council.These are already proving tempting, with applications from US-based researchers to ERC and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) calls increasing substantially over the past few years. According to the Commission, the number of US-based applicants for the annual ERC Consolidator Grant call rose from 19 in 2025 to 64 in 2026, while US bids to the ERC Advanced Grant call rose from 23 in 2024 to 114 in 2025. Meanwhile, US applications to the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships scheme rose from 352 in 2024 to 998 in 2025.Pressure on US scientists to seek alternative employment has increased since Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Jobs at federal science agencies have been slashed, funding cut in some research areas and international scientific partnerships turned upside down. He has also made unprecedented attempts to control university affairs.During her trip, Zaharieva made a point of highlighting the protection of academic freedom in Europe, “especially in areas like climate change, renewable energy, and health, where US funding has faced cuts,” the spokesperson said.She also underlined the EU’s “attractive long-term career opportunities and relocation support for top researchers from anywhere in the world,” especially through its new Choose Europe for Science initiative.“Transatlantic cooperation remains essential to tackle global challenges while safeguarding shared values such as academic freedom and openness,” Zaharieva wrote on social media ahead of her visit.Related articlesERC walks back stricter resubmission rules for 2027Don’t feel guilty about poaching scientists fleeing Trump, US science body tells EuropeHer itinerary took in Stanford University’s business school and school of medicine, where topics for discussion included entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary collaboration. She also met with venture capital firms, including Playground Global, Forgepoint Capital and Akkadian Venture Capital, as well as the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the largest public pension fund in the US.Other meetings included Jensen Huang, the chief executive of AI chip manufacturer Nvidia, and local business associations such as the Bay Area Council and EuroCham. European delegations in the area also received visits, including Advantage Austria and France’s La French Tech, and the Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco.
Toward Marine Cloud Brightening at Scale: A Science Agenda
Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) is a Solar Radiation Management (SRM) solution to cool the planet by changing the albedo of low-altitude marine clouds to increase reflected shortwave radiation.
Sports/Rec calendar: May 1–10, 2026
Upcoming recreation opportunities and college and prep sports
Horizon Science Academy to open Cedar Rapids elementary charter school in August
Horizon Science Academy, a new tuition-free, STEM-focused charter public school, is set to open in Cedar Rapids this fall, offering kindergarten through fifth-grade students an alternative to traditional public education. Horizon Science Academy Cedar Rapids is scheduled to begin classes in August 2026 at the Radiant Church, 3233 Blairs Ferry Road NE. The school is […]
Radiation oncologists converge on Capitol Hill to push for payment reform
American Society for Radiation Oncology members from across the country took part in ASTRO’s annual advocacy day on April 27.
Petroglyph Development Group and Great Canadian Entertainment Announce the Successful Closing of the Acquisition of Chances Maple Ridge
SNUNEYMUXW (NANAIMO), British Columbia, April 27, 2026--Great Canadian Entertainment ("Great Canadian" or the "Company") and Petroglyph Development Group Ltd. ("PDG") confirmed the close of PDG’s acquisition of Chances Maple Ridge. The acquisition marks another milestone in the ongoing collaboration between the two companies. PDG is a wholly owned corporation of Snuneymuxw First Nation and the vehicle through which the Nation builds long-term economic self-determination. Snuneymuxw respectfully
Petroglyph Development Group and Great Canadian Entertainment Announce the Successful Closing of the Acquisition of Chances Maple Ridge
Great Canadian Entertainment (“Great Canadian” or the “Company”) and Petroglyph Development Group Ltd. (“PDG”) confirmed the close of PDG’s acquisition of Ch...
Inside the Full-time MBA at Canada’s Smith School of Business
What differentiates the Smith MBA experience? Learn what drew current MBA students to the Canadian business school program, and how life inside and outside the program has influenced their professional goals.
UT Health San Antonio researchers awarded grant to study how circadian rhythm disruptions may contribute to Alzheimer’s - UT Health San Antonio
UT Health San Antonio researchers awarded grant to study how circadian rhythm disruptions may contribute to Alzheimer’s
Radial Entertainment Names Matt Katrosar Exec VP, Global Advertising
Radial Entertainment Names Matt Katrosar Exec VP, Global Advertising & Partnerships
UT Health San Antonio researchers awarded grant to study how circadian rhythm disruptions may contribute to Alzheimer’s - UT Health San Antonio
Environmental stressors like jet lag, high-fat foods suspected as disease risk Contact: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu Content provided by Claire Kowalick SAN ANTONIO, April 27, 2026 – Can jet lag cause more than just sleep loss? Do quick-grab, high-fat foods associated with late-night or rotating work shifts bring more than indigestion? Those circadian […]
What NASA-Linked Circadian Science Can Teach Travelers About Beating Jet Lag
The standard advice to help jet lag is often to expose yourself to daylight but it only works when timed correctly.
Acadiana Center for the Arts hosts annual Sunny Side Jazz Brunch
The Acadiana Center for the Arts recently hosted its premier fundraising event under sunny skies and cool temperatures. The aptly named Sunny Side Brunch lived up to its moniker. The
40 Years After Chernobyl, Wolves May Be Adapting to Live With Radiation
They could hold clues to fighting cancer.
Sam Altman apologizes to Canadian community after mass shooting
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has apologized to a community in Canada after a mass shooting by a banned ChatGPT user.
Warner helps Kings keep PSL play-off hopes alive
Karachi Kings boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Pakistan Super League play-offs with a commanding nine-wicket win against Quetta Gladiators in Lahore. Chasing a target of 196, David Warner and Reeza Hendricks produced a 141-run second-wicket partnership to help the Kings finish the league stage with five wins in 10 matches. The Kings sit fourth with 10 points - two ahead of Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen, who both have a game in hand.
Could an Earthly Fungus Contaminate Mars? NASA May Have Found One Hardy Enough.
Researchers identified a species that can survive radiation, extreme heat and simulated Martian soil, posing a new challenge for protocols intended to keep the red planet pristine.
Topological control of chirality and spin with structured light
Light: Science & Applications - Pancharatnam topological charge drives deterministic spin-orbit interactions in paraxial free space, inducing tunable optical chirality and radial spin...
Senators extend partnership with Aramark Sports + Entertainment
As part of the new agreement, Aramark will work with the Senators on improving the fan experience by upgrading some of the dining and concession areas inside the Canadian Tire Centre.
Bombardier CEO Navigates Supply Chain Constraints for Defense Business After Hitting $1 Billion Goal Early
Eric Martel is navigating the Canadian jet maker through some turbulence to seize on the next leg of growth in the booming defense market.
Focusing in on human health research at annual space meeting
Long-duration spaceflight can chip away at an astronaut’s health, prompting scientists to find new ways to make living in space easier on the body. The journey to outer space is incredibly dangerous, but crews must also face day-to-day hazards, such as exposure to cancer-causing radiation, microgravity and extreme isolation. Understanding and ...
Two Gladiators, One Ambition | Council on Foreign Relations
There is the opposition to President Bola Tinubu, and then there is Atiku Abubakar.
Verizon and FOX Entertainment leverage 5G and AI for remote production of ‘Extracted’
FOX Entertainment partnered with Verizon to overcome significant production hurdles during the filming of the second season of the reality show “Extracted.” The production, which takes place in the Canadian...
Statewide proposal on trans athlete participation in girls sports fails for second time
Lynden School District spearheaded amendment to WIAA guidelines
Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka claim top honours at 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards
Paris Saint-Germain is named Team of the Year, Nadia Comăneci receives the Lifetime Achievement prize as winners span the Olympic Games, tennis, football, and Formula One.
Ryan Reynolds on Business Ventures, Blake Lively and ‘Deadpool’
In part one of this Sunday Sitdown Live, Ryan Reynolds joins Willie Geist in front of a packed crowd to discuss the rapid rise of Wrexham A.F.C., his many business ventures like his Maximum Effort, the young audience he’s found at home for his “Deadpool” franchise and what’s next for the superhero. Reynolds also shares support for his wife Blake Lively and reveals how he is feeling about his upcoming 50th birthday milestone. (Sponsored by More to Parkinson’s and brought to you by Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. Venue sponsored by City Winery)
Calabasas girls get the 4x100 relay win at Mt. SAC Relays
The Coyotes ran a meet record of 44.48 seconds to avenge a loss to Fullerton Rosary last week at the Arcadia Invitational.
UFC Winnipeg weigh-in results: All fighters on point
The fighters competing on Saturday's UFC Winnipeg fight card officially weighed in on Friday at the host hotel. All fighters officially weighed weight for the contests. The event is. headlined by a welterweight bout between former title challenger Gilbert Burns and Canadian Mike Malott. Both men ...
Brain health: Staying more active during the day helps retain brain volume
Older adults with a more fragmented circadian rest-activity rhythm lost more brain volume in areas typically affected by Alzheimer’s disease, research has found.
Pop star boyfriend posting from Coachella, celebrity statesman, global brand: Justin Trudeau’s offbeat political afterlife
While Canadian prime ministers have taken staid routes after leaving office, Trudeau has tread a different path
Sports/Rec calendar: April 17–26, 2026
Upcoming recreation opportunities and college and prep sports
Artemis II mission will shed light on radiation, health effects in space
The Artemis II Moon mission will shed light on radiation and health effects in space.
Preview: UFC Winnipeg Prelims
The UFC Winnipeg undercard features several debuting Canadian prospects—and the Octagon return of one well-remembered heavyweight character.
Science and standards: a comprehensive guide to radiological protection
New book provides an essential guide to the science, regulatory landscape and real world practice of radiological protection
First Horizon Bank Welcomes Benjamin Hymel as Business Banking Group Manager in Houma
/PRNewswire/ -- First Horizon Bank (NYSE: FHN or "First Horizon") is pleased to announce that Benjamin Hymel has joined its Acadiana Business Banking team as a...