It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Friday, March 07, 2025
University of Tennessee unveils Kairos Power Training Simulator Laboratory
The University of Tennessee’s Tickle College of Engineering unveiled a new Operator Training Simulator Laboratory in partnership with Kairos Power during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday. The facility will train reactor operators for Kairos Power’s Hermes low-power demonstration reactor in nearby Oak Ridge and serve as a training hub for UT students entering the advanced nuclear industry.
In April 2024, Kairos Power signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the university and gave an endowment to host the facility inside the Zeanah Engineering Complex on UT’s campus. The Operator Training Simulator Laboratory will enhance the UT Nuclear Engineering department’s programming by providing a shared asset for students and Kairos Power employees to gain hands-on experience with fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR) operations.
Lab workstations feature Kairos Power’s state-of-the-art human-machine interfaces, providing a realistic control room experience. The simulator models KP-FHR dynamics, coupled with real hardware test systems, to provide a rich learning experience using simulated and actual system data. When it’s not being used to train operators, the simulator will be made available to graduate students and postdocs to conduct their own research and model development using Kairos Power’s modeling and simulation code.
“East Tennessee is at the heart of launching advanced small modular reactor technology to demonstrate the promise of nuclear to meeting energy security needs for our region and the nation. The Nuclear Engineering Department is enthusiastic about the partnership with Kairos Power and the new educational and career opportunities this will provide for our students and faculty,” said Brian Wirth, the head of the TCE Department of Nuclear Engineering. “The new operator training simulator laboratory represents a win-win scenario to train both our students and future Kairos employees.”
Kairos Power will supplement the simulator-based training with introductory courses on nuclear fundamentals open to both Kairos Power employees and university students. The foundational course offerings will provide industry-relevant education for emerging professionals exploring advanced nuclear careers within their respective engineering disciplines.
“The Operator Training Simulator Laboratory will be an important tool in realizing Hermes’ objectives as a stepping-stone to the commercial fleet,” said Kairos Power CEO and Co-Founder Mike Laufer. “Kairos Power is proud to partner with the University of Tennessee to build on the region’s distinguished nuclear legacy, strengthening the pipeline for students and operators that will be the future of our nuclear workforce.”
Operators trained in the program will pass a rigorous examination before they can be licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to operate the Hermes reactor, currently under construction. By qualifying operators in an off-site simulator, Kairos Power can ensure staff readiness to commission the reactor and enable continued operations throughout its life.
The public-private partnership has earned widespread praise from state leaders, including Tennessee Governor Bill Lee.
“Tennessee is ready-made to lead America’s energy independence and drive continued economic growth with safe, clean and reliable nuclear energy for the future,” Lee said. “We are the number one state for nuclear energy companies to invest and thrive, and I thank Kairos Power for working in partnership with the University of Tennessee to further invest in our state’s efforts to upskill our talented workforce and prepare students to enter the nuclear field.”
Developing the inherent functionality of highly pure porous organic polymers
A group of researchers from Tohoku University developed a method for synthesizing a special type of polymer that has applications for reducing greenhouse gas emissions - a major concern amidst a period of rapid climate change.
Porous organic polymers (POPs) are like sponges. Their high porosity allows them to soak up harmful pollutants like carbon dioxide (CO2). They also boast high thermal and chemical stability, giving POPs the potential to be applied to a wide range of fields, such as gas separation and energy storage.
Previously, POPs were synthesized via oxidation reactions using metal salts as oxidants or coupling reactions using organometallic catalysts. However, these oxidants and catalysts usually remain as metal impurities within the pores of POPs - decreasing its porosity and overall usefulness. It would be like trying to clean dishes with a sponge that is already dirty. To avoid this, we need a way to produce highly pure (squeaky clean) POPs with no residual impurities.
A group of researchers from Tohoku University developed a method for synthesizing POPs using iodine as an oxidant to minimize residual impurities. They found that iodine and iodine-derived impurities were completely removed by washing it with ethanol after synthesis, and highly pure POPs (polytriphenylamine derivatives) with no residual impurities were successfully obtained. The obtained POPs exhibited the highest specific surface area among reported POPs containing triphenylamine.
"As expected, reducing the impurities improved the porosity, which lead to better performance in measures such as CO2 adsorption capacity," explains Kouki Oka (Tohoku University), "Furthermore, they exhibited their inherent functionalities for the first time, such as proton conductivity and unique gas adsorption behavior accompanied by the gate-opening phenomenon. This is exciting because it indicates the potential for novel applications of POPs as fuel cells and adsorbents."
This new finding indicates that synthesizing highly pure POPs enables the realization and development of organic materials with their inherent functionality. As greenhouse gas emissions continue to be a problem, researching innovative and effective solutions such as POPs will continue to be an important endeavor for researchers.
The details of these results were published in Small on February 17, 2025.
Schematic of the synthesis of POPs using iodine as an oxidant.
A new study has uncovered how the brain seamlessly transforms sounds, speech patterns, and words into the flow of everyday conversations. Using advanced technology to analyze over 100 hours of brain activity during real-life discussions, researchers revealed the intricate pathways that allow us to effortlessly speak and understand. These insights not only deepen our understanding of human connection but also pave the way for transformative advancements in speech technology and communication tools.
[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]– A new study led by Dr. Ariel Goldstein, from the Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences and the Business School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Google Research, in collaboration with the Hasson Lab at the Neuroscience Institute at Princeton University, Dr. Flinker and Dr. Devinsky from the NYU Langone Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, has developed a unified computational framework to explore the neural basis of human conversations. This research bridges acoustic, speech, and word-level linguistic structures, offering unprecedented insights into how the brain processes everyday speech in real-world settings.
The study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, recorded brain activity over 100 hours of natural, open-ended conversations using a technique called electrocorticography (ECoG). To analyze this data, the team used a speech-to-text model called Whisper, which helps break down language into three levels: simple sounds, speech patterns, and the meaning of words. These layers were then compared to brain activity using advanced computer models.
The results showed that the framework could predict brain activity with great accuracy. Even when applied to conversations that were not part of the original data, the model correctly matched different parts of the brain to specific language functions. For example, regions involved in hearing and speaking aligned with sound and speech patterns, while areas involved in higher-level understanding aligned with the meanings of words.
The study also found that the brain processes language in a sequence. Before we speak, our brain moves from thinking about words to forming sounds, while after we listen, it works backward to make sense of what was said. The framework used in this study was more effective than older methods at capturing these complex processes.
“Our findings help us understand how the brain processes conversations in real-life settings,” said Dr. Goldstein. “By connecting different layers of language, we’re uncovering the mechanics behind something we all do naturally—talking and understanding each other.”
This research has potential practical applications, from improving speech recognition technology to developing better tools for people with communication challenges. It also offers new insights into how the brain makes conversation feel so effortless, whether it’s chatting with a friend or engaging in a debate. The study marks an important step toward building more advanced tools to study how the brain handles language in real-world situations.
A unified acoustic-to-speech-to-language embedding space captures the neural basis of natural language processing in everyday conversations
Article Publication Date
7-Mar-2025
Pollinator diversity in urgent need of protection to ensure ecosystems function properly
A study by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and BC3 says that the reproductive success of wild and cultivated plants is reduced by the loss of pollinator diversity
Pollinators are animals that help to transport pollen from one location to another in the plant reproduction process. Pollination is crucial to our well-being and to the survival of ecosystems. Pollination is used by about 85% of wild plants and over 70% of cultivated plants to reproduce. However, the diversity of pollinator species is declining due to climate change, habitat loss and the intensification of farming.
Maddi Artamendi, a researcher at the UPV/EHU, explained that “in most of the studies conducted on this issue across the world, plants were found not to bear fruit if no pollinator was present. Studies of this type have been mostly conducted on crop species, but that does not give a true picture, since the diversity of pollinators is going to decrease, is already decreasing, but is not going to disappear completely. What is more, wild plants were also taken into consideration as well as crop plants. We wanted to approach the subject from a more realistic perspective”.
A study led by Maddi Artamendi, a researcher in the UPV/EHU’s Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, and Ainhoa Magrach, an Ikerbasque Research Professor at BC3, has been published in the prestigious journal Nature Ecology & Evolution; it reveals that protecting pollinator diversity is essential not only to preserve nature but also to ensure the sustainability of ecosystems. “There is an urgent need to mitigate the factors that reduce pollinator diversity,” said the researchers.
The study reveals that the reduction in the diversity of pollinating animals has a negative impact on the reproductive success of plants (in terms of the number of fruits, the number of seeds and the weight of the fruits) and, what is more, “exerts a greater influence on wild plants than on cultivated plants”. They also saw that self-pollinating plants are also affected by the loss of pollinator diversity, “showing that it is very beneficial for these plants to exchange pollen”, explained Artamendi.
Moreover, the results show that wild pollinators have a greater influence on the reproductive success of plants than domestic pollinators (honey bees are usually classified as domestic pollinators). So “the decline in the diversity of wild pollinators further exacerbates the reproductive success of plants”, the researcher added. In particular, the loss of invertebrate pollinators is more pronounced than the loss of vertebrate pollinators; the loss of nocturnal pollinators is more pronounced than the loss of diurnal pollinators, and the loss of wild pollinators is more pronounced than the loss of domestic pollinators.
Meta-analysis of 207 pieces of research conducted across 46 countries
Meta-analysis, a method that uses statistical tools to synthesize data from a large collection of studies in a weighted manner, was used to conduct this study. So Artamendi and Magrach conducted a meta-analysis of the research that did not analyse the total loss of pollinators: a meta-analysis of 207 pieces of research conducted across 46 countries.
“We analysed research done across the world. We had to bear in mind that there are different varieties of plants depending on the climate, that the influence on one plant or another may have been different, and how large the sample was, etc. We took into account many variables so that all the pieces of research could be compared, and that is how we achieved a real, quantifiable result,” explained Artamendi. “Meta-analysis gives you a very global view,” explained the researcher, “to find out where the most research has been done, in which countries and climates, on which types of plants, etc. And that way you can see where the gaps may be, where the biases are...”
With all this, the researchers concluded that “all pollinators play a role, both in crop plants and in wild plants. We cannot focus on domestic pollinators alone. There are more pollinators, and we saw that they are all of great importance in the reproductive success of plants and in maintaining plant diversity. We should not focus just on crop plants and domestic pollinators, the view has to be opened out”.
Further information
This research is part of the thesis being written up by UPV/EHU researcher Maddi Artamendi, under the supervision of BC3 Ikerbasque Research Professor Ainhoa Magrach and the UPV/EHU lecturer and researcher Arantza Aldezabal.
Bibliographic reference
Maddi Artamendi, Philip A. Martin, Ignasi Bartomeus, Ainhoa Magrach
Loss of pollinator diversity consistently reduces reproductive success for wild and cultivated plants
Animal pollinators have become a flagship for biodiversity conservation because of their globally recognised role in supporting broader biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and human well-being. Despite this recognition and the widely acknowledged benefits of pollination, many of the pressures on pollinators persist. As a result, there is growing evidence of localised but significant pollination service deficits to crops and wild plants. This raises concerns that pollinator communities may be approaching tipping points as key species decline also increase, risking serious impacts on wider ecosystems and human societies.
The VALOR project (Values and dependence of society on pollinators) — which began in January 2025 — is a multi-actor initiative that will develop a comprehensive, systems-based approach to gaining a better understanding of the cascading impacts of pollinator shifts from flower to fork and beyond. The project will examine the effects of pollinator shifts on ecosystems, farm businesses, and local communities through primary research and modelling.
The project aims to empower actors to develop a deeper understanding of their relationship with pollinators and will produce a range of co-developed tools for landowners, businesses, and policymakers. These tools will enhance awareness of pollination-related risks and enable users to conduct their own studies by replicating the project's methods and applying its models. To ensure comprehensive data collection without compromising scale, VALOR will adopt a systems-based approach, employing a series of in-depth case studies in focal regions to assess the importance of pollinators.
The project has 6 expected impacts:
Direct drivers of biodiversity decline will be understood and showcased.
Protected areas and their networks will be planned, managed and expanded and the status of species and habitats will be improved based on up-to-date knowledge and solutions.
Biodiversity, ecosystem services and natural capital will be mainstreamed in the society and economy.
Practices in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture will be developed and improved to support and make sustainable the use of biodiversity and a wide range of ecosystems services.
Biodiversity research and support policies and processes will be interconnected at EU and global levels, making use of advanced digital technologies and societal engagement where appropriate.
The biodiversity and health nexus will be understood, in particular at the level of ecosystems. This will be achieved by using the one-health approach, in the context of climate change and globalisation and by addressing contributions and trade-offs.
Coordinated by the University of Reading, the VALOR consortium comprises partners from thirteen European institutions, along with three associated partners, including China and Australia. The consortium spans a broad range of scientific disciplines, including pollinator ecology, sociology, economics, stakeholder engagement and communications.
“For decades now, research has demonstrated how important pollinators are to farming, but we have never really done such an in-depth project that spans everything from flower to fork.” says Dr. Tom Breeze, the project coordinator. “VALOR is more than just great research though, it’s about working with people to make that research understandable and meaningful to everyone, and give them the tools to explore their relationship with nature themselves.”
For more project news, follow the project on Bluesky, LinkedIn and stay tuned for updates on the upcoming VALOR website.
