The contemporary computer processor at only half the size of a penny possesses the extraordinary capacity to carry out 11 trillion operations per second, with the assistance of an impressive assembly of 16 billion transistors.[1] This feat starkly contrasts the early days of transistor-based machines, such as the Manchester Transistor Computer, which had an estimated 100,000 operations per second, using 92 transistors and having a dimension of a large refrigerator. For comparison, while the Manchester Transistor Computer could take several seconds or minutes to calculate the sum of two large numbers, the Apple M1 chip can calculate it almost instantly. Such a rapid acceleration of processing capabilities and device miniaturization is attributable to the empirical observation known as Moores Law, named after the late Gordon Moore, the co-founder of Intel. Moores Law posits that the number of transistors integrated into a circuit is poised to double approximately every two years.[2]

In their development, these powerful processors have paved the way for advancements in diverse domains, including the disruptive field of artificial intelligence (AI). Nevertheless, as we confront the boundaries of Moores Law due to the physical limits of transistor miniaturization,[3] the horizons of the field of computing are extended into the enigmatic sphere of quantum physics the branch of physics that studies the behavior of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic scales. It is within this realm that the prospect of quantum computing arises, offering immense potential for exponential growth in computational performance and speed, thereby heralding a transformative era in AI.

In this article, we scrutinize the captivating universe of quantum computing and its prospective implications on the development of AI and examine the legal measures adopted by leading tech companies to protect their innovations within this rapidly advancing field, particularly through patent law.

Qubits: The Building Blocks of Quantum Computing

In classical computing, the storage and computation of information are entrusted to binary bits, which assume either a 0 or 1 value. For example, a classical computer can have a specialized storage device called a register that can store a specific number at a time using bits. Each bit is like a slot that can be either empty (0) or occupied (1), and together they can represent numbers, such as the number 2 (with a binary representation of 010). In contrast, quantum computing harnesses the potential of quantum bits (infinitesimal particles, such as electrons or photons, defined by their respective quantum properties, including spin or polarization), commonly referred to as qubits.

Distinct from their classical counterparts, qubits can coexist in a superposition of states, signifying their capacity to represent both 0 and 1 simultaneously. This advantage means that, unlike bits with slots that are either empty or occupied, each qubit can be both empty and occupied at the same time, allowing each register to represent multiple numbers concurrently. While a bit register can only represent the number 2 (010), a qubit register can represent both the numbers 2 and 4 (010 and 100) simultaneously.

This superposition of states enables the parallel processing of information since multiple numbers in a qubit register can be processed at one time. For example, a classical computer may use two different bit registers to first add the number 2 to the number 4 (010 +100) and then add the number 4 to the number 1 (100+001), performing the calculations one after the other. In contrast, qubit registers, since they can hold multiple numbers at once, can perform both operationsadding the number 2 to the number 4 (010 + 100) and adding the number 4 to the number 1 (100 + 001)simultaneously.

Moreover, qubits employ the singular characteristics of entanglement and interference to execute intricate computations with a level of efficiency unattainable by classical computers. For instance, entanglement facilitates instant communication and coordination, which increases computational efficiency. At the same time, interference involves performing calculations on multiple possibilities at once and adjusting probability amplitudes to guide the quantum system toward the optimal solution. Collectively, these attributes equip quantum computers with the ability to confront challenges that would otherwise remain insurmountable for conventional computing systems, thereby radically disrupting the field of computing and every field that depends on it.

Quantum Computing

Quantum computing embodies a transformative leap for AI, providing the capacity to process large data sets and complex algorithms at unprecedented speeds. This transformative technology has far-reaching implications in fields like cryptography,[4] drug discovery,[5] financial modeling,[6] and numerous other disciplines, as it offers unparalleled computational power and efficacy. For example, a classical computer using a General Number Field Sieve (GNFS) algorithm might take several months or even years to factorize a 2048-bit number. In contrast, a quantum computer using Shors algorithm (a quantum algorithm) could potentially accomplish this task in a matter of hours or days. This capability can be used to break the widely used RSA public key encryption system, which would take conventional computers tens or hundreds of millions of years to break, jeopardizing the security of encrypted data, communications, and transactions across industries such as finance, healthcare, and government. Leveraging the unique properties of qubitsincluding superposition, entanglement, and interference quantum computers are equipped to process vast amounts of information in parallel. This capability enables them to address intricate problems and undertake calculations at velocities that, in certain but not all cases,[7] surpass those of classical computers by orders of magnitude.

The augmented computational capacity of quantum computing is promising to significantly disrupt various AI domains, encompassing quantum machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and optimization quandaries. For instance, quantum algorithms can expedite the training of machine learning models by processing extensive datasets with greater efficiency, enhancing performance, and accelerating model development. Furthermore, quantum-boosted natural language processing algorithms may yield more precise language translation, sentiment analysis, and information extraction, fundamentally altering how we engage with technology.

Patent Applications Related to Quantum Computers

While quantum computers remain in their nascent phase, to date, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has received more than 6,000 applications directed to quantum computers, with over 1,800 applications being granted a United States patent. Among these applications and patents, IBM emerges as the preeminent leader, trailed closely by various companies, including Microsoft, Google, and Intel, which are recognized as significant contributors to the field of AI. For instance, Microsoft is a major investor in OpenAI (the developer of ChatGPT) and has developed Azure AI (a suite of AI services and tools for implementing AI into applications or services) and is integrating ChatGPT into various Microsoft products like Bing and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Similarly, Google has created AI breakthroughs such as AlphaGo (AI that defeated the world champion of the board game Go), hardware like tensor processing units (TPUs) (for accelerating machine learning and deep learning tasks), and has released its own chatbot called Bard (also known as LaMDA).

Patents Covering Quantum Computing

The domain of quantum computing is progressing at a remarkable pace, as current research seeks to refine hardware, create error correction methodologies, and investigate novel algorithms and applications. IBM and Microsoft stand at the forefront of this R&D landscape in quantum computing. Both enterprises have strategically harnessed their research findings to secure early patents encompassing quantum computers. Notwithstanding, this initial phase may merely represent the inception of a competitive endeavor to obtain patents in this rapidly evolving field. A few noteworthy and recent United States patents that have been granted thus far include:

Conclusion

Quantum computing signifies a monumental leap forward for AI, offering unparalleled computational strength and efficiency. As we approach the limits of Moores Law, the future of AI is contingent upon harnessing qubits distinctive properties, such as superposition, entanglement, and interference. The cultivation of quantum machine learning, along with its applications in an array of AI domains, including advanced machine learning, NLP, and optimization, portends a revolution in how we address complex challenges and engage with technology.

Prominent tech companies like IBM and Microsoft have demonstrated their commitment to this burgeoning field through investments and the construction of patent portfolios that encompass this technology. The evident significance of quantum computing in shaping the future of AI suggests that we may be witnessing the onset of a competitive patent race within the sphere of quantum computing.

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The Quantum Frontier: Disrupting AI and Igniting a Patent Race - Lexology

RIKEN physicists suggest that a quantum property called magic may be the key to understanding how spacetime emerged, based on a new mathematical analysis that connects it to the chaotic nature of black holes.

Physicists relate the quantum property of magic to the chaotic nature of black holes for the first time.

A quantum property dubbed magic could be the key to explaining how space and time emerged, a new mathematical analysis by three RIKEN physicists suggests.

Its hard to conceive of anything more basic than the fabric of spacetime that underpins the Universe, but theoretical physicists have been questioning this assumption. Physicists have long been fascinated about the possibility that space and time are not fundamental, but rather are derived from something deeper, says Kanato Goto of the RIKEN Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS).

A view of the M87 supermassive black hole. RIKEN theoretical physicists have related the chaotic nature of black holes to the quantum property of magic for the first time. Credit: EHT Collaboration

This notion received a boost in the 1990s, when theoretical physicist Juan Maldacena related the gravitational theory that governs spacetime to a theory involving quantum particles. In particular, he imagined a hypothetical spacewhich can be pictured as being enclosed in something like an infinite soup can, or bulkholding objects like black holes that are acted on by gravity. Maldacena also imagined particles moving on the surface of the can, controlled by quantum mechanics. He realized that mathematically a quantum theory used to describe the particles on the boundary is equivalent to a gravitational theory describing the black holes and spacetime inside the bulk.

This relationship indicates that spacetime itself does not exist fundamentally, but emerges from some quantum nature, says Goto. Physicists are trying to understand the quantum property that is key.

Kanato Goto and two colleagues have performed an analysis using wormholes that sheds light on the black-hole information paradox. Credit: 2022 RIKEN

The original thought was that quantum entanglementwhich links particles no matter how far they are separatedwas the most important factor: the more entangled particles on the boundary are, the smoother the spacetime within the bulk.

But just considering the degree of entanglement on the boundary cannot explain all the properties of black holes, for instance, how their interiors can grow, says Goto.

So Goto and iTHEMS colleagues Tomoki Nosaka and Masahiro Nozaki searched for another quantum quantity that could apply to the boundary system and could also be mapped to the bulk to describe black holes more fully. In particular, they noted that black holes have a chaotic characteristic that needs to be described.

When you throw something into a black hole, information about it gets scrambled and cannot be recovered, says Goto. This scrambling is a manifestation of chaos.

The team came across magic, which is a mathematical measure of how difficult a quantum state is to simulate using an ordinary classical (non-quantum) computer. Their calculations showed that in a chaotic system almost any state will evolve into one that is maximally magicalthe most difficult to simulate.

This provides the first direct link between the quantum property of magic and the chaotic nature of black holes. This finding suggests that magic is strongly involved in the emergence of spacetime, says Goto.

Reference: Probing chaos by magic monotones by Kanato Goto, Tomoki Nosaka and Masahiro Nozaki, 19 December 2022, Physical Review D.DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.106.126009

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Quantum Magic and Black Hole Chaos Could Help Explain the ... - SciTechDaily

Picture a cat. Im assuming youre imagining a live one. It doesnt matter. Youre wrong either waybut youre also right.

What Is Carbon Capture? With Gizmodos Molly Taft | Techmodo

This is the premise of Erwin Schrdingers 1935 thought experiment to describe quantum states, and now, researchers have managed to create a fat (which is to say, massive) Schrdinger cat, testing the limits of the quantum world and where it gives way to classical physics.

Schrdingers experiment is thus: A cat is in a box with a poison that is released from its container if an atom of a radioactive substance, also in the box, decays. Because it is impossible to know whether or not the substance will decay in a given timeframe, the cat is both alive and dead until the box is opened and some objective truth is determined. (You can read more about the thought experiment here.)

In the same way, particles in quantum states (qubits, if theyre being used as bits in a quantum computer) are in a quantum superposition (which is to say, both alive and dead) until theyre measured, at which point the superposition breaks down. Unlike ordinary computer bits that hold a value of either 0 or 1, qubits can be both 0 and 1 simultaneously.

Now, researchers made a Schrdingers cat thats much heavier than those previously created, testing the muddy waters where the world of quantum mechanics gives way to the classical physics of the familiar macroscopic world. Their research is published this week in the journal Science.

In the place of the hypothetical cat was a small crystal, put in a superposition of two oscillation states. The oscillation states (up or down) are equivalent to alive or dead in Schrdingers thought experiment. A superconducting circuit, effectively a qubit, was used to represent the atom. The team coupled electric-field creating material to the circuit, allowing its superposition to transfer over to the crystal. Capiche?

By putting the two oscillation states of the crystal in a superposition, we have effectively created a Schrdinger cat weighing 16 micrograms, said Yiwen Chu, a physicist at ETH Zurich and the studys lead author, in a university release.

16 micrograms is roughly equivalent to the mass of a grain of sand, and thats a very fat cat on a quantum level. Its several billion times heavier than an atom or molecule, making it the fattest quantum cat to date, according to the release.

Its not the first time physicists have tested whether quantum behaviors can be observed in classical objects. Last year, a different team declared they had quantum-entangled a tardigrade, though a number of physicists told Gizmodo that claim was poppycock.

This is slightly different, as the recent team was just testing the mass of an object in a quantum state, not the possibility of entangling a living thing. While thats not in the teams plans, working with even larger masses will allow us to better understand the reason behind the disappearance of quantum effects in the macroscopic world of real cats, Chu said.

As for the true boundary between the two worlds? No one knows, wrote Matteo Fadel, a physicist at ETH Zurich and a co-author of the paper, in an email to Gizmodo. Thats the interesting thing, and the reason why demonstrating quantum effects in systems of increasing mass is so groundbreaking.

The new research takes Schrdingers famous thought experiment and gives it some practical applications. Controlling quantum materials in superposition could be useful in a number of fields that require very precise measurements; for example, helping reduce noise in the interferometers that measure gravitational waves.

Fadel is currently studying whether gravity plays a role in the decoherence of quantum states, namely if it is responsible for the quantum-to-classical transition as proposed a couple of decades ago by Penrose. Gravity doesnt seem to exist on the subatomic level and is not accounted for in the Standard Model of particle physics.

The quantum world ripe for new discoveries, but alas, its crammed full of unknowables, dead ends, and vexing new problems.

More: Scientists Save Schrdingers Cat

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Physicists Create the Fattest Schrdinger's Cat Ever - Gizmodo

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) on April 20 led a bipartisan contingent of 19 lawmakers in introducing legislation that would amend the Animal Welfare Act to provide stricter penalties and to bolster protections for at-risk animals, including roosters.

Rep. Bacon sponsored the Fight Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Animal Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, H.R. 2742, with original cosponsors including U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Nancy Mace (R-SC), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Mark Amodei (R-NV), and Andrea Salinas (D-OR).

Its disgusting and inhumane that people profit off the cruel practice of forcing animals to fight for their lives, Rep. Bacon said. The FIGHT Act will embolden law enforcement to stop this inhumane and cruel animal abuse.

H.R. 2742 would ban simulcasting of and gambling on animal fights; halt the shipment of mature roosters (chickens only) through U.S. mail; create a citizen suit provision to allow private right of action against illegal animal fighters; and improve forfeiture provisions to include real property for animal fighting crimes, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Bacons office.

Cockfighting, dogfighting, and other blood sports are inhumane and unsafe and Congress must intervene to protect innocent animals from such abuse, said Rep. Salinas. Thats why Im proud to partner with Congressman Bacon as we introduce the FIGHT Act. This bill would strengthen our ability to hold those responsible for illegal animal fighting to account. Its time to take a stand against cruelty.

If enacted, the amendments in H.R. 2742 also would protect public health by helping to prevent diseases such as avian flu, according to the bill summary, which noted that a massive outbreak of the disease in 2018-2020 caused the deaths of 16 million birds and $1 billion in containment costs.

This is not just an animal rights issue, but a public health safety issue, Rep. Bacon said. H5N1 bird flu emerged in Asia in the early 2000s and was spread and maintained by those who engage in cockfighting. There could be serious implications if it were to mutate into a strain of human-to-human transmission.

The measure is supported by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy.

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Bacon sponsors bipartisan bill to end animal trafficking, fight gambling - Ripon Advance

ABU DHABI, 24th April, 2023 (WAM) -- New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) will host the 11th edition of the NYUAD Hackathon for Social Good in the Arab World with sustainability as its key theme.

The event will take place from 27th to 30th April and welcomes over 200 students from 24 countries who will leverage Quantum Computing to develop innovative solutions to challenges related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This hackathon will cover various sectors, including health, education, film, music, business, and science.

This year will see renowned global computer science professors, founders of successful startups, technology professionals, and venture capitalists come together at NYUAD to lead teams of talented computer science students from across the globe, with a majority from the Arab world, to create mobile and web applications for the betterment of society.

Students will have the opportunity to learn critical practices in Quantum Computing (QC), Quantum hardware, and software developments from 51 mentors, who are global leaders across industry and academia.

Participants will explore quantum computing solutions to various challenging projects from machine learning and AI to physics (complex simulation problems), chemistry, computer science, healthcare, and maths to online gaming, security, social sciences and the arts (quantum-generated artwork).

The diverse and cross-disciplinary teams (consisting of five to seven students and two mentors per team) will then work together to use these new QC skills for social good and to make a positive impact on the future of society.

Bringing experts from world-leading institutions, like MIT, ETH, and Stanford, as a source of sponsorship and mentorship for participants, this event provides valuable insight into the full cycle of creating a tech startup. It cultivates future international project collaboration opportunities, launching startups, and undertaking academic research.

The NYUAD Hackathon for Social Good will be supported by top global Quantum Computing experts from both industry and academia, such as The NYUAD Center for Quantum and Topological Systems; Technology Innovation Institute (TII), Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA), ETH Zurich in Quantum Information, University of Calgarys Institute for Quantum Science and Technology (IQST), the MITs iQuHACK, QWorld, as well as experts from world-class businesses including IBM, qBraid, and NIEW.

NYUAD Affiliated Faculty and Clinical Professor of Computer Science at NYU, Sana Odeh, who organises the event, announced the launch of the 2023 Hackathon event with a focus on finding sustainable solutions to challenging problems related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals using quantum computing technologies.

With UAEs Year of Sustainability and NYUAD's participation in the COP28 Universities Climate Network, Odeh emphasised the commitment to drive sustainable growth in the UAE and beyond.

The event is an opportunity for young climate leaders to showcase the potential of technology and quantum computing to find solutions to sustainability challenges. The Hackathon has garnered a global reputation, and its past participants have gained scholarships, jobs, and even launched their own startups, she added.

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Over 200 students from 24 countries to participate in NYUAD ... - Emirates News Agency

In a move the companies say will secure communications and data for critical infrastructures and government institutions in the country, Airbus, CNRS, Cryptonext Security, Direction Gnrale de lAviation Civile, Orange, Sorbonne Universit, Telecom Paris, Thales, Thales Alenia Space, Universit Cte dAzur, Veriqloud and Welinq have announced the official launch of FranceQCI, a programme to deploy aQuantum Communication Infrastructure (QCI) networks in France.

Co-funded by the European Commission, the FranceQCI project will span 30 months, aiming to build a secure quantum communication network infrastructure across the entire European Union (EU), including its overseas territories. The FranceQCI project is also part of the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) initiative launched by the EU in 2019.

EuroQCI is one of the main pillars of the EUs Cybersecurity Strategy for the coming decades, and aims at securing communications and data for critical infrastructures and government institutions. As part of the programme, 26 out of 27 member countries of the EU will have their own scheme to deploy a national QCI network.

FranceQCI comes under the EUs Digital Europe Programme, and is regarded as being able to make a significant contribution to the objective of deploying a secure quantum communication infrastructure for the EU (EuroQCI) in France, paving the way towards the future European Quantum Information Network (QIN).

As a consortium, FranceQCI includes stakeholders with diverse and complementary expertise and resources. Participating in the effort will be large industries that are world leaders in their respective domains, small and medium-sized enterprises with deep and unique expertise, and academic institutions among the best in the world.

In particular, its objective is to deploy advanced national quantum systems and networks to test quantum communication technologies and integrate them into existing communication networks in France. FranceQCI will aim to capitalise on existing infrastructures in the Paris (ParisRegionQCI) and Nice ([emailprotected]/Nice) areas to progress towards operational Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) services and contribute to the development of the European technological autonomy.

France QCI also represents a first step towards a global European quantum communication infrastructure that could be implemented with cross-border links to connect similar networks in other countries, either through terrestrial fibre links or space connectivity.

Airbus Defense and Space, Orange, Thales, and Thales Alenia Space will be FranceQCIs leading industrial partners. Key players in the field of Quantum Communication and post-quantum cryptography namely Cryptonext Security, VeriQloud and WeLinQ will also offer technological support. The French civil aviation authority that provides air traffic control service, Direction des Services de la Navigation Arienne (DSNA), has joined the project as a public institution to allow the consortium to test realistic use cases.

The notable presence of academic institutions is said to be able to allow the development of the educational purpose of the call and build a training environment for all stakeholders in France, including research staff, engineers, and users from public and private entities.

Leading research organisation and academic institutions, namely the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne University, Universit Cte dAzur and Tlcom Paris, will bring the consortium their expertise and research capabilities. A quantum network will also be implemented in Toulouse (in DGAC/DSNA/DTI lab) to test a real user service for the French Civil Aviation Authority. It will consist of exchanging simulated operational air traffic control data secured by QKD.

Orange has been appointed coordinator of the FranceQCI consortium as the sole telco operator, and will contribute its expertise in network deployment and integration.

In October 2022, Orange presented, for the first time in France, encrypted video streaming over itsfibre network using quantum key distribution. This system is designed to use cryptographic techniques to ensure the confidentiality of communications and make any intrusion by a hacker immediately detectable during the key exchange process. Having demonstrated the technological capabilities of the setup, Orange noted that potential customers it was talking to include those in banking and defence, with the former likely to be first for a proof of concept.

The FranceQCI consortiums objective is to drive a significant impulse towards a European quantum communication infrastructure that will be able to safeguard sensitive data and critical communications for governmental institutions, data centres, hospitals, energy grids, and more, said Michal Trabbia, executive vice-president and CEO of Orange Wholesale.

We are delighted to benefit from fundings from the European Union through the Digital Europe Program to contribute to one of the main pillars of the EUs cyber security strategy.

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Orange joins forces with industry, academia to build French ... - ComputerWeekly.com

Imagine a gigantic brick of highly compressed dirt -- as big as a pickup truck but, at 24 tons, about five times heavier. An elevator powered by solar panels or wind turbines hoists it over 300 feet up the side of a huge building, and a trolley stows it inside. But it's not alone. An automated system lifts and stores hundreds more bricks, like giant Pez candies, as the sun shines and the wind blows.

Now imagine the building's control system lowering those hundreds of bricks one by one, spinning electrical power generators in the process. They drop down every evening just as demand for power peaks but solar panel output fades away.

In effect, the brick-filled building is a giant battery that stores energy with gravity instead of chemistry.

Gravity batteries are a potentially important solution to a critical problem with the green energy revolution: making sure electricity is available when we need it, not just during the times when sun and wind supply it.

And it isn't just an idea. With two sites under construction one in Rudong, China, just north of Shanghai, and the other in Snyder, Texas, about 250 miles west of Dallas startup Energy Vault will begin seriously testing the viability of the gravity storage technology. An earlier pilot generated 5 megawatts of power, but these two facilities and expected successors will show whether gravity storage is economical and efficient enough to work at large scale.

You may think putting solar panels on your roof will help fight climate change, but without some form of energy storage in your home or on the grid, you'll likely rely on carbon dioxide-spewing gas and coal power plants to run your home's lights, TV and dishwasher as the sun sets.

Energy Vault tested its technology at a smaller scale in Switzerland, where the 170-person company is headquartered. Its two EVx systems under construction are much bigger. The Chinese system, built for waste management and recycling company China Tianying, is in a 400-foot-tall building and will have an energy storage capacity of 100 megawatt-hours. That's enough to power 3,400 homes for an entire day, and the system should be complete by June. The Texas system, in a 460-foot-tall (but narrower) building, will provide power company Enel with 36MWh of capacity.

Solar panels and wind turbines now generate power more cheaply than coal and natural gas plants, making them a clear choice in the push to replace fossil fuels. Solar power costs dropped 83% from 2009 to 2023 and wind costs dropped 63% over the same period, according to tracking from investment advisory and asset management firm Lazard. But in many parts of the country, new solar panels often just supply a glut of power during the middle of the day without helping in the evenings.

The mismatch between power production and power usage is responsible for the infamous "duck curve," a graph with a birdlike shape showing the disparity increasing with each passing year. That disparity makes it hard for utilities to adjust to rapid changes in demand and means fossil fuel powered sources like natural gas "peaker plants" supply power in the evenings.

"If we're ever going to wean ourselves more and more off of fossil fuels and replace that with renewable generation that's intermittent, the only way to solve that is storage," said Energy Vault Chief Executive Robert Piconi.

Energy Vault isn't alone. Another startup, Gravitricity, has built a 250-kilowatt demonstration system and is planning a larger 4MW to 8MW system in an unused mine shaft.

Gravity storage is just one way to smooth out the spurts of wind and solar. Big batteries like Tesla Megapacks industrial-scale versions of the same batteries that power your phone or electric vehicle are increasingly common on the power grid. "Pumped hydro," an older form of gravity battery that pumps water to an uphill reservoir then generates power when it flows back downhill, has been used for decades but is attracting new interest. Other methods include filling underground chambers with compressed air, storing hydrogen that later powers fuel cells, and developing different types of batteries, like zinc batteries and flow batteries.

Energy Vault's EVx system hoists these 24-ton bricks up hundreds of feet to then recapture that potential energy by lowering them when power is needed. The bricks are made of compressed dirt with a polymer matrix and are shuttled within the system using a trolley setup beneath the bricks.

Cost will be a major factor in determining what storage technology prevails, including initial manufacturing and continuing operations.

"At the end of the day it will all come down to price," said Selene Law, an energy analyst at consulting firm Cleantech Group. And for gravity storage, questions about total cost persist, she said.

Indeed, a 2022 US Department of Energy study concluded that gravity energy storage is relatively expensive in smaller installations. Where it's most economical is in high-capacity systems that generate power for relatively long periods of time 10 hours or more.

Energy Vault hasn't disclosed the cost of the two systems under construction, but it agrees the technology offers advantages for long-duration power needs.

Longevity is a cost factor over the lifetime of the plant. Batteries lose capacity with use, the same way your phone doesn't run as long after a couple of years of ownership, but gravity storage components, like pulleys and generators, can be maintained.

"The key of our value proposition is the lack of degradation of the storage medium," said Marco Terruzzin, a mechanical engineer and Energy Vault's chief commercial product officer. "We provide a guarantee on the system for at least 35 years."

Though Energy Vault has taken only its first steps in proving the technology's value, two customers have concluded it's worth paying for today. And the 100MWh system in China is only the first there, the company said. The country expects to fund another 4GWh to 6GWh of capacity later an increase of 40 to 60 times the initial plant.

Energy Vault's gravity EVx storage system is a giant rectangular building that largely runs automatically. Here's how it works.

The bricks at the heart of the system each measure 3.5 by 2.7 by 1.3 meters (about 11 by 9 by 4 feet) and weigh 24 metric tons. They're made of 99% compressed dirt with some water and a polymer mixture to stabilize it using a recipe from Mexican building materials company Cemex. They're 2.4 times denser than water and about the same as concrete.

Energy Vault's first large-scale gravity-based energy storage system in Rudong, China, is hundreds of feet tall.

The bricks are stored side by side within the building, like dominoes jammed together. Before they're raised or lowered, a trolley system hefts each brick and trundles it to the elevator.

Bricks are housed on the top eight levels of the building to store energy and drop down to the corresponding lower eight levels to generate power. Each brick, descending at 1.9 meters per second (6.23 feet), turns out about a megawatt, Terruzzin said. That's about enough to power 2,000 refrigerators.

Once each brick reaches the bottom, it's robotically transferred to the trolley system and moved toward the center of the building.

Making the building longer, with longer trolley tracks, means more bricks can be stored for more hours of power generation. Making the building wider, with more elevators, means the system can generate a higher peak power rate.

As for efficiency, Energy Vault guarantees EVx systems will generate at least 80% of the energy required to lift the bricks and scoot them around, including factors like friction. That overall efficiency is comparable to pumped hydro.

Key to Energy Vault's business is the control system that decides when and where to position the bricks for optimal storage and even energy output.

"While we're decelerating one at the bottom, the next one is loading and beginning to accelerate," said Bill Gross, Idealabs chief executive and Energy Vault co-founder, speaking at the Techonomy Climate conference in March.

The maximum output will be 25MW at the China system and 18MW at the Texas system.

Energy Vault settled on its current design after evaluating several other options gravel in carts, water in tanks, concrete blocks hanging from cranes.

The EVx is designed to overcome problems with those designs. It's weatherproof, which means bricks don't get wet or blown around, for example.

Energy Vault isn't putting all its energy storage eggs in the gravity basket. A contract with California's Pacific Gas and Electric, could result in a system to power the city of Calistoga for up to 48 hours with a combination of hydrogen fuel cells and batteries. Hybrid systems with gravity and battery storage also make sense, since batteries can respond very rapidly to increase or decrease, Terruzzin said.

With Energy Vault's plants headed into production, we should start getting a better idea this year how well gravity storage really works. "This will be a crucial year for Energy Vault," Cleantech Group's Law said. "The proof will be in the pudding."

The company isn't profitable, reporting a net loss of $78 million for 2022 on revenue of $146 million. And its stock has slumped by 89% over the last year, a fate many startups suffered with economic troubles and skeptical investors.

Energy Vault's Piconi is convinced the company is on the right path toward making energy storage more economical, though.

"Wind and solar are so much cheaper than fossil fuels now... The problem is storage is typically 10 to 15 times that," Piconi said. "We have to get there."

Correction, 9:26 a.m. PT: A previous version of this story misstated Energy Vault's 2022 financial results. It reported a net loss of $78 million on revenue of $146 million.

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How Hundreds of 24-Ton Bricks Could Fix a Huge Renewable ... - CNET

For research institutions, a solid IT foundation can prove to be the difference in delivering meaningful results for scientific endeavors and thereby in securing valuable funding for further research.

To that end, University of California, Riverside has launched an ambitious cloud transformation to shift from a small on-premises data center to an advanced research platform powered by Google Cloud Platform and its various service offerings.

As part of a three-year partnership with Google Public Sector, which kicked off in January, UC Riverside aims to empower its researchers in computer science, materials and quantum engineering, genomics, and precision agriculture to fully exploit Googles location-agnostic application modernization platform, as well as its scalable compute and high performance computing (HPC) capabilities, says Matthew Gunkel, CIO of IT solutions at UCR.

Gunkel enlisted Google Public Sector professional services specifically as part of a strategy to quickly evolve UC Riversides small data center into an advanced cloud hub with robust research computing capabilities that would enable researchers to better compete for grants and funding opportunities.

We identified Google as being well aligned with us strategically, says Gunkel. They have an agile infrastructure. They have the ability to facilitate industry-leading service concepts in additional clouds through a service they run called Anthos.

Googles Anthos is a hybrid cloud container platform for managing Kubernetes workloads across on-prem and public cloud environments. Gunkel also cited Googles Looker and Big Query BI data analysis tools and its Chronicle security operations suite as important for enabling the university to operate a wide variety of applications and research on the cloud.

With roughly 180 staff members, UC Riverside IT is relatively small, with largely traditional on-premises IT skills. As such, migrating to the cloud alone was not part of Gunkels plan.

Googles assistance in developing a more efficient cloud architecture and training UCRs IT staff in cloud technologies has been an immeasurably valuable service, he says, adding that Google is in a support role and is not running the show. UCRs cloud architecture, for example, has been designed to be location-agnostic so the university is not locked into any one vendor and can adopt a multicloud platform over the long term.

The services engagement is consulting and training to assist us in moving initial cloud workloads and to assist in our architecture to align to GCP services, Gunkel says. This is a teach us to fish model. Its all our work.

UC Riverside IT is well on its way to migrating its core data to the cloud, developing its research platform, and shifting a range of applications to support the needs of its user base, which ranges from quantum engineering researchers to administrators, faculty, and students.

To date, UCR has moved the vast majority of our data stores to Google, Gunkel says, noting that his staff is currently refining the architecture and ETL processes for management and organization of the data long term.

In addition, UC Riverside IT is aligning its data to be accessed from Looker, Googles enterprise BI and analytics platform, though which UCR will be deploying its Oracle Finance application for scaled reporting. UC Riverside is also rewriting a number of legacy applications to be cloud-native while revamping others for the cloud there will be no lift and shift of any applications, Gunkel says.

To that end, Google helped UC Riverside re-architect and migrate certain legacy services, including an LDAP configuration on a Solaris Unix server, as part of a process of identifying increased efficiencies for the deployment and operation of those services, which has been an educational experience for a lot of my staff, Gunkel says, noting that the overall transformation has required cultural change management.

But the universitys evolving research hub is the crown jewel of the cloud migration.

We have been working with a number of researchers on a platform that we are calling Ursa Major where we committed to a number of compute instances and storage and RAM and GPUs that would be available to our researchers over a three-year time period, Gunkel says.

Jim Kennedy, CTO of UC Riverside, says Google is helping architect the research hub and is also helping the IT chiefs make connections with researchers beyond UCR to help train UCRs research faculty on Ursa Major, which will expand and grow beyond the three-year agreement with Google.

Google connects us to experts in various research fields, and have conversations with our faculty directly, such as our genomics researcher on campus. There are experts on Googles side, too, Kennedy says.

Google also helped the Gunkel and Kennedy extend the universitys subscription-based compute and storage services to researchers in a multitude of disciplines. In the past, if a materials engineering researcher wanted to run workloads on several thousand processors, they would often have to write proposals to gain access to external supercomputer clusters.

With HPC requiring vast computing power, Gunkel also notes the benefit for efficiency and sustainability of shifting those workloads to the cloud. Were in a fairly constrained region against mountains and our ability to bring power into the university is something were constantly battling, Gunkel says. One of the things our researchers were very concerned about was [building] a sustainable, more eco-friendly solution. Its something UCR values heavily but its also a challenge for us locally.

Still, the migration, still in its early days, is being designed to accommodate a wide range of computing constituencies. For instance, UCR is also using Salesforce and MuleSoft as well as Googles API layer to provide the connective tissue that is required across the universitys many enterprise platforms.

The best way to think of the university is really as a collection or community of small businesses, Gunkel says. A lot of what we try to provide on the service stack side are tools that empower all of them in their different endeavors.

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UC Riverside turns to cloud to supercharge scientific research - CIO

Former professional athlete shares her secret to living life to the fullest

PINECREST, Fla., April 24, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Former professional athlete Cristiana Pinciroli has dedicated her life to sports and helping other athletes reach their peak performance, happiness and fulfillment. In her new book, "Sport: A Stage for Life: How to Connect with the Touchstones of Elite Performance and Personal Fulfillment," she demonstrates just how athletes from all sports can balance high performance and happiness.

In "Sport: A Stage for Life," Pinciroli collaborates with her father, former Olympic athlete Pedro Pinciroli Junior, to share their combined life experiences, and lessons learned from participating in sports, and how it can be applied to all aspects of life. These lessons can also help readers realize their potential for both success and wellbeing.

"What we learn extends beyond the sporting arena," Pinciroli said. "If those who participate in athletics view sport as a means and not an end, they have a wonderful chance to build a foundation for success and happiness in life."

The book includes not only Pinciroli's experiences, it also features contributions and insights from world-renowned athletes and coaches, leading academics, physicians, and psychologists who share stories to support scientific evidence about how human potential can be turned into a life of fulfillment and happiness.

"Sports provide a controlled environment where the practitioner has the freedom to exercise, not only physically, but also mentally at a time when it is needed most," Pinciroli said. "It teaches perseverance, persistence, and willpower. It provides the participants with a fertile ground to acquire self-confidence by coping with challenging situations. It teaches how to have the courage to try new things, and how to collaborate and cooperate with a team to achieve greater goals than one can achieve alone."

Story continues

Pinciroli wants to do more than just inspire readers, she wants to guide them in applying the lessons of sport so that they may evolve along their own journey of self-awareness, self-development and transformation. With "Sport: A Stage for Life," readers can create a positive environment where they can be the best that they can be, and lead a flourishing life.

"Sport: A Stage for Life: How to Connect with the Touchstones of Elite Performance and Personal Fulfillment" By Cristiana Pinciroli ISBN: 9781663233677 (softcover); 9781663233684 (hardcover); 9781663233660 (electronic) Available at iUniverse, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author A native of So Paulo, Cristiana Pinciroli began her sports career at the age of six, as a swimmer, and then as a water polo player. She went on to captain the Brazilian National Women's Water Polo team for 15 years and played professionally in Italy for four years. In 2019, she founded WeTeam, a consultancy dedicated to leaders and athletes, combining the lessons learned from high-performance sports with studying the science of happiness. Her goal is to foster the development and fulfillment of human potential along a journey of success and well-being. To learn more, please visit http://www.weteam.today.

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Ashley Fletcher, LAVIDGE, 4809982600, afletcher@lavidge.com

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Award Winning Book Connects the Topics of Elite Sports ... - Yahoo Finance

By: Jonathon Zenk, Assistant Director of Communications

Last week, Butler ran a 52.22 in the 400-meter dash in front of the home crowd at the Leon Johnson NSU Invitational to break the school record in the event.

Saturday, she did one better, running the 400 in a blistering 52.19, a mark that lasted just one week, on the second and final day of the Michael Johnson Invitational on the campus of Baylor University.If that wasn't enough for Butler, she was a part of the women's 4x400 relay team that ran a 3:36.28.

The group of Butler, Maygan Shaw, Vanessa Balde and Sian Weller broke a five-year old school record and is more than two seconds quicker than second-place Texas A&M-Commerce in the league. The time is 35th in the NCAA this season.

While Butler stole the show in the 400-meters, Shaw earned a personal best in the event with a 52.73, which is fourth in school history, behind Butler's outings from the past two weeks and Natashia Jackson's 52.55 in 2021.

Those were two of the eight personal or season bests set.

The men's 4x400 team posted a season best as well. The quartet of Desmond Duncan, Cyrus Jacobs, Justin Walden and Galen Loyd ran a 3:11.72, which is the second-best mark in the conference this season, only behind Southeastern Louisiana.

Three personal bests were set in the men's 800-meters. Stefan Klefasz led the way for the Demons with a 1:54.02 with Korbin Shumate (1:54.15) and Payten Vidourek (1:55.82) right behind Klefasz.

John Klein ran a personal best 10:04.97 in the 3000-meter steeplechase.

Ceyda Bayur placed first in her heat in the women's 800-meters, running a 2:17.55.

In the men's 4x100, the team of Cyrus Jacobs, Simon Wulff, Dylan Swain and Destine-Unique Scott finished fourth with a 39.87, placing only behind Kentucky, TCU and Nebraska.

Vanessa Balde ran a 13.81, placing 14th in the women's 100-meter hurdles. Jessica Pitcher ran a 14.93 and Orsciana Beard posted a 14.96.

Destine-Unique Scott led a group of men's 400-meter athletes for the Demons, four finishing in the top 33 in a loaded field. Scott ran a 47.00 to finish 15th in a group of 52 finishers. Galen Loyd (48.56) came in 30th, while Cyrus Jacobs (48.70) placed 31st and Desmond Duncan (48.72) came in 33rd.

Mikkel Johansson finished with a season-best 10.90 in the men's 100-meters. Austin Simoneaux ran a 10.77 in the event to finish 27th out of 54 finishers.

In the field, Djimon Gumbs tossed a 61-9.50 in the shot put to place fourth in the event, while Diamante Gumbs recorded a 52-3.75.

Following his strong performance at the Leon Johnson NSU Invitational, Randy Kelly finished sixth in the high jump, clearing 6-7.50.

Ashley Duffus posted a 133-10 in the women's javelin, finishing ninth.

In the shot put, Carnitra Mackey posted a 46-1.50 to finish 11th, while Deonmonique Granville tossed 43-4.25.

Next up for the track & field teams is the Southland Conference Outdoor Championships, beginning May 5 in Commerce, Texas.

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Butler posts another record-breaking performance on final day of ... - nsudemons.com