1. One Thing that Helps
Where we're going, we don't need drill bits.
Quaise Energy is taking the gyrotron, a device that generates high-frequency electromagnetic radiation, and using it to drill through rocks. Think of an invisible laser beam packed with power and heat, enough to mean Quaise has to be careful not to turn rock into plasma!
Once the waveguide (a hollow metal tube used for direction) reaches the target rock, the gyroton fires. This causes the rock to either crack, melt or vaporise. This technique allows the drilling of even very hard rock like granite, currently this is very costly due to blunted and broken drill bits. Millimeter-wave drilling will also allow unprecedented access to rocks deeper within the earth at a faster rate.
The key for this new method is making sure they can produce geothermal power efficiently. There is apparently enough energy stored in the earth to meet our demand for tens of thousands of years, so any innovation that can help us access that will be invaluable.
2. One to be Wary of
Cyberattacks are going hands-free and AI is in control.
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have demonstrated that large language models (LLMs) can plot cyberattacks on their own. In partnership with Anthropic, an AI replicated the 2017 Equifax cyberattack that compromised almost 147 million customers!
The toolkit, called Incalmo, was able to orchestrate the Equifax cyberattack using the same methods the attackers used. It successfully found and exploited the unpatched software vulnerability that caused the nightmare. Incalmo took care of high-level strategy, while delegating lower-level tasks to sub-agent underlings.
How successful was Incalmo? Out of 10 test networks, it fully compromised 5, and partially compromised 4. How well do current defences work against an automated attack? At the moment, we do not know.
3. One to Amaze
I love my flip phone but I would go nuts for a phone so small I can just roll it out.
Thanks to advances in flexible displays, we are entering the era of having more screen real estate without increasing bulk or size. Just look at this Lenovo laptop stretch its screen:
What makes it possible?
OLEDs are a major component in this technology as they are flexible compared to normal LEDs. Flexible substrates give the screen a sturdy support which is attached to the OLEDs by improved adhesive materials. Lastly, stretchable circuits make the magic happen.
While foldables and flip phones have improved their durability, rollable displays do not have a crease, currently a major point of weakness in flips and folds. Besides that, rollable displays can be super portable.
The future of screens isn’t flipping or folding. It’s rolling right in front of our eyes.