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House expected to take another Iran war vote
The vote is the latest effort by Democrats to rein in Trump's military campaigns by using the War Powers Resolution of 1973
Bonus 228: The $1.776B Political Question
Every so often a story comes along that is so brazen, so cleanly emblematic of the moment we are living through, that staying quiet about it feels like a kind of complicity unto itself. Monday’s announcement by the Department of Justice that the Acting Attorney General has unilaterally created a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate so-called “victims of lawfare” is one of those stories. And the reason I want to write about it here, in a newsletter ostensibly devoted to the Supreme Court and the law and politics surrounding it, is that I’m increasingly worried that we’re asking the wrong institution to save us from one of the most offensive, alarming, and anti-constitutional things we’ve seen from any president in American history. As I explain below the fold, the Anti-Weaponization Fund is not principally a legal problem awaiting a judicial fix. It is a shockingly egregious political abuse—the President suing his own government, purporting to settle with himself, and routing nearly $2 billion from the Treasury to his own supporters as a not-so-subtle (and not-so-formal) reward, if not an incentive, for political violence. And the Constitution’s answer to political abuses of this kind and magnitude is a political remedy, not a legal one. In his majority opinion in NFIB v. Sebelius (the Affordable Care Act case from 2012), Chief Justice Roberts defended the Court’s endorsement of Congress’s power to adopt the individual mandate by noting that it is “not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.” As much of a judicial supremacist as I am, that sentiment is, for better or worse, an entirely correct (and, in the long term, normatively desirable) institutional assessment. One can believe in substantial judicial power without believing that literally every political dispute in our country can and should be resolved by unelected judges. The real upshot of this latest headline (among so, so many other similar headlines) is that it is past time to reinvigorate impeachment—not because conviction is realistic in this Senate, or even because impeachment itself is feasible in this House, but because forcing every member of Congress to vote on the record whether this brazen, corrosive, and affirmatively dangerous corruption is impeachable is itself a point worth fighting for (and fighting with our friends over). Assuming the courts will save us absolves our political leaders of both responsibility and accountability for allowing this kind of mischief to continue, and it absolves all of us of our responsibility to refuse to tolerate those who would just as quickly shrug their shoulders and move on. For those who aren’t paid subscribers, we’ll be back (no later than) Monday with our continuing coverage of the Supreme Court. For those who are, please read on.
How Sen. Jay Morris mixed Meta's mega-deal with his own real estate business
While Morris used his political position to advance the massive Meta data center project and the Entergy deal to power the facility, he and his business partners were buying and selling the land around it over the past 15 months.
Google Reveals Gemini For Science, An AI Research Tool And Science Skills Platform
Google introduced Gemini for Science, a new collection of AI-powered scientific tools and experiments designed to accelerate discovery and support researchers across disciplines. The initiative combines multiple Google DeepMind technologies, including Co-Scientist, AlphaEvolve, Empirical Research Assistance (ERA), and NotebookLM, to streamline key parts of the scientific method.
Trump Approved an Nvidia Chip for Sale in China. Beijing Doesn’t Want It.
The U.S. tech giant’s powerful H200 chip seemed poised to boost Beijing’s A.I. ambitions, but not a single one has been purchased in China.
Republicans Want to Change How You Buy Health Care
President Trump and other leading conservatives are pushing policies they hope will empower patients to shop more wisely for the health care they need.
AMD Launches the Ryzen AI Max 400 Series Processors: "Strix Halo" Gets a Memory Upgrade
In addition to the Ryzen AI Halo, AMD today debuted the Ryzen AI Max 400 series of processors for AI development platforms. This is a refresh to the Ryzen AI Max 300 series "Strix Halo" processor. The chip combines up to 16 full-size "Zen 5" CPU cores with a large SoC die that has a powerful iGPU wi...
AMD Announces Ryzen AI Halo, the Compact DGX Spark and Mac Mini Rival
AMD today released Ryzen AI Halo, a compact AI development computer designed by AMD to serve as a nearly full-stack machine for AI development, inferencing, and generative AI content creation. Ryzen AI Halo is designed to strike a unique balance of price, performance, and capabilities that rival App...
Integrating public health into house design
Nature Medicine - Housing is not just a backdrop to health, but a powerful intervention. A study now shows that redesigning the home environment can improve child health outcomes, but success...
Toward power-generating displays: a single device that harvests and emits light
A newly developed organic semiconductor device can both generate electricity from light and emit bright visible light, as reported by researchers from Science Tokyo. By carefully designing a material where energy losses are suppressed, the team achieved efficient power conversion and electroluminescence simultaneously, demonstrating a multifunctional platform with potential applications in displays, sensors, and energy-harvesting technologies.
Scientists discover the nutrient that can supercharge cellular energy
Researchers discovered that leucine, a nutrient found in protein-rich foods, can supercharge mitochondria by protecting crucial energy-producing proteins inside cells. The breakthrough uncovers a powerful new link between diet and cellular energy — with possible implications for cancer and metabolic disease treatments.
Transforming our future by unlocking the power of DNA: the representation of health-related genomic testing in UK news items
European Journal of Human Genetics - Transforming our future by unlocking the power of DNA: the representation of health-related genomic testing in UK news items
Anthropic is paying SpaceX $1.25 billion a month for AI compute
SpaceX and Anthropic have a major compute power deal valued at $1.25 billion a month, utilizing SpaceX's Colossus data centers for AI growth.
WHO urged to declare climate health emergency, and other climate and nature news
Top news: RCP8.5 misinformation; Forecasters warn of powerful El Niño; Early warning systems get G7 support.
Raúl Castro Has Guided Cuba for Decades
Raúl Castro is 94 and no longer holds any official title, but he still wields enormous power, experts say, particularly over the military.
Silver & Black Gala unites stars, alumni and community to support Nevada mental health initiatives
The Raiders played host to the third annual Silver & Black Gala on Sunday night at Allegiant Stadium, a power-packed event that raised $2.5 million to help benefit mental health initiatives across Nevada.
Analysis | Trump is at his weakest nationally yet flexing power with his base
The president has created a party that is loyal to him, even when he takes executive actions that anger the broader public. That dynamic leaves him weaker with those outside his base.
DoorDash Launches National Small Business Campaign » CBIA
DoorDash launches national Unlocking Main Street campaign to empower small businesses, making it easier for them to open, operate, and grow.
UFC power rankings, top 10 fighters on May 20, 2026
Hello everyone, and welcome back for another week of rankings in the UFC. What looked to be a sub-par card for UFC Vegas 117 turned into a highly profitable night for bettors. When you add in the MVP Netflix card…
NASA’s Fermi Glimpses Power Source of Supercharged Supernovae
An international team studying data from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope concludes the mission detected a rare, unusually luminous supernova. The
MLB outfield power rankings entering week 9
The 2026 MLB season is entering its ninth week. There has been tremendous baseball played in the early part of the season. Many players are making early cases for All-Star selections and yearly awards. There is a lot of baseball…
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.
Scientists Discovered A Population Developed a Genetic Superpower—Thanks to Potatoes
A new DNA study found that Peruvian Andeans possess a high number of salivary amylase genes, or AMY1, for digesting starchy foods like the native potato.
Election Year Politics Killed Oklahoma’s Eviction Reform Bills, Advocates Say
Oklahoma's tenant protection bills failed this legislative session, leaving renters without new legal remedies against problem landlords. House Bill 2015, which would have given courts power to hold landlords accountable for habitability failures, stalled, as did an eviction timeline extension bill. Advocates blame election-year politics and landlord influence at the Capitol.
Google and Samsung launch AI-powered Intelligent Eyewear
Google and Samsung have entered the smart glasses market with Intelligent Eyewear, made with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker.
How Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, toppled by Trump, charted his own way
There aren’t many lawmakers like Thomas Massie left in Congress. READ MORE: Massie's loss leaves no doubt about Trump's power over the GOP. 6 takeaways from Tuesday's primaries The renegade Republican who rose to prominence as an idiosyncratic and stubborn outlier in his party, popular in the Kentucky district that repeatedly sent him to the House, lost his primary bid for reelection Tuesday after a vicious and costly attack by President Donald Trump. The stunning
Texas A&M ranked below 'elite tier' in CBS Sports' SEC power rankings
Texas A&M is ranked 5th in CBS Sports' SEC power rankings, ranked just below the 'elite tier' occupied by Texas, Georgia, LSU, and Ole Miss.
America's elites don't trust voters. That's the real crisis.
Polling suggests politically active elites are far more willing than ordinary Americans to undermine democratic principles when power is at stake.
Massie's loss leaves no doubt about Trump's power over the GOP. 6 takeaways from Tuesday's primaries
While President Donald Trump has racked up several wins this primary season, this one perhaps sends an even more forceful message to the president's Republican critics.
'Lord Of The Rings' & 'Tomb Raider' Spun Out Of Embracer Group
'Lord of the Rings' and 'Tomb Raider' will be part of a new Stockholm-listed, "IP-led" entertainment business spinning out of Embracer Group.
'Ask YouTube' brings AI-powered conversational search to video, adds Gemini Omni to Shorts
Google is completely revamping its search experience, and that doesn't stop at YouTube.
Jack Davis, S.F. political power broker, dies at 79
Jack Davis, the longtime power broker and consultant whose strategic instincts helped shape San Francisco’s politics for decades, died in hospice at his Mission District home. He was 79.
McMahon, Rice power Yankees to win over Blue Jays
Another day, another New York nailbiter.
James Wood's inside-the-park grand slam powers Nationals in rally past Mets
A misplay by a Mets outfielder making his MLB debut allowed Wood to reach home without a play at the plate. The Nationals rallied from a 5-0 deficit for the win.
Early War Goal Was to Install Hard Line Former President as Iran’s Leader
An Israeli strike designed to free Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from house arrest in Tehran, U.S. officials said, was part of an effort to bring about regime change and put him in power.
Senate advances resolution to end Iran war as GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy flips to support it
The Louisiana senator, who lost his primary over the weekend, voted in support of the war powers resolution for the first time. It advanced 50-47, with a final passage vote yet to come.
Senate advances resolution to limit Trump's Iran war powers for first time, after 4 Republicans defect
Black leaders turn to collegiate sports in fight over Southern representation
The NAACP’s Out of Bounds campaign urges Black student athletes to avoid committing to top athletic programs in the South unless Black political power is restored.
Google to release smart glasses and add AI ‘agents’ to search engine
CEO Sundar Pichai says features powered by new Gemini model will close gap with Anthropic and OpenAI
Google Debuts AI-Powered Tools To Optimize Scientific Research Workflows
Three new features will be available under the Gemini for Science collection.
NAACP asks Black athletes to boycott SEC, ACC powers in latest sports-as-politics pressure campaign
The NAACP launched its "Out of Bounds" campaign calling on black athletes and fans to boycott public universities across eight Southern states.
NAACP asks Black athletes to boycott SEC, ACC powers in latest sports-as-politics pressure campaign
The NAACP launched its "Out of Bounds" campaign calling on black athletes and fans to boycott public universities across eight Southern states.
Philly DA Larry Krasner got kicked out of election day lunch after clashing with union leader Ryan Boyer
The argument stemmed from last year’s DA’s race, when Boyer, a political centrist who leads the powerful Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, endorsed Krasner’s challenger.
The Truth About the Entertainment Industry and Israel
It’s hard not to enjoy seeing someone speak actual truth to actual power in the entertainment industry. So when the celebrated Hungarian filmmaker Laszlo Nemes was asked by the Guardian...
Google takes a page out of Meta's book, announces new audio-powered smart glasses
Google is back in the glasses game with "audio glasses" out this fall.
With Gemini 3.5 Flash, Google bets its next AI wave on agents, not chatbots
Google launched Gemini 3.5 Flash, its most powerful coding and agentic AI model yet, at the company's annual developer conference. It is capable of autonomously executing complex tasks and building software from scratch.
How to use Google’s new information agents
Google is launching AI-powered “information agents” that can monitor topics in the background and proactively alert users to updates and changes.
How to use Google’s new AI agents to go beyond your standard searches
Google is launching AI-powered “information agents” that can monitor topics in the background and proactively alert users to updates and changes.
Google gets ‘intelligent’ Search box redesign, information agents, mini apps, & more
Google Search received big updates at I/O 2026. For starters, AI Mode is now powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash globally...
Google Drops Price of Its Highest-Tier AI Plan as Gemini Gets More Powerful
The new pricing brings two Ultra options: a $100 plan for advanced Gemini access and a $200 plan with the highest limits.
Powered by A.I., Google Changes Its Search Box for the First Time in 25 Years
Powered by a new Gemini A.I. model, the tech giant is overhauling its search box to answer longer queries, introducing a video-generation and video-editing tool and simplifying online shopping.
Google's AI Studio now lets anyone build Android apps in minutes
Google unveiled new web-based AI tools that can generate native Android apps in minutes, as the company expands its push into AI-powered software development.
Series Preview: 3 Advantages Golden Knights Have Over Avalanche
For the fifth time in nine years, the Vegas Golden Knights are in the Western Conference Final. If they want to advance to their third Stanley Cup Final, they’ll have to overcome a powerful and intimidating foe: the Colorado Avalanche.
I started powerlifting at 75 after recovering from surgery
Barbara Phillips began competing in powerlifting at 75 after hip replacement surgery and decades of staying active.
How a power megamerger could lower bills — and still rile affordability politics
Virginia could be a major bump in the road for NextEra's proposed $67 billion merger with Dominion Energy.
Anker fixes the two worst things about power stations
Cheap, small for 2kWh, and super efficient.
Red Sox Get Small Boost In Power Rankings
The Boston Red Sox (20-27) are in last place in the American League East, 11.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
Microsoft launches Surface Pro 12 and Surface Laptop 8 with Intel chips
Three new Intel-powered Surface devices arrive for businesses, but they all have high price tags.
Vast Launches Satellite Bus Business Line
The commercial space station company announced this morning that it would start selling satellite buses, specifically targeting the low-cost, high-volume, high-power niche for missions from comms, to EO, to national-security programs.
In deep blue California, Dems find a villain toxic enough to rival Trump: The power company
Rising electricity prices have frustrated voters, creating a prime target for candidates.
Trump’s Push to Defeat Thomas Massie Is the Most Expensive House Primary in Recent Years
The Republican primary in Representative Thomas Massie’s district has drawn vast spending, but it is just one of several contests on Tuesday that will test the power of big money.
SEC post-spring power rankings: Texas leads pack while Texas A&M, Alabama headline fluid middle tier
The deepest conference in the country has at least seven teams with legitimate College Football Playoff hopes heading into 2026
How a power megamerger could lower bills — and still rile affordability politics
Virginia could be a major bump in the road for NextEra's proposed $67 billion merger with Dominion Energy.
Houston Texans News: Kayden McDonald ‘Bring[s] Power.“
Your one-stop shop for Houston Texans, local sports, and news from around the league for Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Uncertainty makes science powerful — and incredibly vulnerable
Related Content Science fiction and the authoritarian imagination Thinking outside Schrödinger’s cat box: Reality as quantum Chatbots aren’t conscious, but it’s important to understand the science and philosophy of why In Silicon Valley, creationists and atheist post-libertarians have a lot in common Why thinking about aliens can help us better understand philosophy of science What […]
The women leaving the 'New Right'
Defectors from the ‘New Right’ say that sexism is a feature, not a bug of modern-day conservatism.New York Magazine’s Sam Adler-Bell published The Young Women Leaving the New Right, detailing the experiences of conservative women who say that rampant misogyny within the space is pushing them out of a community they helped build. From demanding that women stay home and out of public life to advocating for the repeal of civil rights law - some conservative women have reached their limit. But host Brittany Luse wonders: will this change of heart stick in the voting booths? Or is this just more of the same?To answer that question, Brittany is joined by Editor at Large of the 19th and NABJ President, Errin Haines. Errin helps unpack the link between the ‘new’ and ‘old’ right, white women checkered political history, and how searching for community can sometimes lead people down dark paths. Want more about women and politics? Check out these episodes:Progressive women have 'had it!' And they're fighting back.The political power of Gen Z womenEnough is enough. Is it time to leave America?Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.
Lenovo intros Wildcat Lake laptops as new MacBook Neo alternatives
The new Lenovo Lecoo Air 13, Air 14, and Air 15 have been introduced in China. These are powered by the Intel Wildcat Lake processors, and the laptop line is expected to rival the MacBook Neo in terms of price.
Blackstone pledges $5B to launch TPU-powered AI cloud business with Google
Blackstone and Google launch a new U.S. data center venture offering TPU compute-as-a-service, with $5B committed for 500MW by 2027.
Schiff proposes legislation to force data centers to bring their own energy
A California senator is introducing legislation to shield utility customers from footing the bill for power grid upgrades required to power the growing number of electricity-guzzling data centers.
Oak tree crushes Glen Ellen business, three vehicles
Strong winds blew down a towering, century-old oak tree Monday morning in Glen Ellen, sending it crashing into a power line causing an outage and then onto a business, damaging the building and crushing three parked vehicles, fire officials…
Science behind sobriety field tests
Albany High students in Elizabeth Lopatniuk's health classes participated in a dynamic lesson about the effects of alcohol on the body. After taking an in-depth look at the science behind why and how alcohol slows the activities of the brain and central nervous system, students learned about how a variety of factors can impact the level of intoxication and how blood alcohol concentration can impair one's ability to operate a motor vehicle. Albany High Student Resource Officer Nick Schuler led students through an overview of field sobriety tests that are routinely performed during a traffic stop when an officer suspects a driver may be under the influence of alcohol. Officer Schuler explained the three elements of a physical sobriety test, including walking a straight line with turns and checks for motor skill patterns, standing on one foot to check for balance and following a moving stimulus with eyes only to check for Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN), an involuntary, rhythmic jerking of the eyes as they look to the side. Students volunteered to try walking a straight line both with and without alcohol impairment simulation goggles. Officer Schuler pointed out particular behaviors and patterns that would lead to a failed field sobriety test during the simulation. As prom and graduation festivities approach, we applaud our Albany High staff for empowering our Falcons with valuable lessons so they can make wise and safe choices.
Science behind sobriety field tests
Albany High students in Elizabeth Lopatniuk's health classes participated in a dynamic lesson about the effects of alcohol on the body. After taking an in-depth look at the science behind why and how alcohol slows the activities of the brain and central nervous system, students learned about how a variety of factors can impact the level of intoxication and how blood alcohol concentration can impair one's ability to operate a motor vehicle. Albany High Student Resource Officer Nick Schuler led students through an overview of field sobriety tests that are routinely performed during a traffic stop when an officer suspects a driver may be under the influence of alcohol. Officer Schuler explained the three elements of a physical sobriety test, including walking a straight line with turns and checks for motor skill patterns, standing on one foot to check for balance and following a moving stimulus with eyes only to check for Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN), an involuntary, rhythmic jerking of the eyes as they look to the side. Students volunteered to try walking a straight line both with and without alcohol impairment simulation goggles. Officer Schuler pointed out particular behaviors and patterns that would lead to a failed field sobriety test during the simulation. As prom and graduation festivities approach, we applaud our Albany High staff for empowering our Falcons with valuable lessons so they can make wise and safe choices.
HLS Vegetation Indices
In this explainer, each vegetation index includes a visualization, an example application, and a description of the index that highlights how HLS’s increased temporal revisit empowers new research.
The most powerful climate phenomenon on record could hit the US in 2026, experts warn | BBC Science Focus Magazine
The world’s most powerful climate phenomenon El Niño is returning – and this time, it may be arriving in record-breaking form.
Nominations Open for Annual NJBIA-NJ Business Magazine's 'Awards for Excellence'
New Jersey Business Magazine is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Awards for Excellence competition, powered by NJBIA, which recognizes outstanding businesses and their leaders who have improved New Jersey’s economic climate and quality of life. Awards will be given for Executive of the Year, Outstanding Employer, Community Service and Excellence in Disability Inclusion. Winners will be[...]
Join us at Arte Américas on June 11 to talk about power in the Central Valley
How can the Central Valley grow its power in California? Join Fresnoland, Zocalo Public Square and local leaders to talk Fresno politics.
Qualcomm confirms a Snapdragon-powered Googlebook will launch this fall
For months, we have been closely tracking the development of new Qualcomm processors in the Chromium Gerrit, but it wasn't entirely clear when we would actually see them hit the market. With...
Amazon Alexa Plus Now Produces AI-Generated Podcast Episodes
The podcast industry suddenly has a big new player: Amazon's Alexa+ AI-powered voice assistant, which can now create extended 'podcasts' on any topic.
Big Ten post-spring power rankings: Ohio State looks to end conference title drought, can USC break through?
With spring practices in the rear view and the 2026 season getting closer every day, here's a look at the hierarchy in college football's best conference
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.
NextEra bets $66.8B on AI power boom with Dominion Energy acquisition
NextEra Energy announced a $66.8 billion acquisition of Dominion Energy, expanding its reach into Northern Virginia’s booming AI data-center market.
Supercharging Connectivity: Brightspeed Business Launches New 5 Gig Fiber
/PRNewswire/ -- Brightspeed, the nation's third-largest fiber builder empowering consumers and businesses with multi-gig-speed connectivity, announced the...
Dominion stock price pops on NextEra merger to create utility giant
Dominion Energy stock jumped on Monday after the company announced it's combining with NextEra Energy. The deal comes as power demand is surging in the US.
United Airlines Made Passengers Endure a 13 Hour Flight With No Entertainment, No Wi-Fi, And No In-Seat Power
United Airlines is making passengers on a 13-hour flight from Tokyo to Washington Dulles endure a flight experience from around four decades ago: No seatback screens, no in-flight Wi-Fi, and no in-seat chargers. It’s not like this is some sort of retro-inspired experience that passengers signed up for. Rather, the 27-year-old Boeing 777-200 being used…
Vikings Front Office Power Struggle & 2026 Schedule Traps
Vikings GM fit-in drama, 2026 schedule traps & AP Ring of Honor fight
Dominion, NextEra to merge and create world’s largest utility business
Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy, the largest electric power and energy infrastructure company in North America, will merge, creating the world’s largest utility business.
MLB Power Rankings: Why disappointing teams seem to be the story of the year
Meanwhile, the Braves won't let go of No. 1 and the White Sox won't stop winning
Pomegranate vs. Grapefruit: Which Is Better for Antioxidants and Overall Health?
When it comes to antioxidant capacity, studies show that grapefruit has higher free radical-neutralizing power. However, pomegranate also provides powerful antioxidants.
Chicago power families: Who holds influence now
These 14 families wield influence across Chicago and Illinois through business, politics, philanthropy, sports and civic institutions.
Baidu beats first-quarter forecasts as AI business drives strong growth (BIDU)
Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) shares climbed more than 2% in premarket trading on Monday after the Chinese technology group delivered first-quarter revenue and earnings ahead of market expectations, supported by rapid expansion in its AI-related operations. AI-powered business becomes major revenue contributorThe company reported quarterly revenue of 32.
Power Families of Chicago: Crown, Duchossois, Melman and Wirtz
Some long-familiar names — Crown, Duchossois, Melman and Wirtz — are among Chicago's most powerful families.
Power Families of Chicago: Velasquez
With second-generation leaders in Azteca Foods and a history of philanthropy and civic activism in Pilsen, the Velasquez family is among Chicago's most powerful.
Power Families of Chicago: Hoffmann
The Hoffmanns — whose company operates 52 platform businesses in eight vertical categories — are among Chicago's most powerful families.
Power Families of Chicago: Sacks
With influence in education, philanthropy and political circles, Michael and Cari Sacks are among Chicago's most powerful families.
Who should be this week's boys' Athlete of the Week?
It's time to vote for The News-Gazette's Athletes of the Week, powered by Copper Creek Contractors. Each Monday, The News-Gazette will publish an online poll with four boys and four
Who should be this week's girls' Athlete of the Week?
It's time to vote for The News-Gazette's Athletes of the Week, powered by Copper Creek Contractors. Each Monday, The News-Gazette will publish an online poll with four boys and four
Best Sports Business Cities: Methodology
Explore the Best Sports Business Cities methodology, powered by 540,000+ data points and 120+ executive insights, detailing rankings, event weighting, market definitions, and indexing factors.
Hawaii Just Found a Way to Keep Corporations Out of Politics
A new law makes clear that corporations derive their powers from states, and they don’t necessarily include the right to spend on elections.