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01 / 05
Microsoft’s New Chip Could Bring Quantum Computing Within Years

The Guardian | Computing

Microsoft’s New Chip Could Bring Quantum Computing Within Years

“Quantum computers could be built within years rather than decades, according to Microsoft, which has unveiled a breakthrough that it said could pave the way for faster development.

The tech firm has developed a chip which, it says, echoes the invention of the semiconductors that made today’s smartphones, computers and electronics possible by miniaturisation and increased processing power.

The chip is powered by the world’s first topoconductor, which can create a new state of matter that is not a solid, liquid, or gas – making it possible to design quantum systems that fit in a single chip smaller than the palm of a hand, and to create more reliable hardware, a peer-reviewed paper published in Nature reports.”

From The Guardian.

City Journal | Computing

The Surprising Heart of the Data-Center Boom

“The heart of the data-center boom, in America and globally, is an otherwise quiet and affluent bedroom community in Northern Virginia: Loudoun County. Communities like Loudoun are supposed to be bastions of Not In My Backyard opposition to development, not the front line of a new industrial revolution.

Yet data centers have proved an extraordinary boon for Loudoun residents; they now generate nearly half the county’s tax revenue. Thanks to them, Loudoun enjoys smooth roads, lavish schools, and low tax rates for homeowners. Even as opposition to data centers grows, Loudoun’s experience shows what can happen when governments embrace growth.”

From City Journal.

Nature | Computing

Breakthrough Computer-Chip Tech Could Help Meet AI Demand

“A powerful light source bigger than a London double-decker bus has set a record: it can create structures on a silicon wafer that are just 8 nanometres (nm) wide. Those are thought to be the smallest ever made in a single step by a commericial chip-patterning system. According to the system’s manufacturer, it could be used to make computer chips patterned with 2.9 times more transistors than chips produced with the previous generation of the light sources used for this purpose.”

From Nature.

THE DECODER | Science & Technology

Google Says 75 Percent of Its New Code Is Now Written by AI

“75 percent of new code at Google is now generated by AI and then reviewed by human developers, the company says. That number has climbed fast: it was 25 percent in October 2024 and 50 percent by fall 2025. In a blog post, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the company is now shifting to ‘agentic workflows’ where AI systems operate with increasing autonomy.”

From THE DECODER.

UCL | Communications

UK Neuralink Patient Uses Thought to Control Computer

“A patient with motor neurone disease was able to control a computer just by using his thoughts following the UK’s first Neuralink implant surgery in a study led by UCL and UCLH clinical researchers.

The surgery is part of the GB-PRIME study evaluating the safety and functionality of Neuralink’s robotically implanted brain-computer interface (BCI), which aims to improve independence for people who are paralysed. 

The surgery, which took place at UCLH’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) in October 2025, went as planned, and on the day following the procedure, the patient was able to begin using their BCI implant to move a computer cursor with their thoughts and to return home from the hospital.”

From UCL.