What is the new “Clean Network program”?

This article is part of the Technicity newsletter series, covering technology, science, space, financial markets, and more.

It feels like a long time has passed since the Phase 1 trade agreement was finalized between the United States and China in January, which seemed to signify the end of a prolonged period of economic tensions between these two major global economies. Fast forward seven months, and the situation has returned to its initial state. The trade deal is now at risk, and new conflicts have emerged in the technology sector.

Following the U.S. ban on the Chinese tech giant Huawei, President Trump has enacted executive orders that bar American firms from engaging in business with Tencent and ByteDance—companies behind widely-used apps like WeChat and TikTok—citing national security, foreign policy, and economic concerns.

As tensions escalate, the U.S. has introduced an extensive set of guidelines for American corporations to eliminate Chinese influence from the internet, referred to as the “Clean Network program.” Here are the five main points of the initiative:

• Clean Carrier: Preventing untrusted carriers from the People's Republic of China (PRC) from connecting to U.S. telecommunications networks.
• Clean Store: Removing untrusted applications from U.S. mobile app stores.
• Clean Apps: Blocking untrusted PRC smartphone manufacturers from pre-installing or offering trusted apps for download in their app stores.
• Clean Cloud: Protecting sensitive personal information and valuable business intellectual property from being stored on cloud systems that could be accessed by foreign adversaries like Alibaba, Baidu, and Tencent.
• Clean Cable: Safeguarding undersea cables that link the U.S. to the global internet from being exploited for intelligence-gathering purposes by the PRC.

First-ever direct image of two giant planets orbiting Sun-like star

The European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) has captured the first direct image of a young star resembling our Sun, accompanied by two massive exoplanets. Such images of multiple exoplanet systems are exceedingly rare, and this marks the first time astronomers have visually confirmed more than one planet orbiting a Sun-like star.

These observations could provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of planets around stars similar to our own. Recently, ESO released a stunning image depicting a planetary system in its infancy. Now, the same telescope, utilizing the same equipment, has successfully taken the first direct image of a planetary system surrounding a Sun-like star located roughly 300 light-years away, known as TYC 8998–760–1 ~ via European Southern Observatory (ESO)

The VLT image of the Sun-like star TYC 8998–760–1 (top left), with two giant exoplanets represented as dots of light — ESO/Bohn et al.

World’s largest nuclear fusion project begins assembly in France

While China anticipates that its “Artificial Sun” will be operational within the year, the world's largest nuclear fusion initiative has commenced its five-year assembly phase in southern France. The project, named Iter, aims to replicate the nuclear reactions that power the sun, with the goal of demonstrating that fusion energy can be produced on a commercial scale. Despite decades of research, nuclear fusion has yet to overcome the significant technical challenges associated with harnessing such vast amounts of energy, as outlined in The Guardian.

The first piece of the Iter tokamak being lowered into position. The entire reactor will weigh 23,000 tonnes. Photograph: EJF Riche/Iter

Earth’s atmosphere rings like a giant bell

Recent studies by scientists from Japan and the U.S. have confirmed a long-standing hypothesis suggesting that Earth's atmosphere vibrates like a colossal bell. This research shows that large-scale resonant waves traverse the globe in both directions. Such findings could enhance the accuracy of weather and climate forecasts ~ via PhysicsWorld.

Bitcoin is still the go-to cryptocurrency for darknet markets

A survey conducted by The Block Research revealed that Bitcoin continues to be the preferred cryptocurrency for transactions and withdrawals across numerous darknet marketplaces. According to Steven Zheng of The Block, approximately 98% of the 49 darknet markets surveyed accept Bitcoin ~ via The Block.

Scientists pull 100 million years old living microbes from beneath the sea

A new study has unveiled that microbes buried beneath the seafloor for over 100 million years are still alive. When these ancient microbes were brought back to the laboratory and provided with nutrients, they began to multiply. These microbes thrive on oxygen, a scarce resource that only diffuses from the ocean surface into the depths of the seabed. This discovery suggests the incredible possibility that these microbes have remained dormant or grown very slowly without dividing for millions of years ~ via Science.

One Mystery of Stonehenge’s Origins Has Finally Been Solved

For over four centuries, archaeologists and geologists have been trying to uncover the geographical origins of the stones used to construct Stonehenge thousands of years ago. Identifying the source of the large sarsen stones that comprise most of the structure has proved particularly challenging. Recently, researchers have clarified this mystery: 50 of the 52 existing sarsens at Stonehenge originated from the West Woods site in Wiltshire, England, located 25 kilometers north of Stonehenge ~ via Scientific American.

A new MXene material shows extraordinary electromagnetic shielding ability

As wireless technology becomes more integrated into daily life, the increasing electronic interference creates a noisy environment. To combat this, researchers at Drexel University have been investigating two-dimensional materials known for their ability to block interference. Their latest breakthrough, detailed in the journal Science, highlights a newly discovered two-dimensional material with exceptional capabilities to absorb electromagnetic interference rather than merely deflecting it ~ via PHYS.org.

Researchers at Drexel and KIST found that a new MXene material, titanium carbonitride, can shield electromagnetic interference more effectively than currently used materials in electronic devices — Credit: Drexel University

Renault just gave an entire French town free EVs

French car manufacturer Renault has provided an entire town with free electric vehicles, but with a stipulation. The company has offered three-year leases of its new Zoe electric vehicle to all households in Appy, a small town in the Ariege region of France. In return, residents must share their experiences regarding the vehicle and the process of owning an electric vehicle. Renault stated that this initiative will assist the company in “understanding how customers interact with and utilize electric vehicles in their daily lives” ~ via The Business Insider.

A new neural network could help computers code themselves

The field of computer programming has long been challenging. Early coders painstakingly wrote programs by hand, using graph paper and then converting them into stacks of punched cards for computer processing. A single error could necessitate starting over.

This is why some experts advocate for machines to take over coding themselves. In collaboration with Intel, MIT, and Georgia Institute of Technology, researchers have developed a system called Machine Inferred Code Similarity (MISIM). This system can interpret the meaning of code—understanding what the code instructs the computer to do—similar to how natural-language processing (NLP) systems comprehend English text ~ via MIT Tech Review.

How to Prepare for a Virtual Conference as a Speaker

Follow my Technicity Blog to automatically subscribe to the newsletter. For previous editions of Quantum Leap, please check the Archives.