The lightest element, vital to energy and stars
Andy Green has reached 406.320 mph in JCB’s Hydromax at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats, setting a Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile‑certified record for hydrogen internal combustion cars. The 64‑year‑old former RAF pilot drove a 32ft vehicle powered by two hydrogen engines producing 1,600 horsepower. JCB is using the result to promote hydrogen for heavy industry.
Independent and Ecologist reports show households embracing heat pumps alongside flexible grid policies. Homeowners cite lower bills and better integration with solar and storage, while debates persist about data centres’ diesel backups in the US.
Bloomberg reports that the Trump administration has rolled back climate data and tools from federal websites as part of a broader deregulatory push, potentially increasing corporate and research uncertainty about environmental risks. The move follows earlier steps to reduce protections for water bodies and emissions rules, and experts warn the changes will erode decision-making resources for businesses and policymakers.
Britain seeks closer access to European markets as the EU pushes the Industrial Accelerator Act to curb China’s role in Europe’s supply chains. Britain warns against new barriers while exploring a reset with Brussels.
The European Commission has proposed opening a new 'associate member' status to deepen ties with Canada. Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has welcomed the idea as a path to reduce dependence on US markets while President Donald Trump has threatened heavy tariffs if he judges the move hostile. Leaders plan a Canada‑EU summit in Montreal on Oct 29–30.
Recent findings show white dwarfs can display vibrant colors beyond their expected white glow, with a green WD reflecting light altered by atmospheric elements. A second-generation planet around a dying star is also a possibility under investigation, prompting questions about planetary formation around white dwarfs.
Astronomers have released the Lumina model, a large-scale simulation of the universe’s formation in its first two billion years after the Big Bang. The effort uses Frontier supercomputing to map how dark matter and gas shaped the first galaxies, with Webb Observatory data serving as a cross-check. The work aims to test if the laws of physics have the same implications across cosmic time.