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SCMP

We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. PLA releases electronic warfare ‘kill list’ for US carrier groups
The People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) electronic warfare unit has produced a list of targets for a coordinated attack against US aircraft carrier strike groups. In a potential conflict, these precisely labelled US military radars, sensors and communication systems are likely to take concentrated fire from China’s electronic warfare weapons, according to a researcher involved in the project.
2. Chinese gene unchanged for 3,000 years in cradle of civilisation: study

Chinese researchers say they have established that the genetic lineage of people from the Central Plain – known as a birthplace of China’s civilisation – has been stable for 3,000 years. Their findings show that one of China’s most central regions has not been influenced by nomadic populations or even internal migration from the south, despite numerous regime changes and warfare.
3. Top mathematician says Chinese scientists have no choice but to leave US
China should focus on developing original technologies and scientific knowledge and leverage the expertise of scientists returning from the United States, according to a top Chinese-American mathematician. Yau Shing-Tung retired from Harvard University in 2022 to teach at Tsinghua University and help China become a maths powerhouse.
4. How close is the next pandemic? Chinese researchers have new clues

New evidence has emerged from research in China that the world could be on the brink of another pandemic as cases of bird flu surface across some regions in poultry, cattle and humans.
5. China sells ultra-powerful laser cutter to unnamed US buyer in industry first
China’s hi-tech manufacturing sector has achieved a milestone in its foray into international markets, with a Zhejiang-based company exporting an ultra-high-powered laser cutting system to the United States.
6. China’s ‘explosive’ ironmaking breakthrough achieves 3,600-fold speed boost

After more than a decade of intensive research in China, a new ironmaking technology is poised to revolutionise the global steel manufacturing industry. The method involves injecting finely ground iron ore powder into an extremely hot furnace, triggering an “explosive chemical reaction”, according to the engineers involved in the project.
7. The English impediment: why Chinese scientists can’t use Chinese

It was not until the 1950s and later that English became the single dominant language in the global scientific community. While it is spoken by only around 18 per cent of the world’s population, it is estimated that up to 98 per cent of global scientific research is published in English.


Selfies and symbolism: behind the scenes from Xi’s summit with Trump and Putin

Leaders Xi, Putin meet over tea; rare earth find in northeast China: SCMP’s 7 highlights

Shenzhen’s 24-hour spa, a glimpse of 1970s Hong Kong: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Xi’s back-to-back meetings with Trump and Putin in Beijing: everything you need to know

SCMP Highlights

PLA’s electronic war ‘kill list’, ultra-powerful laser cutter sold: 7 science highlights

A Chinese report has revealed a list of US Navy targets that are likely to be hit in a potential electronic warfare scenario. Photo: AFP/US Navy

Researchers in China compared the genomes of individuals in Henan province with Neolithic genetic material and found no major shift, according to a paper. Photo: Reuters

A study led by China’s top virologist has raised concerns that a strain of the virus H2N2 recently found in the wild now has the ability to infect humans. Photo: Reuters

A new method for ‘flash ironmaking’ has the potential to revolutionise steel manufacturing. Photo: Shutterstock

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

China creates ghost radar, big-brained early hominid sparks debate: 7 science highlights

New radar technology created by Chinese scientists will help with submarine detection and also could assist communication between surface ships and submarines. Photo: QQ

Bone fragments from several individuals at the Xujiayao site in China are challenging long-held assumptions about the region’s fossil record. Photo: Wu Xiujie

Pythagorean theorem was proved hundreds of years before Euclid by an ancient Chinese mathematician. Photo: Shutterstock

Tidal surge in China, AI power race, ‘time traveller’ emperor: 7 science highlights

Experts say several highly unusual factors contributed to a tidal event in eastern China in October. Photo: SCMP

A follow-up assessment of the Yunxing prototype’s engine technology will be carried out in November. Photo: Weibo/YunXing

This tiny Loricera beetle has remained virtually unchanged for at least 100 million years, according to a Chinese-led study. Photo: Shutterstock

Thailand is set to become the first nation to join both the US-led Artemis Accords, a set of best practices for space exploration, and the Chinese-led ILRS, pictured, which aims to build a base on the moon. Photo: China National Space Administration

Wang Mang is viewed as a man of the moment in an era in Chinese history defined by a deep yearning for renewal and transformation in nearly all walks of life. Photo: Baidu

China aims to set up a computing power corridor across the country covering 99 per cent of the nation’s population, according to a key architect of the project. Photo: Shutterstock

Doomed US submarine, quantum computer hacking experiment: 7 science highlights

The Seawolf-class attack submarine USS Connecticut was severely damaged in a surprise collision in 2021. Now newly released data on a giant whirlpool in the same area could offer fresh clues to what may have caused the incident. Photo: US Navy

Researchers have proved that the Lion of Venice statue which stands in St Mark’s Square, Venice, originated in China. Photo: Shutterstock

The blocks join in a mortar and tenon design. Photo: CCTV

A largely deserted street in downtown Tampa, Florida during the approach of Hurricane Milton. Photo: AP

China’s Mars exploration battery, US ecologist on ‘kill list’: 7 science highlights

A battery developed by researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China could operate for nearly two Martian months at zero degrees, they say. Photo: Shutterstock

Peter Daszak, president of scientific research organisation EcoHealth Alliance, says he and the non-profit have endured four years of “relentless” and “damaging” attacks. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

Hong Kong was found to be a “longevity outlier”. Photo: Eugene Lee

Chinese nanotech pioneer leaves US, panda stem cell breakthrough: 7 science highlights

Wang Zhonglin (right), who is credited with developing the field of nanoenergy, has returned to China after decades working as a scientist in the US. Photo: Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems

There are thought to be just 2,000 giant pandas left in the wild. Photo: Xinhua

The Chang’e-6 mission soil samples are being stored in a nitrogen-filled cabinet alongside those from the Chang’e-5 mission, at the Lunar Sample Laboratory in Beijing. Photo: CCTV

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China

Science

World

From clues to the next pandemic to Chinese scientists leaving the US, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting


From clues to the next pandemic to Chinese scientists leaving the US, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting.


Tsinghua University

PLA’s electronic war ‘kill list’, ultra-powerful laser cutter sold: 7 science highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From clues to the next pandemic to Chinese scientists leaving the US, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting

1. PLA releases electronic warfare ‘kill list’ for US carrier groups

From clues to the next pandemic to Chinese scientists leaving the US, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting