EU’s tech ban, China’s mysterious Nantianmen project: 7 science highlights
From a leading biologist leaving US for China to a semiconductor breakthrough, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting
1. EU bans Chinese organisations from critical tech programmes, including AI, chips
Researchers in China have been excluded from the European Union’s most advanced collaborative technology programmes. However, specialists in the sectors affected say the impact of the ban may be limited because some areas of collaboration are already at a historic low.
2. World-leading computational biology pioneer Bao Zhirong returns to China from US
After 30 years in the United States, world-leading computational biologist Bao Zhirong has taken up a full-time position at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen.
3. How did a prized red gemstone reach the ancient, mysterious Shu kingdom?
In the highest-ranking sacrificial pit at Sanxingdui, 11 crimson beads remained undisturbed for 3,000 years among bronze vessels, ivory tusks and fragments of gold. They are carnelian – a red gemstone prized across the ancient world, from the Indus Valley to the Middle East and the Mediterranean.