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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. China builds world’s first ‘coal battery’ with zero emission
Chinese scientists have developed a way to generate electricity and achieve higher energy efficiency than conventional burning methods, while producing zero carbon dioxide emissions, by placing coal inside a “battery”.
2. China unveils ultra-cheap ‘all-iron flow battery’ for renewable energy storage
Chinese scientists have achieved a breakthrough in “all-iron flow battery” technology that could sharply reduce the cost of storing renewable energy while significantly extending battery lifespan.
3. China launches war on Alzheimer’s that may affect 10% of population by 2050

China has launched a comprehensive national campaign against Alzheimer’s, as projections warn the degenerative brain disease could affect nearly 10 per cent of citizens by 2050.
4. Will China’s mathematicians join a global effort to boycott the United States?
A question hovers as the world’s premier mathematics conference faces revolt over American visa rules and foreign policies.
5. Chinese supercomputers help crack mystery of Yellowstone volcanic plumbing

Yellowstone is the world’s largest active volcanic system – its eruptions are hundreds of times more powerful than Vesuvius’ blast and its ash could blanket half the US. Yet, for decades, scientists could not agree on what drove its underground magma system.
6. China’s dark compute power could be 6,000 times higher than current estimates
China has reported a staggering amount of domestic artificial intelligence power, pointing to what some experts say could be a “dark pool” of compute thousands of times larger than its public reports suggest.
7. Scientists in China create a predator-like material to hunt for uranium in ocean

An international research team in China has developed a microscopic “predator-like” material capable of swimming through water and hunting uranium ions, a breakthrough that could open new possibilities for nuclear fuel extraction and cleaning up radioactive pollution.


‘Basically a Chinese racket’: how China streaked ahead at a global AI conference

China sends embryos into orbit to find out if humans can have babies in space

US’ scientific self-harm will only help China

Top Swedish universities eager to forge ties with city, Hong Kong minister says

Science

China builds world’s first ‘coal battery’, war on Alzheimer’s: 7 science highlights

Doctor viewing a brain scan for possible ageing and disease. Photo: Getty Images

A team of Chinese researchers have for the first time built what they call a zero-carbon-emission direct coal fuel cell, or ZC-DCFC. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Chinese researchers tasked with the job of creating four new pharmaceutical drugs to treat the world’s fastest growing form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease. Photo: Getty Images

The Steamboat Geyser erupts in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Chinese scientists say Yellowstone’s magma channels were not blasted open by magma forcing its way upward, as long believed. Photo: Reuters

Researchers have developed a microscopic material capable of swimming through water and hunting uranium ions. Photo: Shutterstock Images

China unveils driverless mining truck that can ‘crab-walk’ across rough terrain

The massive Shuanglin K7 can perform demanding moves such as on-the-spot turns. Photo: Science and Technology Daily

Cheaper durians for China, Hong Kong helpers camp in tents: 5 weekend reads you missed

A shopper browses a mound of durians at a market in Hong Kong. Photo: Eugene Lee

Fresh Musang King durians from Malaysia are displayed for sale in the supermarket in Beijing, China, on April 13, 2025. Photo: Simon Song

The port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on April 17. Photo: EPA/The UAE Presidential Court

Helpers gather at the Lohas Park Station Public Transport Interchange. Some said they were usually forced to leave other public spaces when they gathered in groups on their day off. Photo: Elson Li

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

According to British neuroscientist Matthew Walker, mastering sleep requires managing three main factors: regularity, timing and continuity. Photo: Shutterstock

UAE’s Opec exit, why Japan shared Mogami warship design with India: 7 Asia highlights

RJ Perkins during his viral appearance in the swimsuit round of the Mister Pampanga pageant. Photo: Facebook / Mister Pampanga

An oil technician climbs down a tower at a refinery in Jebel Ali, UAE. Photo: AP


Little India in Kuala Lumpur. Ethnic Indians account for about 7 per cent of Malaysia’s population. Photo: Shutterstock

News

China

From a zero emission ‘coal battery’ to China’s war on Alzheimer’s, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting


From a zero emission ‘coal battery’ to China’s war on Alzheimer’s, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting.


SCMP Highlights

United States

China builds world’s first ‘coal battery’, war on Alzheimer’s: 7 science highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From a zero emission ‘coal battery’ to China’s war on Alzheimer’s, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting

1. China builds world’s first ‘coal battery’ with zero emission

From a zero emission ‘coal battery’ to China’s war on Alzheimer’s, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting