Revolutionizing AI: How Fractile's Chips Could Slash Costs by 90%

Summary:

Fractile is developing AI chips that could run models 100 times faster and at one-tenth the cost.
Blue Energy aims to cut nuclear reactor construction time from 10 years to 2 years.
Tufts University created a real-life web fluid that can lift 80 times its weight.
Rocket Lab is proposing a cheaper mission to retrieve Martian samples.
The Nobel Prize was awarded for the discovery of microRNA, crucial in gene regulation.

In this week’s edition of The Prototype, we explore groundbreaking innovations in technology including AI chips, modular nuclear reactors, real-life web fluid, and much more.

AI Chips Set to Transform Costs

Last week, OpenAI announced a staggering $6.6 billion in new investments. However, despite the influx of capital, they anticipate spending up to $9.5 billion annually on computing costs for training new models. The current architecture of computers, which separates memory and processing, leads to excessive energy consumption due to constant data shuffling.

Fractile, a U.K.-based startup, has emerged from stealth mode with $15 million in funding to develop an innovative AI co-processor that integrates memory and processing. CEO Walter Goodwin claims their chips will handle a “very small set of operations” specific to AI algorithms, allowing them to run models up to 100 times faster and at one-tenth the cost of current systems. However, Goodwin notes that the company is still in the prototyping stage, with a clear path ahead for product development.

Walter Goodwin, CEO of Fractile

Affordable Nuclear Reactors on the Horizon

With the increasing energy demands from AI applications, the need for clean power is more pressing than ever. Blue Energy, founded by Jake Jurewicz, aims to make nuclear power more accessible and affordable by developing modular reactors in shipyards. Recently emerging from stealth with $45 million in funding, Blue Energy plans to reduce construction time from 10 years to just 2 years. Their innovative design, which places reactors underwater, enhances safety and cooling efficiency, enabling easier site selection.

Concept art of a Blue Energy nuclear plant.

Discovering Spider-Man’s Web Fluid

In an exciting breakthrough, researchers at Tufts University have created a real-life version of Spider-Man’s web fluid capable of lifting objects over 80 times its weight. This was achieved by extracting fibers from silk moth cocoons and adding chemical additives, resulting in a liquid that solidifies upon exposure to air. The findings were published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

NASA's Mars Sample Mission

NASA has awarded Rocket Lab a contract to propose a mission for retrieving Martian surface samples and returning them to Earth. This mission promises to be cheaper and faster than existing plans, potentially delivering samples years ahead of schedule.

Nobel Prize Highlights

This week’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA, fundamentally changing our understanding of gene regulation.

Science Tip: Teaching Kids Skepticism

Recent research suggests that exposing children to misinformation can actually enhance their ability to identify false information later on. This finding emphasizes the importance of cultivating skepticism in young minds.