DTN 106: The Quantum Apocalypse Is Nigh

Plus: Renewable crackdown threatens US battery boom, Space Force eyes SpaceX satellites, shipbuilders swarm the hill, physicists debate Earth's rotation as a power source, and more.

March 28, 2025

“Seven years ago, there was still skepticism—people would ask, 'Where is the business co-founder?' That is changing. PhD-led startups are becoming more mainstream, and VCs are starting to take an interest much earlier in their journeys.”

“One day soon, at a research lab near Santa Barbara or Seattle or a secret facility in the Chinese mountains, it will begin: the sudden unlocking of the world’s secrets. Your secrets.

Cybersecurity analysts call this Q-Day—the day someone builds a quantum computer that can crack the most widely used forms of encryption. These math problems have kept humanity’s intimate data safe for decades, but on Q-Day, everything could become vulnerable, for everyone: emails, text messages, anonymous posts, location histories, bitcoin wallets, police reports, hospital records, power stations, the entire global financial system.”

Star Catcher’s power beaming demo. Image: Star Catcher

Star Catcher successfully demonstrated its solar power beaming technology by transmitting energy over 100 meters, marking a significant step toward its goal of building a power grid in low Earth orbit (LEO). This technology could power spacecraft, especially those with limited energy capacity or nearing the end of their lifespan. The company is preparing for further tests, including a transmission over a kilometer, with plans to deploy the tech in orbit next year. (via Payload)

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