DTN 141: Genesis Mission

Plus: Anduril's weapons systems stumble in field tests, F-22 pilot controls drone wingman in flight, Starship explosion during testing, osmotic powerplants, artificial noses, antihydrogen breakthrough, next-gen radar, and more.

Author

HAUS: The Deep Tech Agency
November 28, 2025

 

“Europe is now pursuing a technology-focused defence strategy where we not only develop the capabilities we need for deterrence but maximise the impact into commercial markets.”

“On Monday President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at accelerating science using artificial intelligence, an effort dubbed the “Genesis Mission.”

The order frames the race for global technological dominance in AI as “comparable in urgency and ambition to the Manhattan Project,” referring to the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. The order comes at a moment when federal agencies have seen massive cuts to research grants and funding—and Trump’s order does not set out a defined budget for Genesis.

National security, scientific discovery and energy innovation are all highlighted as top priorities in the order, which states that federal scientific datasets such as those managed by NASA, the National Institutes of Health and other government science agencies will be critical to this work.”

“The Fukuoka osmotic power plant uses the waste brine from the nearby desalination plant which, being highly concentrated, makes the osmosis work faster. And instead of using valuable fresh water from desalination, the plant is supplied with treated water from a sewage works. ” Image via Camille Moirenc / The Economist

“The latest idea is based on osmosis, a natural process in which water will move from a place with lower concentration of, for example, salts, through a semipermeable membrane and into a more concentrated solution. This continues until both sides reach equilibrium.

Power can be made from this process because the volume of salty water increases as it is diluted with fresh water that passes through the membrane. Some of the resulting outflow of water from the saltier side is then tapped to drive a turbine to produce the electricity.

Osmotic power might one day provide useful base-load energy to coastal communities with an abundance of salty water, in areas like Australia and the Middle East. It could also help recover energy from desalination plants. Recent projects under way in Japan and France show how the technology is developing. (via The Economist)