格隆汇3月18日｜有投资者在互动平台向芯海科技提问：两会对车载MCU等芯片开设了专场探讨，指出车载mcu芯片对外依存度超90%，属卡脖子问题，并从金融支持，认证体系及生态构建上给出政策建议，请问公司有哪几款车规级Mcu芯片？ 是否已经量产？上面几个政策建议如果落实对公司有什么机遇？ 芯海科技回复称，公司已经完成多款符合AEC-Q100认证标准的MCU和模拟类的车规芯片开发验证工作，覆盖智能座舱、车载PD 快充、BMS 电池管理、车身控制等关键场景，获得多家整车厂商和一级供应商的认可，并实现了量产交付。讨论提出的政策建议若落地实施，将有助于缩短车规芯片认证周期、拓宽企业融资渠道、构建更完善的产业生态，对包括公司在内的国产车规芯片企业加快技术创新与市场拓展构成长期利好。公司将紧抓政策机遇，持续深耕车规赛道。

The estimated size of the quantum computing industry was just $1.5 billion in 2025, but according to a forecast from Fortune Business Insights, it could grow by more than 10 times to $18.3 billion by 2034. While that still would be a relatively small market, that projection could prove conservative as the technology matures enough to be applied to a wider range of use cases. One of the early leaders in that market is IonQ (IONQ +0.06%). Though it has been through many ups and downs along the way, the stock price has still climbed by 198% over the last five years. Let's take a look at whether there's more potential upside ahead. The opportunity in quantum computing IonQ operates a "full-stack approach" in quantum computing, providing clients with cloud access, software, and hardware. One of its customers is Hyundai. The Korean automaker is using IonQ's technology in an attempt to accelerate the training of its autonomous vehicle image classification system. Hyundai says that by bringing quantum machine learning to bear on vast volumes of training data, it "could improve vehicles' understanding of the nature and location of objects, people, and environments around them." Expand NYSE : IONQ IonQ Today's Change ( 0.06 %) $ 0.02 Current Price $ 33.31 Key Data Points Market Cap $12B Day's Range $ 33.06 - $ 34.15 52wk Range $ 18.81 - $ 84.64 Volume 19M Avg Vol 21M Gross Margin -2267.11 % IonQ's revenue is growing at a solid clip. It climbed 202% in 2025 to $130 million, and management is guiding for another year of impressive growth in 2026, forecasting revenue of $225 million to $245 million. The company remains deeply unprofitable, with a net loss in 2025 of $510 million, but as of the end of December 2025, it had a backstop of $3.3 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and investments on its books -- enough to keep operations running for years. Risk factors Most of IonQ's stock price gains have been driven by investor enthusiasm for what it could achieve in the eventual fu...

Key Points Revenue climbed 202% in 2025 to $130 million. Management is guiding for sales of between $225 million and $245 million in 2026. Investors are paying a high premium for IonQ's shares based on future growth expectations. 10 stocks we like better than IonQ › The estimated size of the quantum computing industry was just $1.5 billion in 2025, but according to a forecast from Fortune Business Insights, it could grow by more than 10 times to $18.3 billion by 2034. While that still would be a relatively small market, that projection could prove conservative as the technology matures enough to be applied to a wider range of use cases. One of the early leaders in that market is IonQ (NYSE: IONQ). Though it has been through many ups and downs along the way, the stock price has still climbed by 198% over the last five years. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Let's take a look at whether there's more potential upside ahead. The opportunity in quantum computing IonQ operates a "full-stack approach" in quantum computing, providing clients with cloud access, software, and hardware. One of its customers is Hyundai. The Korean automaker is using IonQ's technology in an attempt to accelerate the training of its autonomous vehicle image classification system. Hyundai says that by bringing quantum machine learning to bear on vast volumes of training data, it "could improve vehicles' understanding of the nature and location of objects, people, and environments around them." IonQ's revenue is growing at a solid clip. It climbed 202% in 2025 to $130 million, and management is guiding for another year of impressive growth in 2026, forecasting revenue of $225 million to $245 million. The company remains deeply unprofitable, with a net loss in 2025 of $510 million, but as of the end of December 2025...

David Rees, head of global economics at Schroders, discusses the impact of energy prices uncertainty on the Federal Reserve as the war in Iran continues. "If it is a relatively brief energy shock, I think you would look through that," he tells Bloomberg Television. He also discusses what to expect from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell as the central bank prepares to deliver its interest rate decision on Wednesday. "I don't see him cutting rates. I think he's kind of backed away from that now," Rees adds. (Source: Bloomberg)

Samsung and AMD Expand Strategic Collaboration on Next-Generation AI Memory Solutions AMD

格隆汇3月18日｜有投资者在互动平台向安集科技提问：贵公司抛光液的原料钨，铜，稀土等都涨幅明显，贵公司有调价的计划吗？另外贵公司对三星海力士的销售量有多少？ 安集科技回复称，公司化学机械抛光液产品涵盖铜及铜阻挡层抛光液、介电材料抛光液、钨抛光液、基于氧化铈磨料的抛光液、衬底抛光液等多个产品平台。抛光液产品由纳米级研磨颗粒和高纯化学品组成。公司通过持续推进核心原材料的自主研发和生产布局，以保障供应链安全和成本长期可控。定价方面，公司会根据产品成本、研发成本、客户需求、市场情况等因素确定价格。公司主营业务为关键半导体材料的研发和产业化，产品广泛应用于集成电路制造和先进封装领域，在国内市场处于主流供应商地位，并正在强化海外市场布局，以满足国内外晶圆制造和先进封装客户的技术和产业化需求。更多详情敬请关注公司披露的定期报告。

Samsung Elec and AMD sign MoU on AI memory, explore foundry partnership Reuters

SEOUL, March 18 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) signed a memorandum of understanding to expand their strategic partnership ‌on memory chip supplies for artificial intelligence infrastructure, the companies said ‌on Wednesday. The agreement will focus on supplying Samsung's next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) for AMD's upcoming ​Instinct MI455X AI accelerators, as well as optimised DDR5 memory for AMD's sixth-generation EPYC processors, they said in a statement. The companies will also discuss opportunities for a foundry partnership, under which Samsung could provide contract chip manufacturing ‌services for next-generation AMD ⁠products. Under the agreement, Samsung will position itself as a key HBM4 supplier for AMD's next-generation AI GPUs. The South ⁠Korean firm has already been a primary HBM supplier for AMD, supplying HBM3E chips used in AMD's MI350X and MI355X accelerators. The agreement comes during ​the week ​of Nvidia's annual developer conference GTC, ​where CEO Jensen Huang on ‌Monday announced a foundry partnership with the Korean firm and praised its HBM4 chips. The tie-up highlights a broader race among global chipmakers to lock in long-term supply partnerships for advanced memory, as AI-driven demand reshapes the semiconductor industry and tightens supply of HBM chips. Last month, AMD said it ‌had agreed to sell up to $60 ​billion worth of AI chips to Meta ​Platforms over five years, a ​deal that allows the Facebook owner to purchase as ‌much as 10% of the chips. ​AMD signed a ​similar deal with OpenAI last year. Samsung, the world's largest memory chipmaker, has been seeking to narrow the gap with rivals in the ​fast-growing HBM segment. It ‌holds about a 22% share of the global HBM market, ​compared with market leader SK Hynix's 57%, according to Counterpoint. (Reporting ​by Heekyong YangEditing by Ed Davies)

SEOUL, March 18 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) signed a memorandum of understanding to expand their strategic partnership ‌on memory chip supplies for artificial intelligence infrastructure, the companies said ‌on Wednesday. The agreement will focus on supplying Samsung's next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) for AMD's upcoming ​Instinct MI455X AI accelerators, as well as optimised DDR5 memory for AMD's sixth-generation EPYC processors, they said in a statement. The companies will also discuss opportunities for a foundry partnership, under which Samsung could provide contract chip manufacturing ‌services for next-generation AMD ⁠products. Under the agreement, Samsung will position itself as a key HBM4 supplier for AMD's next-generation AI GPUs. The South ⁠Korean firm has already been a primary HBM supplier for AMD, supplying HBM3E chips used in AMD's MI350X and MI355X accelerators. The agreement comes during ​the week ​of Nvidia's annual developer conference GTC, ​where CEO Jensen Huang on ‌Monday announced a foundry partnership with the Korean firm and praised its HBM4 chips. The tie-up highlights a broader race among global chipmakers to lock in long-term supply partnerships for advanced memory, as AI-driven demand reshapes the semiconductor industry and tightens supply of HBM chips. Last month, AMD said it ‌had agreed to sell up to $60 ​billion worth of AI chips to Meta ​Platforms over five years, a ​deal that allows the Facebook owner to purchase as ‌much as 10% of the chips. ​AMD signed a ​similar deal with OpenAI last year. Samsung, the world's largest memory chipmaker, has been seeking to narrow the gap with rivals in the ​fast-growing HBM segment. It ‌holds about a 22% share of the global HBM market, ​compared with market leader SK Hynix's 57%, according to Counterpoint. (Reporting ​by Heekyong YangEditing by Ed Davies)

Panther Minerals ( GLIOF ) has appointed Rick Mah as CFO and Corporate Secretary, effective immediately. He succeeds David Beck, who has resigned from his roles as CFO and Corporate Secretary, but will continue to support the company as a member of the board of directors. Mah brings over 25 years of corporate finance experience across the technology, hospitality, and finance sectors within both public and private companies. Meanwhile, Mr. David Beck has resigned from his roles as CFO and Corporate Secretary but will continue to serve as a director of the company. More on Panther Minerals Inc. Financial information for Panther Minerals Inc.

格隆汇3月18日｜据一财，今日下午，苹果公司CEO蒂姆·库克现身成都太古里苹果零售店，有消息称他此次主要为参加Apple 50周年特别活动。不久前，库克接受媒体采访时，驳斥了外界关于其即将退休的猜测，表示相关说法纯属传闻。

Auto Owners Insurance Co lessened its stake in Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - Free Report) by 19.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 466,996 shares of the information services provider's stock after selling 113,804 shares during the period. Alphabet makes up approximately 2.9% of Auto Owners Insurance Co's holdings, making the stock its 8th largest position. Auto Owners Insurance Co's holdings in Alphabet were worth $113,737,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Tradewinds LLC. boosted its position in shares of Alphabet by 2,134.8% in the third quarter. Tradewinds LLC. now owns 45,098 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $10,984,000 after purchasing an additional 43,080 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp grew its position in shares of Alphabet by 31.3% during the third quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 354,529 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $86,345,000 after purchasing an additional 84,553 shares in the last quarter. Baltimore Washington Financial Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Alphabet by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Baltimore Washington Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 221,391 shares of the information services provider's stock valued at $53,920,000 after buying an additional 2,009 shares in the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC increased its position in Alphabet by 2.2% in the third quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 157,143 shares of the information services provider's stock worth $38,272,000 after purchasing an additional 3,444 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American National Bank of Texas bought a new stake in shares of Alphabet in the 3rd quarter worth about $900,000. 27.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Alp...

格隆汇3月18日｜国内钛白粉行业领军企业龙佰集团股份有限公司3月16日发布调价函，宣布自即日起对所有“雪莲”牌钛白粉产品上调价格。其中，国内市场上调500元/吨，国际市场上调100美元/吨。值得注意的是，此次调价与上一轮涨价仅相隔14天，调价频率之快较为罕见。

Auto Owners Insurance Co lessened its position in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 19.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 137,300 shares of the social networking company's stock after selling 33,000 shares during the period. Meta Platforms makes up 2.6% of Auto Owners Insurance Co's investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Auto Owners Insurance Co's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $100,830,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 192,591,101 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $142,149,566,000 after purchasing an additional 1,532,568 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 86,925,674 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $64,158,971,000 after purchasing an additional 1,650,435 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Meta Platforms by 1.3% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 51,575,209 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $37,902,948,000 after acquiring an additional 682,768 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in Meta Platforms by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 39,247,690 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $28,823,375,000 after purchasing an additional 278,180 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth approximately $23,155,393,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.91% of the company's stock. Get Meta Platforms alerts: Sign Up A...

格隆汇3月18日｜有投资者在互动平台向东芯股份提问：砺算3.17专业卡上市、3.18签大单，公司是否提前锁定订单收益、明确业绩贡献节奏？何时将砺算纳入合并报表，让投资者共享GPU放量红利？ 东芯股份回复称，公司对砺算科技的投资情况请参照公司已披露的公告信息，公司目前对砺算科技的投资以权益法核算，未纳入合并报表范围。关于您提及的具体业务进展及业绩贡献情况，公司将根据相关信息披露规定，在达到披露标准时及时公告。敬请注意投资风险，

文章提及标的 理想汽车 -- 哔哩哔哩 -- 腾讯音乐 -- 百度 -- 阿里巴巴 -- 京东 -- 美股中概股盘前涨跌互现，万国数据（GDS）涨6%，百度（BIDU）、阿里巴巴（BABA）涨2%，京东（JD）涨0.9%，腾讯音乐（TME）涨0.4%，哔哩哔哩（BILI）持平，理想汽车（LI）跌4%。

Taiwan’s Emerging Power Electronics Strategy in the AI Era EE Times

当“Claw”成为2026年开年科技圈最炙手可热的词汇，当各大厂商纷纷布局智能体赛道，厦门的这家公司选择在这个时间点，亮出了自己的“利爪”。 3月18日，厦门星宇智算智能科技有限公司（ https://www.starverse-ai.com/ ）正式发布旗下首款面向C端与职场人群的多智能体桌面管家—— XyClaw（ https://xyclaw.starverse-ai.com/ ）。 这不是又一个只会聊天的AI助手。在星宇智算的定位里，XyClaw的目标是成为真正“替你办事”的下一代AI智能体。 “我们不把它定义为助手，而是‘AI搭档’。”星宇智算团队在介绍XyClaw时反复强调这一概念——一个有手有脚、能想能做的数字化员工。 零门槛开箱即用：登录即享澎湃算力 过去两年，大语言模型的狂飙突进让AI从实验室走向了每一个职场人的电脑桌面。写代码、写诗、数据分析、市场调研……AI似乎无所不能。 然而，当新鲜感褪去，一个尴尬的现实浮出水面： 现在的AI，依然停留在“纸上谈兵”的阶段。 用户需要不断地在AI对话框和工作软件之间复制粘贴；需要自己去执行AI给出的建议；当面对包含多个步骤的复杂任务时，AI往往在中途就会“迷失方向”。 “如果AI真的那么聪明，为什么它不能直接帮我把事办了？”这是XyClaw诞生的原点。 基于这一洞察，星宇智算团队将XyClaw定位为一款 依托前沿人工智能技术、具备强大自动化执行能力的智能体桌面管家， 试图打破传统AI只能“聊”不能“做”的边界。 对于大多数想要尝试AI自动化工具的用户来说，第一道门槛往往是繁琐的配置：注册开发者账号、申请API Key、配置网络环境……这些步骤足以劝退80%的人。 XyClaw的选择是“做减法”。 当用户下载安装并打开XyClaw后，无需任何复杂的极客配置，只需完成基础的账号登录，系统就会在后台自动配置好高性能的云端大模型底座。同时，XyClaw为每位注册用户准备了每日免费算力福利——账号每天自动获得一定额度的免费积分，足以满足日常轻量化办公、资料检索和代码辅助需求。 “没有订阅焦虑，没有配置烦恼，让你将100%的精力集中在任务本身。”这是XyClaw对用户体验的承诺。 独创多智能体矩阵 在传统的AI工具中，用户往往把所有的需求塞进一个对话框——上一秒让它写严肃的商业企划书，下一秒又让它扮演幽默的社交媒体运营。...

欧洲主要股指开盘多数上涨，欧洲斯托克50指数涨0.67%，英国富时100指数涨0.12%，法国CAC40指数持平，德国DAX指数涨0.53%。

張國鈞聯合國發言 稱國安法保障繁榮穩定 促成員國勿干涉支聯會案 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】律政司副司長張國鈞在聯合國人權理事會會議發言，提到國安法實施，保障了香港的長期繁榮穩定，又反對所有對香港局勢有偏見的指控。 張國鈞說制定國安法是每個主權國家應有的權利，如要求其他國家廢除國安法是虛偽的行為，又提到黎智英危害國家安全案件得到公正的審判，在羈押期間亦獲得適當對待，如任何人認為違法的人可免受法律制裁，都是完全違背法治精神。對於荷蘭代表關注涉及鄒幸彤的支聯會案，他敦促成員國要尊重法治，不要干涉本港正進行的法律程序，強調會一如既往致力保障人權。

文章提及标的 亚马逊 -- 苹果 -- 英伟达 -- Meta -- 谷歌A -- 特斯拉 -- 美股大型科技股盘前普涨，英伟达（NVDA）涨0.8%，特斯拉（TSLA）涨0.5%，Meta（META）、谷歌A（GOOGL）涨0.4%，微软（MSFT）、苹果（AAPL）涨0.3%，亚马逊（AMZN）涨0.2%。

近日，我国《工业和信息化领域科技成果评价活动有效性判定方法》(T/CCSA794-2026)团体标准正式发布。该标准由中国信息通信研究院、中国计量科学研究院、河南中原科创高新技术研究院有限公司、珠海（883419）科尔科技服务有限公司、江苏前沿成果科技评估有限公司、恒生电子（600570）股份有限公司、蚂蚁科技集团股份有限公司、重庆首讯科技股份有限公司、中国铁塔（HK0788）股份有限公司等单位参与起草。标准提出了工业和信息化领域科技成果评价活动有效性的判定原则、体系和具体规则，确定了完善度、专业性、公信力三个核心判定指标，为判定科技成果评价工作的有效性提供明确方法、规范流程以及规则指引，确保评价结果的客观性、公正性与可比性。该标准的实施有助于提升工业和信息化领域科技成果评价活动质量管理水平，通过构建科技成果评价活动的质量标尺与操作规范，精准识别科技成果的技术成熟度与产业化价值，加速破除科技成果向现实生产力转化的壁垒，提升科技成果转化成效。(工信部)

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) CEO Lisa Su paid her first visit to Korea since her appointment in 2014, signaling the company’s intent to ramp up efforts to strengthen partnerships with Korean tech firms amid fierce competition with Nvidia in the global artificial intelligence (AI) chip market. Samsung Electronics said Wednesday that Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong invited Su to the company's guest house in Seoul for a banquet. Before their meeting, Su visited Samsung's semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and signed a memorandum of understanding to expand strategic collaboration on next-generation AI memory and computing technologies. Under the agreement, AMD chose Samsung as the primary supplier of HBM4 high-bandwidth memory chips for its next-generation Instinct MI455X graphics processing units (GPUs), as well as advanced dynamic random access memory solutions for sixth-generation EPYC central processing units (CPUs), codenamed “Venice.” The two companies also agreed to discuss opportunities for a foundry partnership through which Samsung would provide foundry services for next-generation AMD products. Over the past two decades, Samsung and AMD have continued to cooperate in graphic, mobile and computing technologies. In particular, Samsung served as the key supplier of HBM3E for AMD’s MI350X and MI355 GPUs. “From industry-leading HBM4 and next-generation memory architectures to cutting-edge foundry and advanced packaging, Samsung is uniquely positioned to deliver unrivaled turnkey capabilities that support AMD’s evolving AI road map,” said Jun Young-hyun, head of Samsung Electronics’ Device Solutions Division, which oversees the company's semiconductor business. Su also expressed excitement about the cooperation. “We are thrilled to expand our work with Samsung, bringing together their leadership in advanced memory with our Instinct GPUs, EPYC CPUs and rack-scale platforms,” she said. “Integration across the full computing stack, from silicon to s...

格隆汇3月18日｜三星拟回购7.17万亿韩元股份。

格隆汇3月18日｜法国驻黎巴嫩特使：以色列未能解除真主党的武装，因此不能指望黎巴嫩政府在轰炸中仅用三天时间就做到这一点。

SEOUL, March 18 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Wednesday it has signed an agreement with Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) to supply its latest high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips for the U.S. firm's next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators. Under a memorandum of understanding (MOU), Samsung Electronics has been designated as a preferred supplier of HBM4 for AMD's Instinct MI455X, its latest graphics processing unit (GPU) for AI data centers, according to the company. The deal marks Samsung Electronics' first official HBM4 agreement since it began shipping the chips in February. Lisa Su, chief executive officer (CEO) of AMD, was visiting South Korea as part of the partnership deal arrangement. Samsung Electronics' sixth-generation HBM4 uses a 4-nanometer logic process on the base die to improve data control efficiency, enabling data transfer speeds of up to 13 gigabits per second (Gbps) and bandwidth of up to 3.3 terabits per second (Tbps). The two companies will also collaborate on high-performance double data rate 5 (DDR5) memory solutions to support AMD's Helios, a next-generation rack-scale AI platform, as well as AI data center GPUs. Samsung Electronics said they plan to expand cooperation beyond next-generation memory, including HBM4, to advanced foundry and packaging services to drive further innovation in the AI computing ecosystem. Samsung Electronics and AMD have partnered since 2007, with Samsung having supplied graphics double data rate (GDDR) dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) for AMD's graphics cards. "Samsung and AMD share a common goal of advancing AI computing, and this agreement will expand the scope of our collaboration," Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun said during a MOU signing ceremony held in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul. "From industry-leading HBM4 and next-generation memory architectures to cutting-edge foundry and packaging technologies, Samsung offers comprehensive capabilities to support AMD's AI road map." This file p...

On a cloudless sunny day in October 1950, ornithologists Elizabeth and David Lack stood on a mountain pass in the Pyrenees and observed a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle – clouds of migrating insects. The Puerto de Bujaruelo pass in 2021 Up to 500 butterflies were fluttering past them every hour through the 2,200m-high Puerto de Bujaruelo mountain pass on the French-Spanish border. By mid-afternoon dragonflies were skimming through, outnumbering the butterflies by 10 to one. The spaces between were filled with thousands of tiny flies. That day became the first record of fly migration in Europe – the skies were packed with tiny travellers on remarkable long-distance journeys unknown to science. It would be decades before the concept of insect migrations was widely followed up. Today, we know that insects – many of which have wings smaller than a human fingernail – are among the planet’s most prolific migrants, with trillions travelling large distances every year, including over deserts, mountain ranges and even crossing oceans. Can butterflies cross the Atlantic? In 2013, Spanish entomologist Gerard Talavera was on a beach in French Guiana looking for butterflies. On the last day of his search, he spotted something remarkable. That single observation – of tired looking painted lady butterflies not thought to live in South America – launched a decade-long investigation to answer the question: can butterflies really cross the Atlantic Ocean? It was something that had never been proved and defied existing understandings about insects’ capabilities. Talavera assembled a team of biologists, geneticists and atmospheric scientists to reconstruct this seemingly impossible journey. BUTTERFLY SLIDES GO IN HERE (see Google Doc) / please don’t move or delete this The findings, published in Nature Communications in 2024, represent the first direct proof that any insect had crossed the Atlantic. Although the discovery was exceptional, “it’s likely it happens quite often”, says Talave...

A bagel embodied as a human, with unexpected little arms and a sweet face. A sandwich giving the peace sign. A leather jacket-wearing fish brandishing a spatula. A chess board on the march. A rugby ball making a dash for it. A smiling pizza, tongue dangling, clambering from a box. Perhaps you have seen such a character. Chiefly in the branding – and merch – of an independent pizza place or sandwich shop, in a natural wine bar or brew pub. Though its loose limbs now stretch far and wide; to podcasts, internet talk shows and even global fashion labels. It’s often accompanied by text in a graffiti-like bubble font, or one Karl Toomey, a Dublin-based designer, strategist and lecturer, identifies as the 1970s-tinged Hobo font, in washed-out orange, red, purple, green or blue. It might scream of businesses developed in the late 2010s or early 2020s, but it’s a graphic design/illustration style that largely dates from a 1920s and 30s animation technique known as rubber hose, so named from US cartoon characters with “exaggerated facial expressions” and “flailing rubber hose limbs without joints”. Add some 1950s Americana, a touch of the vintage ironic T-shirts found at Urban Outfitters in the early 00s (think, “South Korea’s got Seoul” or the name of a fictional children’s hospital alongside the slogan “We be illin’”) and 21st-century cartoon trends, a dash of graffiti and a nod to Charles Barsotti’s 1994 New Yorker drawing of a friendly looking cartoon piece of rigatoni pasta on the phone declaring, “Fusilli you crazy bastard! How are you?” Brewed together, you have what amounts to a prevailing visual style now helping to sell coffee in Cardiff and burgers in Manchester. While not exactly ground zero for the aesthetic, Yard Sale Pizza, launched in ever-trendy Hackney in 2014 and now moving stealthily through zones 2 and 3 of London, is certainly emblematic of it. It was a time when numerous upstarts in the food and drink world were using cartoon branding, be it the colourf...

Madeleine Thien and Robbie Arnott are among the writers shortlisted for this year’s £10,000 Climate fiction prize. Now in its second year, the prize celebrates novels that engage with the climate crisis through imaginative storytelling. This year’s shortlist spans a wide range of styles, from speculative fiction to reimagined myth. Thien’s The Book of Records follows a girl who escapes with her father from flooding in a near-future China, and arrives at a large migrant compound called the Sea. The book traces the human costs of the climate crisis and social injustice, weaving personal and historical journeys across generations in what Guardian reviewer Xan Brooks called a “rich and beautiful novel”. Robbie Arnott was shortlisted for Dusk, about twins who join the hunt for a puma in the Tasmanian wilderness, described in a Guardian review by James Bradley as a “starkly beautiful and deeply felt” novel. Also in contention for the award is The Tiger’s Share, the second novel by Indian author Keshava Guha, a state-of-the-nation tale of sibling rivalry set in heavily polluted Delhi. Susanna Kwan was shortlisted for Awake in the Floating City. This debut is about an artist and the 130-year-old woman she cares for, two of the last remaining people in a flooded San Francisco of the future. Other novels on the list address the intersection of climate change with competing global crises. Endling, by Maria Reva, considers environmental collapse alongside Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The novel was praised in the Guardian as “dexterous and formally inventive”, and was also longlisted for the Booker prize. Elsewhere, Helen Phillips’s sixth book, Hum, is set in a near future where robots called “hums” have taken over many jobs, the air is poisonous and the tap water is contaminated. It was described by Daisy Hildyard in the Guardian as “mesmerising and scary”. The judging panel for this year’s prize features Arifa Akbar, chief theatre critic at the Guardian, novelists Kit de Waal...

“What’s the earliest an uninjured goalkeeper has been substituted?” asks Sam Roberts. Unless you’ve been at a digital retreat in the Kerguelen Islands for the past eight days, you’ll know the context of this question. With Spurs 3-0 down at Atlético Madrid last week, their goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who was at fault for two of the goals, was substituted after only 17 minutes. It’s rare for a goalkeeper who isn’t injured – wounded pride doesn’t count – to be taken off in the first half of a game, never mind the first quarter. We had a similar question way back in 2006, when the answers included Jens Lehmann during Milan’s Scudetto-winning 1998-99 campaign. There have been more examples in the last 20 years so it’s well worth giving this question a fresh coat of paint. Especially as, last time round, we missed a peculiar story from the Southern League in February 1984. With Cambridge City 4-0 down at home to Ashford after 25 minutes, and their teenage goalkeeper Nigel Ashman presumably having a suboptimal day at the office, Cambridge manager Bill Leivers decided to put the midfielder Trevor Williams in goal. “I had to do something,” said Leivers. “I was worried they might get 20. I took the goalkeeper off for his own good as much as anything. He was definitely responsible for two of the goals but I would question the attitude of some of the players in front of him.” Leivers’ decision was so nearly a heartless work of staggering genius: Cambridge fought back and eventually lost the game 4-3. Ashman left the club a few days later – “I shall probably be down on the golf course on Saturday” – but later managed the club’s reserve side between 2015 and 2017. Swindon’s Wes Foderingham suffered a similar fate when his side were beaten 4-1 by Preston in September 2012. Unlike Kinsky, he wasn’t hooked straight after a goal. Swindon went 2-0 down inside 10 minutes, with Foderingham at fault for the opening goal. Then, in the 21st minute, their manager Paolo Di Canio replaced him...