{"id":42257,"date":"2026-08-13T03:24:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T22:24:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=42257"},"modified":"2026-08-13T03:24:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T22:24:36","slug":"inside-the-wild-race-to-power-ai-with-rat-brains-and-ocean-waves-as-physicists-close-in-on-nuclear-holy-grail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=42257","title":{"rendered":"Inside the wild race to power AI with rat brains and ocean waves \u2014 as physicists close in on nuclear holy grail"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F08%2Fnewspress-collage-gx2ok7s8g-1786569899341.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall%261786555539\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The grid is hungry.<\/p>\n<p>The technology boom has led to a huge demand for power generation across the US and startups, scientists and atomic entrepreneurs are stepping up with ingenious new techniques and solutions to increase production.<\/p>\n<p>Billions of dollars in contracts from tech giants and the government are at stake, and forward thinking companies are working a two-pronged approach \u2014 some focusing on creating power, others making its use more efficient.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Silicon Valley is betting big on the giant floating AI data centers, which are manufactured in a factory in Oregon. <span class=\"credit\">Youtube\/@panthalassa.energy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>San Francisco-based Biological Computing Company is in the second category, betting the best place to start is with what\u2019s, literally, top of mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The company, founded in 2022, grows brain cells from rat brains or stem cells and stimulates them with electrical impulses to study how they respond. The data they collect is used to build mathematical models, called adapters, which sit on top of and improve existing AI models.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThe brain is the best computer we\u2019ve ever known,\u201d Jonathan Pomeranic, the company\u2019s co-founder and COO told The Post. \u201cWhat we\u2019re doing is taking hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary advantages and applying them in the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Biological Computing Company claims its first adapter, built for a generative video model, demonstrated efficiency gains as high as 500% while also increasing the quality of video output.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Valar Atomics became the first company to ever use a nuclear reactor to power an AI chip in July 2026.  <span class=\"credit\">courtesy of Valar Atomics<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On the heels of a $25 million fundraising round that closed earlier this year, the company is now developing its first text-to-video adapter.<\/p>\n<p>Some 600 miles north of Silicon Valley in Portland, Ore., Panthalassa has developed a new type of data center powered by one of the earth\u2019s most powerful forces: our oceans.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The company, named after an ancient superocean, makes spaceship-sized\u00a0contraptions called nodes, which float at sea level and harness the power of waves.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Biological Computing Company was founded on the idea that the brain is the most powerful \u2018computer\u2019 humanity has ever known \u2014 and if we can better understand the secrets to its efficiency, we can build smarter AI models.   <span class=\"credit\">courtesy of Biological Computing Company<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Often placed many miles from shore, where waves are largest, the undersea portion of the node rocks up and down with each wave, pushing water through a turbine to generated near-continuous power.<\/p>\n<p>There are no wires or cables connecting the nearly 300-foot tall nodes to land, but they have banks of built-in computers which can process computing tasks on the spot and send answers back via satellite.<\/p>\n<p>In essence, it\u2019s a floating data center. And it runs entirely on the clean and endless energy source of waves.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Panthalassa\u2019s floating AI \u201cnode,\u201d which consists of a large white sphere atop a vertical structure extending down below the water\u2019s surface. <span class=\"credit\">Panthalassa<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Across the country, the American nuclear industry is riding a wave of its own \u2014 encouraged by the Trump Administration.<\/p>\n<p>Since taking office, the President has signed four executive orders to cut red tape and build out America\u2019s nuclear infrastructure. Private sector companies have responded with milestone after milestone \u2014 in record time.<\/p>\n<p>Valar Atomics was founded just three years ago and constructed their first reactor in a mere nine months.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Valar Atomics is one of the new age nuclear energy companies developing reactors with the capabilities to power artificial intelligence data centers.  <span class=\"credit\">courtesy of Valar Atomics<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cOur focus is on scaling nuclear as quickly and as safely as possible,\u201d said Isaiah Taylor, Valar\u2019s founder. \u201cWe want to make as much power as we possibly can for the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Valar manufactures microreactors \u2014 essentially, shrunken-down nuclear power plants. The company\u2019s plan is to build their reactors then ship them across the country, providing power to individual data centers, factories and other energy-hungry facilities, rather than entire cities or regions.<\/p>\n<p>Like traditional nuclear plants, microreactors generate electricity through fission, the splitting of atoms.<\/p>\n<p>In June, Valar\u2019s first reactor, Ward 250, successfully completed a zero-power fueled criticality demonstration at Utah San Rafael Energy Lab in Utah.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Deployable Energy\u2019s micro-nuclear reactor reached criticality \u2014 a state of self-sustaining stability \u2014 on July 1, 2026. Only three other nuclear startups have ever achieved the feat. <span class=\"credit\">courtesy of Deployable Energy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Reaching criticality means the Ward 250 demonstrated it can sustain a controlled nuclear chain reaction, needed to be proven before the reactor can generate power.<\/p>\n<p>The reactor \u2014 approximately the size of an RV \u2014 will be able to generate 100 kilowatts of power when operational. The company says its units are designed to be meltdown-proof by virtue of their passive cooling systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The microreactor\u2019s small size also opens the door to\u00a0potential standardized mass-production in factories.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Valar Atomics and the U.S. military worked together to airlift one of the company\u2019s micro-nuclear reactors in February 2026.   <span class=\"credit\">courtesy of Valar Atomics<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cTraditional nuclear companies can\u2019t build fast enough, or at the scale required, to actually fix [these energy demand] problems,\u201d Taylor said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Venture capitalists are bullish on Valar\u2019s solution. In August, the company closed a $1 billion Series B round led by Sequoia Capital.<\/p>\n<p>Now valued at $6 billion, Valar is gearing up to construct its first \u201cGigasite,\u201d where it will assemble multiple microreactors side-by-side to create a multi\u2011gigawatt output and power the large-scale data centers the AI industry needs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Morning Report\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the American spirit that\u2019s enabling these innovations,\u201d said Bobby Gallagher, CEO and co-founder of Deployable Energy. Another microreactor manufacturer, Deployable became the third of five startups in the US which have achieved criticality.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As of August, the other three companies are: Antares Nuclear, Oklo and Aalo Atomics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re finally treating nuclear power as a product, not a project,\u201d Gallagher said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant is now under the ownership of, Constellation Energy. The company is spending $1.6 billion to refurbish and restart the reactor after Microsoft agreed to buy its electricity to power data centers. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And Big Tech is buying in.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta have all signed independent deals supporting hugely ambitious projects that aim to make nuclear power one of \u2014 if not the \u2014 main source of power for their AI needs.<\/p>\n<p>And yet, the nuclear industry\u2019s ultimate prize lies in a different process: fusion.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Micro-nuclear reactors like the ones manufactured by Deployable Energy can be built in factories and transported to sites across the country via car or plane.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Whereas fission splits atoms, fusion combines. Both are carbon-free, but the latter produces upwards of four-times more energy per reaction.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Recreating and sustaining the extreme conditions required for fusion reactions has remained stubbornly out of reach for over half a century despite scientists from around the world working on it, but recent developments indicate there are reasons for renewed hope.<\/p>\n<p>In December 2025, nuclear power company TAE Technologies\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/01\/06\/business\/trump-media-announces-plans-for-fusion-power-plant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">merged with Trump Media<\/a>\u00a0and unveiled plans to build a fusion plant in the US. Once that site comes online, it could be the biggest power generation site in the world. But the science has to be proven first.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNuclear fusion is a huge golden goose opportunity,\u201d said Dan Ives, tech analyst at Yorkville. \u201cChina is already ahead on this front, [so it\u2019s] a big focus for [American] tech players.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The grid is hungry. The technology boom has led to a huge demand for power generation across the US and startups, scientists and atomic entrepreneurs are stepping up with ingenious new techniques and solutions to increase production. Billions of dollars in contracts from tech giants and the government are at stake, and forward thinking companies&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42258,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/newspress-collage-gx2ok7s8g-1786569899341.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1786555539&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42257","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42257"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42257\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}