Weekly Dose of Optimism #196
Brief
Packy McCormick's Weekly Dose of Optimism #196 highlights breakthrough milestones across energy, biotech, AI governance, and neuropsychiatry. Antares’ Mark‑0 reactor went critical at Idaho National Lab, marking the first novel fueled reactor test in 50+ years and aligning with the May 2025 EO 14301 timeline ahead of July 4, 2026. NewLimit closed a $435M Series C at a $3.1B valuation and will begin first‑in‑human trials in Australia in 2027 of an RNA transcription‑factor therapy delivered by lipid nanoparticles; their Ambrosia model (trained on ~10,000 experiments) suggested factor combos that restored old mice’s liver resilience in alcohol‑binge tests. AI CEOs (Altman, Amodei, Hassabis) urged Congressional action to reinstate gene‑synthesis screening requirements. Helion raised $465M after Polaris achieved D‑T fusion at ~150 million °C and is building Orion, a 50 MW plant contracted to sell electricity to Microsoft in 2028. The issue also notes a single case report of transient functional recovery in an 80‑year‑old Alzheimer’s patient after a 5 g psilocybin dose.
Why it matters
Antares’ Mark-0 low‑power reactor reached criticality at Idaho National Laboratory, becoming the first novel fueled reactor test in over 50 years and meeting the intent of President Trump’s May 2025 EO 14301 ahead of America’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026 (CEO Jordan Bramble: “We’ve made neutrons. Next up: electrons.”).
Key details
- NewLimit raised $435 million in a Series C led by Founders Fund (valuation $3.1 billion) and plans first‑in‑human trials in Australia in 2027 for an age‑reprogramming therapy: RNA encoding specific transcription factors delivered by lipid nanoparticles; their Ambrosia AI model was trained on ~10,000 real lab experiments to propose factor combos.
- Top AI leaders including Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Demis Hassabis co‑signed a letter urging Congress to require synthetic DNA/RNA vendors to screen customers and block dangerous sequences after the Trump administration revoked a prior Biden‑era screening framework.
- Helion Energy raised $465 million (Series G) to scale from Polaris to Orion; Polaris demonstrated measurable D‑T fusion and plasma temperatures of ~150 million °C, and Orion is a planned 50 MW commercial plant in Malaga, Washington with a power‑purchase contract with Microsoft starting in 2028.