Weekly Dose of Optimism #181

Curation covering power electronics, nuclear, vaccines, AI research labs, and government disclosure.

Curated Topics

1. Heron Power $140M — Solid-state transformers using wide-bandgap semiconductors; replacing outdated grid infrastructure; 40GW factory planned; led by former Tesla SVP
2. Valar Atomics Reactor Flight — DoW transports nuclear reactor California-to-Utah on C-17; push for reactors by July 4, 2026
3. Universal Nasal Vaccine — Stanford vaccine puts immune cells on permanent alert; 100-1000x viral reduction in animal tests across flu, Covid, cold, bacteria, allergens
4. Ineffable Intelligence $1B — David Silver (AlphaGo researcher) raises $1B at $4B for experience-based AI; “Era of Experience” thesis from learning through interaction vs. imitating text
5. ET/UAP Files — US government signals potential disclosure of extraterrestrial files

RDCO-Relevant Items

• Ineffable Intelligence: experience-based AI learning thesis challenges LLM-centric approach; relevant to agent design thinking
• Heron Power: grid modernization infrastructure supporting AI compute buildout