ByteDance fires LLM team head over conflict of interest · TechNode
ByteDance has dismissed Qiao Mu, former head of its Doubao large language model (LLM) team, following an internal ethics probe. In a notice circulated internally on Monday, the TikTok owner…
Hemp Industry Revival: Practical Uses & Processing Advances
Executive Summary (TL;DR) Hemp is rebounding on the strength of fiber, hurd, and grain markets, plus building materials like hemp-lime (hempcrete) now recognized in model residential codes. Processing advances—modern decortication,…
My Take | In history’s latest surprising twist, just who really are the late Soviets now?
Long after the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989, Westerners and, secretly, even some within China, were thinking that if the communist country was going to follow the decline and fall…
Cannabis Delivery Models: Ice Cream Truck vs. Pizza Delivery
Executive Summary (TL;DR) “Ice cream truck” and “pizza delivery” are shorthand for two very different cannabis last-mile models. One is roving retail with inventory on wheels; the other is hub-and-spoke…
CATL backs humanoid robotics startup Galbot in $153 million funding · TechNode
China’s CATL, the world’s biggest battery maker, has extended its drive into humanoid robotics, leading a RMB 1.1 billion ($153 million) funding round for Beijing-based startup Galbot, making it a…
Introduction to Cannabis Cultivation: Methods and Best Practices
Executive Summary (TL;DR) Success starts with siting: confirm zoning, buffers, and local approvals before modeling yields or ordering equipment. Pick the lowest-complexity cultivation method (outdoor, mixed-light/greenhouse, indoor) that meets your…
China’s nanotechnology patents top the world: white paper
A staff member works at a nanotechnology company at the Suzhou Industrial Park in Suzhou, East China“s Jiangsu province, Nov 12, 2024. BEIJING – China accounts for 43 percent of…
The Cannabis Retailers Survival Guide: Managing Overhead, Margins, Employees, and Vendors
Executive Summary (TL;DR) Cannabis retail is a low-margin, high-compliance business across the U.S. Winners design for regulatory fit first—zoning, buffers, local authorization/zoning compatibility letters, conditional approvals, and accessibility—then optimize labor,…
EU Strips Putin of Trade Funding, Annihilates Deficit with Russia
From an all-time high trade deficit with Russia to zero in just three years. Said and delivered After Russia invasion, imports from Ukraine fell off a cliff, while Russian exports…
Introduction to Hydrocarbon Extraction
Executive Summary (TL;DR) Hydrocarbon extraction (butane/propane blends) is the dominant method for premium concentrates because it preserves terpenes and yields diverse textures (shatter, badder, live resin). Success hinges on real…