Chinese civilisation’s true age; engineer leaves US to find freedom: 7 science highlights

We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.1. How old is Chinese civilisation? A scholar says it really dates back 8,000 yearsA noted archaeologist is challenging conventional wisdom on one of the world’s oldest cultures, arguing that Chinese civilisation has a recorded history stretching back 8,000 years – three millennia beyond the widely accepted benchmark.2. China builds world’s first 20GW microwave weapon that can fire a 60-second burstThe 20-gigawatt Tesla-type pulsed power driver can operate continuously and stably for a minute. Photo: Northwest Institute of Nuclear TechnologyAt the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology in Xian, Shaanxi province, sits an unremarkable-looking device called the TPG1000Cs. It could become Starlink’s worst nightmare.3. Chinese semiconductor engineer Xu Zhenpeng says he left US to find freedomLeading chipmaking engineer Xu Zhenpeng said the United States no longer offered the freedom that researchers once expected – a key reason for his decision to continue his work in China.