Author: sHq_LoGiNz
PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Hundreds of people filled Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium on Monday evening for the West Coast premiere of “Bright Harvest: Powering Earth From Space,” a new documentary chronicling a scientific dream that has leapt closer to reality: beaming solar energy from orbit to power Earth.
The film — produced by philanthropist and Caltech trustee Brigitte Bren and written, directed, and produced by Steven Reich — tells the story of three Caltech professors whose decade-long collaboration led to the world’s first successful demonstration of wireless power transmission from space to Earth in 2023.
At the heart of “Bright Harvest” is the journey of professors Harry Atwater, Ali Hajimiri, and Sergio Pellegrino, whose combined expertise in materials science, electrical engineering, and aerospace structures made possible the creation of ultra-lightweight systems capable of collecting and transmitting energy from space.
The research was made possible by a donation of more than $100 million by Mrs. Bren and her husband, Donald Bren, Chairman of Irvine Company and a lifetime member of the Caltech Board of Trustees.
Mrs. Bren told the audience that the documentary was initially intended for Caltech’s archives but soon evolved into a project with a larger mission. “When this took place, it was a major breakthrough,” she said. “Space enthusiasts knew about it, but most people didn’t. That’s when I decided we needed to do this documentary — to make people aware of this achievement.”
Following the screening, Mrs. Bren and Reich joined the three scientists on stage for a discussion about their collaboration and the future of space-based solar energy. “It’s interesting because there’s three different teams — that’s how it starts,” Pellegrino said of their multidisciplinary approach.
Atwater said the next step will require moving beyond research to commercialization. “What happens next, it has to be commercial,” he said. “It can’t be done just at Caltech.”
Mrs. Bren emphasized the importance of U.S. leadership in this emerging field. “Many countries are working on space-based solar energy research,” she said. “And then there are three professors and their students at Caltech. That’s extraordinary. I really would like to see the United States become the leader in space-based solar energy. That is the mission.”
Former California Governor Gray Davis, who attended the screening, praised the project’s potential. “This is how things start,” he said. “The power of relying on the sun for energy is so compelling. This is something that’s going to happen. And the film will hasten the process.”
As the evening concluded, Mrs. Bren reflected on the moment’s significance. “You’re taking part in the birth of a new energy — and this is really just the start.”
Media Contact:
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SOURCE Bright Harvest: Powering Earth From Space
A Panel Lacking Any Hindu Presence Sought to Define Hinduism After Shutting out Hindu Voices
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) strongly condemns Monday’s event, “Hindutva in America: A Threat to Equality and Religious Pluralism,“ at Rutgers University that has drawn bipartisan criticism from Members of Congress and widespread outrage from the Hindu community, both on and off campus
The event, framed as an academic inquiry, featured a panel that did not include a single practicing Hindu but, nevertheless, made sweeping, uninformed claims about the faith. Notably, the non-Hindu panelists labored to make an artificial and, frankly, preposterous distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva; and when practicing Hindus asked questions, they were shut down.
The talk itself was peppered with false claims, primary among them being the denial of Hinduphobia itself. There was no mention of the seven Hindu temples that have been vandalized across the U.S. since December 2023 or of the hate crime data from states like California that show a rise in anti-Hindu hate, second only to antisemitism.
The panelists also stated, incorrectly, that the Nazi Hakenkreuz is the same as the Hindu Swastika—even though there is a growing body of evidence that Hitler called his symbol the Hakenkreuz, not Swastika. There were also broad accusations that Hindu organizations in the U.S. receive undisclosed payments from the BJP-led Indian government, thus implying they are “agents of India.”
Despite concerns about backlash and potential retribution, a group of brave Hindu students held a silent rally outside the event venue. Even though it was an officially permitted protest, they faced hostility from a supporter of the privileged panelists. “It was scary to see an adult trying to dox us,” said one Hindu student on the condition of anonymity. “So many of my peers wanted to join the rally. But they were too scared to come because Rutgers ignored the letters we sent asking for fairness and safety.”
It is not easy for students, especially from immigrant heavy minority communities, to oppose professors with institutional power and influence over their campus lives. “We were not asking Rutgers to cancel the event—only to make clear that its institutional brand does not endorse the anti-Hindu rhetoric that has already sowed fear among Hindu students and vitiated the atmosphere on-campus,” added Rutgers Hindu chaplain Hitesh Trivedi.
In the weeks leading up to the event, CoHNA led a broad campaign to raise awareness about this Hinduphobic event—enabling 10,000 emails from students, parents, and community members to the Rutgers administration, urging the university to disassociate itself from the event; 4,000 emails to state and federal lawmakers; and over 120 calls from CoHNA policy fellows to New Jersey officials.
On October 24, four members of the U.S. Congress—Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA), and Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI)—sent a joint letter to the Rutgers University administration, expressing concern over both the event and the report on which it is based. The lawmakers warned that the material “misrepresents a diverse and peaceful religious community” and could “fuel further prejudice, particularly impacting Hindu students on college campuses who may feel unfairly targeted or unsafe.”
Several CoHNA members attended the event including co-founder and board member Suresh Krishnamoorthy, to see if the panelists were actually open to anything resembling the true spirit of academic debate. Unfortunately, they were not. “When others spread falsehoods about our organization, seek to malign our beliefs, call us fascists, and dismiss Hindu voices in conversations about our own religious identity, we cannot let that slide. CoHNA will always be there to stand up for our community, especially Hindu youth” said Krishnamoorthy. “We will not let Hindu hate go unchallenged.”
CoHNA reaffirms its commitment to free speech and open dialogue but emphasizes that academic freedom, in particular, comes with academic responsibility to protect viewpoint diversity and student safety. We call on universities nationwide to ensure that their campuses remain safe for students of every background—including Hindus, who continue to face rising hate incidents both online and offline.
About CoHNA
CoHNA is a grassroots-level
advocacy and civil rights organization dedicated to improving the understanding of Hinduism in North America by working on matters related to the Hindu community and by educating the public about Hindu heritage and tradition. For more information, please visit https://cohna.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and on Instagram.
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SOURCE Coalition of Hindus of North America
LOS GATOS, Calif., Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, a locally founded and privately owned brokerage, has reached a new milestone in community giving, earning the #19 position on the Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Corporate Philanthropy List. This marks its highest ranking to date, and is a notable distinction among the much larger publicly traded corporations, including Adobe and Alphabet.
The recognition reflects a culture of giving that’s deeply rooted in the brokerage’s values, carried forward through the continued efforts of its agent-led Sereno 1% For Good Charitable Foundation.
Since its founding in 2012, Sereno 1% For Good Charitable Foundation has contributed over $7 million to more than 600 local nonprofits across 11 counties, advancing initiatives in five key funds: Ecosystem, Education, Equity & Access, Community Impact, and Disaster Relief.
“This recognition is an extraordinary honor for an independent, locally founded company to stand alongside some of the world’s largest corporations. It speaks directly to our founding vision of using our success to make meaningful contributions in the places we live and work,” said Ryan Iwanaga, Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer. “We’re proud of our agents and staff whose generosity and community spirit make this possible.”
Kirsty Duncan, Director of Giving & Corporate Social Responsibility, added, “This incredible achievement is a direct reflection of our amazing agents, staff and leadership whose generosity and commitment to Sereno 1% For Good Charitable Foundation continue to create lasting impact in our local communities. I am beyond grateful for them and the positive impact it allows us to make.”
Through its ongoing philanthropic work, Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno continues to strengthen its impact across Northern California, supporting organizations that build thriving, resilient communities.
Learn more about Sereno 1% For Good Charitable Foundation at sereno.com/pages/social-impact.
About Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno
Founded in 2006, Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno is Northern California’s largest locally owned and operated independent brokerage, with 19 offices and more than 675 agents serving San Francisco, the Peninsula, Silicon Valley, South County, East Bay, Santa Cruz, Marin, Wine Country, Tahoe, Sierra Foothills, and the Central Coast. Projected to reach $6.5 billion in sales volume for 2025, Christie’s Sereno consistently ranks among the nation’s top five brokerages for per-agent productivity and average sales price.
Through a highly curated support platform, the company equips its agents with concierge-level marketing, world-class technology, and resources designed to elevate the client experience. Its agent-driven Sereno 1% For Good Charitable Foundation has donated more than $7 million to over 600 local organizations, creating positive impact in the communities where its agents live and work.
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SOURCE Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno
SWORDS, Ireland, October 28, 2025 /3BL/ – Trane Technologies (NYSE:TT), a global climate innovator, today announced the launch of the industry’s first comprehensive thermal management system reference design, specifically engineered for the NVIDIA Omniverse DSX Blueprint for gigawatt-scale AI data centers. This pioneering solution sets new standards for performance, scalability, and rapid deployment, supporting the most demanding AI factories, including gigawatt-scale factories powered by the latest NVIDIA AI infrastructure.
“Trane Technologies’ new reference design exemplifies our commitment to delivering state-of-the-art solutions for the most advanced AI data center architectures,” said Mauro Atalla, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer, Trane Technologies. “Our close collaboration with NVIDIA supports thermal management systems that significantly enhance performance and energy efficiency while ensuring rapid deployment and scalability. This innovation underscores our dedication to supporting the next generation of AI infrastructure with unparalleled reliability, resilience and industrial capacity.”
The new Trane Technologies thermal management system reference design delivers mission-critical temperature control, enabling data center operators to simultaneously manage power, water, and land resources, allowing for continuously optimized performance, energy efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, it supports the advanced power and cooling needs of NVIDIA GB300 NVL72infrastructure, ensuring optimal performance for Blackwell and next-generation NVIDIA Vera Rubin systems. As rack density increases per NVIDIA’s roadmap, Trane Technologies’ gigawatt-scale design can flexibly scale to efficiently meet these demanding applications, optimizing compute power.
“Power and thermal efficiency are now foundational to next-generation AI infrastructure that meets the demands of reasoning and other inference workloads,” said Dion Harris, senior director, HPC, Cloud and Infrastructure Solutions, NVIDIA. “NVIDIA is working with Trane Technologies to develop efficient cooling solutions and reference designs that enable higher density, greater uptime, and faster deployment of gigawatt-scale AI infrastructure.”
The Trane Technologies reference design integrates the NVIDIA Omniverse DSX Blueprint for AI Factory Digital Twins. This allows project developers to aggregate 3D data from disparate sources with OpenUSD, helping engineers to address the complex challenges of designing, simulating and deploying gigawatt scale AI Factories with unprecedented speed and flexibility. This builds on Trane Technologies’ leveraging NVIDIA Omniverse Blueprint for Real-Time Digital Twins, enhancing sustainability and optimizing operations through advanced simulation and AI.
In September, Trane Technologies announced the extension of Trane’s chiller plant control facility programming application specific to the unique operating needs and conditions of modern data centers. Trane continues to harness deep systems knowledge and expertise to continuously strengthen its comprehensive thermal management systems portfolio for data centers through innovations like scalable liquid cooling platforms, an efficient fan coil wall platform, larger capacity and higher operating ambient temperature air-cooled chillers, and a modern Computer Room Air Handler (CRAH) solution, engineered for AI workloads, sustainability, and future growth. For more information about Trane’s services for data centers, visit www.trane.com/datacenter.
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About Trane Technologies
Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator. Through our strategic brands Trane® and Thermo King®, and our portfolio of environmentally responsible products and services, we bring efficient and sustainable climate solutions to buildings, homes and transportation. Visit tranetechnologies.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of securities laws, which are statements that are not historical facts, including statements that relate to our product and service innovations and the anticipated benefits of these innovations. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations. Factors that could cause such differences can be found in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as well as our subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and other SEC filings. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or how they may affect the Company. We assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Case IH, a brand of world-class equipment, technology and services company CNH, has developed the world’s first ethanol-fueled sugarcane harvester, which it is currently testing. Farming doesn’t get much more sustainable than a harvester that runs on the very crop it reaps.
Ethanol fuel made from fermented and distilled sugarcane juice is a major boon for agribusiness. By taking advantage of an abundant and renewable resource, ethanol offers a viable alternative to fossil fuels. This is not only true in Brazil — the world’s second-largest producer of ethanol — because numerous biofuel producers around the world, including the United States, India and others, stand to gain.
Ethanol produces at least 90% less nitrogen oxide (NOx) than diesel and greatly reduces the dependency on direct fossil fuel use for farmers. It is also much cheaper than diesel due to lower production and transportation costs.
Many Case IH customers in Brazil grow sugarcane, making it widely available even in remote rural areas. New equipment can be integrated into ongoing farm operations without the need to invest in adapting infrastructure. By growing sugarcane and using machinery run on ethanol, farmers can become more self-sufficient and save costs, creating a virtuous cycle inside their operations.
The Austoft 9990
The Austoft 9990 boasts a host of technological innovations and went through over 300 hours of field-testing. Intelligent Feed Rate Control, which automatically adjusts the harvesting speed according to the density of the sugarcane, allows gains of up to 10% in productivity. It is also equipped with the FieldOps™ telemetry system, which allows the operator and management team to monitor machine performance in real time, increasing operational efficiency. To date, nearly ten thousand of these machines have been produced at CNH’s plant in Piracicaba in the southeast of Brazil.
Developing the Austoft 9990 into an ethanol-fueled harvester required more than simply swapping one engine for another. It involved countless hours of engineering, adaptation and testing, and installing new software, fuel injectors and additional fuel and exhaust sensors. Larger radiators were added to cool the engine, which was running hotter.
Find out more about how ethanol is being used to power a Case IH sugarcane harvester here.