Solar has moved from supplying about 1% of global electricity a decade ago to an expected 10% in 2026, overtaking nuclear generation. Ember data puts solar just ahead of nuclear in 2025 and 13% higher over the 12 months to September 2026. Its rise has repeatedly beaten forecasts: in 2025 it supplied three-quarters of the growth in global electricity demand, while nuclear output has stayed broadly flat since 2000. The central explanation is cost. Chinese manufacturing scale, falling material use and more efficient panels have pushed prices to record lows; panels can generate power for decades with little ongoing input. Solar is spreading beyond China, including in the US despite tariffs, India, Australia and countries where expensive or unreliable grids make household systems attractive. In Pakistan, solar’s share of electricity rose from under 2% in 2019 to 24%.
Batteries are making solar more useful by shifting daytime generation into evening peaks, and solar paired with storage can already undercut new fossil-fuel plants in sunny regions. Rooftop systems are also helping households and businesses reduce dependence on costly diesel and weak grids. The growth could accelerate as transport and other energy uses electrify, and newer options include plug-in balcony panels. But the next constraints are no longer panel supply or price: they are grid capacity, storage and the pace of flexible electrification. Batteries help with daily shifts, but seasonal storage and prolonged cloudy periods remain difficult. Without careful planning, adding large new electricity loads could leave systems fragile; whether infrastructure and institutions can keep up will shape how far solar’s expansion goes.
Summary generated by AI from the linked article. hn.today is not affiliated with Hacker News or Y Combinator.
![A simplified proof of ETH is False [pdf]](https://hntoday.pixelshot.io/screenshots/20261027/4cf93cef081f42a3_tn.jpeg)
The Exponential Time Hypothesis (ETH) conjectures that certain problems cannot be solved in subexponential time. A paper shows that a simplified argument claiming to prove ETH is false. (shivakintali.github.io)
Imagining movements activates many of the same brain systems as performing them, though signals to the muscles are inhibited. Studies show mental practice can improve motor learning and performance, complementing physical training. (nautil.us)
![The Exponential Time Hypothesis Is False [pdf]](https://hntoday.pixelshot.io/screenshots/20261026/eac4664270214aef_tn.jpeg)
The Exponential Time Hypothesis says that 3-SAT cannot be solved in subexponential time. The paper argues that this hypothesis is false, challenging a common assumption in computational complexity. (github.com)
OpenAI worked with academic researchers on a result challenging the Exponential Time Hypothesis, a major conjecture about how quickly certain computational problems can be solved. The work presents evidence that the hypothesis is false. (openai.com)
Early NASA spacesuits used custom-fitted diapers, requiring male astronauts to provide measurements so the garments would fit securely. The sizing process became an awkward but practical part of preparing for spaceflight. (chron.com)
Neanderthals and other human relatives had sophisticated abilities, and ancient DNA shows some were absorbed into modern humans through interbreeding. Their disappearance raises unresolved questions about why Homo sapiens became the only surviving human species and how much that outcome owed to ability or chance. (nytimes.com)
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