Energy
Energy powers civilization. Developing technologies that can deliver abundant, sustainable energy is the challenge of our time and the promise of our future. Failure is not an option.
Featured
Three founders look to the future at Freethink’s inaugural Great Progression event
The tech community came together for the launch of the Great Progression event series, curated by Peter Leyden and produced by Freethink.
The billionaire building space lasers to power Earth
Space startup Aetherflux has a mission straight out of sci-fi: harvest solar power in orbit and beam it down to Earth via laser.
The missing tech case for how we create an era of abundance
AI and other new technologies could make things that are costly and scarce today, cheap and abundant for all tomorrow.
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Lithium mining just became a water sport
A team of scientists claims they’ve created an affordable method for extracting lithium from seawater, as an alternative to lithium mining.
This machine will make seashells out of CO2
Scientists are building a machine that will suck carbon dioxide out of the ocean and turn it into seashells.
China’s “artificial sun” sets a new record for nuclear fusion
China’s nuclear fusion reactor, the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), has set a new world record for temperature.
Startup plans to remove 1 billion tons of CO2 from the air
A new carbon sequestration startup plans to remove one billion tons of excess carbon from the atmosphere by 2035 using enhanced mineral weathering.
The Maldives are constructing a floating city to combat rising sea levels
Government officials of the island nation, Maldives, debuted plans to build the world’s first fully floating city.
“Sewer heat” could help fight climate change
Denver plans to tap into the heat in sewer lines to generate clean energy.
Vertical EV battery may cut costs, improve range by 30%
U.K. startup Page-Roberts proposes using a vertical EV battery to improve a car’s efficiency and cut manufacturing costs.
Genes show which animals will adapt to climate change
Some fish, such as the threespine stickleback, can respond to dramatic seasonal changes very quickly — genome sequencing reveals why.
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Hard Reset
Do buildings have to be permanent?
Modular construction involves transporting prefabricated buildings and connecting them on-site. It’s like LEGOs on steroids, and it could transform our cities.
New nuclear fusion test overcomes “exhaust problem”
The UK’s MAST Upgrade nuclear fusion experiment appears to have solved the “exhaust problem,” a major hurdle to harnessing fusion power on Earth.
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Just Might Work
The case for drinking treated wastewater. (Yes, from the toilet.)
Concern over droughts and water pollution have ignited a unique solution for preserving one of our most vital resources — advanced wastewater treatment for human consumption, also known as direct potable reuse.
Ford unveils its first electric pickup truck
Ford’s first electric truck, the F-150 Lightning, has the potential to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles in the U.S.
How wonky cell phone signals help track wildfire smoke
An atmospheric oddity called a temperature inversion helped researchers discover how mobile phone signals could show the amount of bushfire smoke suffocating towns and cities.
New solid-state lithium battery can be recharged 10,000 times
Harvard University researchers have developed a solid-state lithium battery they believe could allow electric vehicles to last 10 to 15 years.
A world’s first: Printable electronics now fully recyclable
Duke researchers show new recyclable electronics technique that reclaims nearly 100% of carbon-based printed transistors using water and sound.
World's largest tidal energy turbine will prove its worth
Orbital Marine Power successfully launched a tidal turbine that will soon become one of the world’s most powerful tidal energy sources.
World’s biggest jeweler will only sell lab-created diamonds
Jewelry company Pandora has announced plans to start using only lab-created diamonds in its products, officially turning its back on diamond mining.
How balloons could soak up carbon and fight climate change
A new startup plans to strap direct air capture technology to balloons and float them into the atmosphere to collect and store carbon dioxide.
This laundry detergent is made from recycled carbon
Consumer goods company Unilever is now selling a laundry detergent that’s made using recycled carbon instead of traditional fossil fuels.
Startup aims to put lab-grown lobster on the menu
Wisconsin startup Cultured Decadence is developing lab-grown lobster meat in the hopes of meeting a demand currently threatened by climate change.
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