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.
More
How ‘mental time travel’ can lead us to sustainability
Bina Venkataraman, author of The Optimist’s Telescope, believes that modern society’s shortsightedness is the root of many avoidable catastrophes.
Fertilizer feeds half the world. Can we make it without fossil fuels?
Fertilizer is needed to feed the world, but its production comes with a carbon footprint. This solar-powered strategy may reduce that.
The world's first floating 3D printed house
A group in the Czech Republic is using a 3D printing robot to construct what it claims will be the world’s first floating 3D printed house.
Series|
Challengers
This carbon-negative dream house ships in a box
A startup described as the “IKEA of houses” is determined to make beautifully-designed, energy efficient homes affordable for everyone.
Space plane experiment could lead to 24/7 solar power
The next time the U.S. Air Force’s X-37B space plane launches, it’ll be carrying an experimental solar panel that could revolutionize clean energy.
Sending heat to space to reverse global warming
This high-tech material could reverse global warming by using radiative cooling to lower the Earth’s rising temperature.
A new approach to green building could reverse climate change
The building sector is one of the biggest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions. But new research suggests that trend could stop, and even reverse because of a new type of green building.
The hidden history in the Notre Dame attic
Studying the scarce, centuries-old logs that remain from the Notre Dame attic will help scientists reconstruct medieval climate data to see if temperatures were ever this high.
24/7 solar power is on the horizon
Researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory are planning new solar power tech that collects energy in outer space and laser-beams it back to Earth.
Open-sourcing the blueprints for a nuclear power plant
The Energy Impact Center has open-sourced nuclear power plant blueprints in an attempt to encourage the adoption of eco-friendly nuclear energy.
Changing flight altitudes could help minimize contrails
A study found that flying a small percentage of planes at slightly different altitudes could significantly decrease contrails, a global warming contributor.
Series|
Guardians of the Apocalypse
Geoengineering: Our last defense against climate change
Reflecting the sun’s rays is a proposed last-ditch effort to mitigate the effects of global warming. This Harvard research team is trying to better understand the potential risks in order to save the planet.
Can the maritime industry go green? Washington ferries show us how
Washington ferries will soon make the switch from diesel to batteries, becoming the world’s largest hybrid-powered, car-carrying ferries.
Back to the future: Classic cars go high tech
This boutique auto shop is crafting quality, custom cars that combine vintage designs with the latest technologies. And perhaps more importantly, they’re challenging the widely accepted concept that we live in a disposable world.
In a circular economy, leaders look to eliminate waste
A step further than recycling, a circular economy would eliminate the idea of garbage completely. But will consumers hop on board? We gave it a try, and here’s our honest review.
Modifying poplar tree genes to fight pollution
The number of poplar trees around the world has doubled, but a chemical compound in their leaves means they might be doing more harm than good.
The robot racing to study Antarctica’s massive ice melt
Icefin, a semi-autonomous research vessel, is on a mission to search for clues about one of the continent’s fastest melting glaciers, the Thwaites Glacier.
Tree-planting drones restore charred forests
This Seattle startup is bringing new life to charred forests by releasing swarms of smart, tree-planting drones equipped with seeds, mini seedbeds, and cameras.
Powering the most remote areas on earth
With off-grid solar power systems, this company is building sustainable communities in remote areas, providing a source of renewable energy and clean water.
Subscribe to the newsletter