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.
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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.
This startup is racing to mine the final frontier
AstroForge isn’t afraid to take risks if it means being the first to mine asteroids for the rare metals we need for many clean energy technologies.
“Stopping climate change” is the wrong goal
Anything that matters to humans should be under our control. The climate matters—so we should control the climate.
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Does it work to pay people not to cut the forest?
Evidence that paying people to save trees, preserve ecosystems and reduce carbon emissions is scarce. But it can succeed if it’s done right.
Bioengineers design a new plant to purify air faster than nature
Neoplants has bioengineered a pothos plant that removes 30 times more pollutants from the air than a regular houseplant.
Gallium: The liquid metal that could transform soft electronics
By harnessing the unusual properties of a liquid metal called gallium, scientists could create a new generation of flexible devices.
How much CO2 can the world emit while keeping warming below 1.5°C and 2°C?
Researchers estimate how much more CO2 we can emit to keep temperatures below 1.5°C and 2°C to combat climate change.
This startup wants to track soil carbon with AI and satellites
Boomitra’s remote sensing technology combines data from Earth and space to verify when carbon is coming out of the air.
Microsoft is training an AI to help get nuclear reactors approved
Microsoft is training an AI to generate the paperwork needed to get next-gen nuclear reactors approved by regulators.
Light may cause water to evaporate (even without heat)
MIT researchers propose a new phenomenon that causes to water evaporate without heat. They call it the “photomolecular effect.”
Plants are likely to absorb more CO₂ in a changing climate than we thought – here’s why
New research shows that plants might take up more CO₂ than previously thought, but still can’t do the heavy lifting to stop climate change.
This global prize competition is launching small moonshots to save the planet
Prince William’s “Earthshot” strategy hopes to hedge humanity’s bet and tackle multiple environmental crises.
A mineral produced by plate tectonics has a global cooling effect, study finds
Geologists have found that tectonic activity gives rise to smectite, a type of clay that can sequester a surprising amount of organic carbon.
Green shipping picks up speed
The shipping industry aims to get to net-zero emissions by 2050. Can novel fuels, wind power and coordination on a global scale get it there?
How TerraPower is leading the nuclear renaissance
Bill Gates’ TerraPower startup is building a next-generation nuclear power plant that could revive the declining industry.
Volcanic Iceland is rumbling again as magma rises
Volcanic eruptions in this region of Iceland tend to flow rather than being explosive, as residents have already experienced. A geologist explains.
Pursuing fusion power
Many researchers now believe that within the next few decades, power plants will provide carbon-free electricity from thermonuclear fusion.
How these wooden blocks could stop climate change
Bill Gates-backed startup Graphyte has unveiled Carbon Casting, carbon removal tech it says is cheap, scalable, and durable.
Engineers develop an efficient process to make fuel from carbon dioxide
MIT engineers developed a process that directly converts carbon dioxide into formate, a solid fuel that can be stored indefinitely.
BlackRock invests $550M in world’s largest direct air capture plant
Money manager BlackRock has invested $550 million in STRATOS, the world’s largest direct air capture facility.
Aussie scientists hit milestone in concentrated solar power
A breakthrough at a concentrated solar power facility in Australia could help make solar a more reliable source of energy in the future.
MIT design would harness 40 percent of the sun’s heat to produce clean hydrogen fuel
Engineers hope to produce totally green, carbon-free hydrogen fuel with a new, train-like system of reactors driven by the sun.
Japan sets new nuclear fusion record
A massive nuclear fusion experiment just hit a major milestone, potentially putting us a little closer to a future of limitless clean energy.
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