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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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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“Zombie virus” revived after 48,500 years in permafrost
A newly discovered “zombie virus” was still able to infect hosts more than 48,500 years after it was trapped in Siberian permafrost.
Self-sufficient “microgrids” could save you from power grid emergencies
Centralized power systems rely on large power plants and transmission grids, but microgrids are self-sufficient.
Batteries not included: How your own body could power wearables
Batteries are the weak link for wearable and implantable devices. But what if you could harvest energy from the heat, sweat or vibrations of the wearer?
How to pull carbon dioxide out of seawater
Researchers have found an effective new method for removing carbon dioxide from salt water in the ocean.
Goodyear announces 90% sustainable tire
Made from a variety of recycled and repurposed materials, the tire may be perfectly suited for electric vehicles.
These 3D-printed batteries could be the future of clean energy
Silicon Valley startup Sakuu has developed a 3D-printing platform that it says can mass produce solid-state batteries, in any shape and size
You can build a house out of this super-grass material
Plantd is turning to fast-growing grasses to decarbonize construction.
These “microreactors” could be the future of nuclear power
Microreactors that can be built and deployed much faster than traditional nuclear power plants could be the future of nuclear energy
Startup plants first GMO trees designed for carbon removal
Living Carbon is ready to begin planting thousands of GMO trees engineered to pull 27% more carbon from the air.
This “chameleon” material can heat or cool houses on demand
Thanks to “electrochromism,” a newly developed material can switch between absorbing and reflecting heat from the sun.
John Deere unveils quieter, electric riding mowers
John Deere is entering the electric market with models aimed at homeowners and the golf industry.
A shield of lunar dust could cool the Earth, says Harvard scientists
New research out of Harvard shows how we could potentially cool the Earth by creating a massive sun shield out of moon dust.
World’s largest electric cargo plane can carry up to 400 pounds
The Pelican is an autonomous electric cargo plane capable of transporting 400 pounds of cargo 200 miles in less than three hours.
World’s biggest direct air capture plant is trapping CO2 in Iceland
Direct air capture technology is starting to take off, with ever-larger CO2 removal facilities opening across the globe.
Could hydrogen-fuelled flights be a reality by 2035?
By 2035, hydrogen fuel cells could be used to electrify mid-range flights and hydrogen combustion aircraft could be used on long-haul flights.
Extreme heat is changing habits of daily life
Researchers found that extreme temperatures actually have a much larger effect on human activity than the previous estimations.
Cosmic dust from Venus is inspiring new air pollution-busting technology
Inspired by chemistry observed on the surface of Venus, researchers produced a synthetic material that could improve air quality.
How heat pumps of the 1800s are becoming the technology of the future
With ever-improving efficiencies, and rising sales in multiple countries, heat pumps are only getting harder for their detractors to dismiss.
First small modular nuclear reactor certified in US
The US’s first certification of a small modular reactor design could lead to cheaper, safer nuclear power plants.
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