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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Charting the race for energy in the Age of AI
As AI’s demand for computing power skyrockets, data centers are under immense pressure to boost efficiency and increase sustainability.
Charting the evolution of nuclear energy
Nuclear fission’s stalled growth might give way to fusion’s clean energy potential
The master plan to end EV “range anxiety” forever
A look at the history of EV charging and the tech trends that could encourage more people to make the switch to an electric car.
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Solar powered cars could soon hit the streets — but can they be efficient enough to go mainstream?
If they work, solar-powered cars could be great for the environment. Here’s the startups working to make that happen.
Floating drones mine carbon data in the Gulf Stream
Saildrone has deployed three vessels into the Gulf Stream this winter to collect data on carbon uptake.
Citizen keepers are raising threatened grasshoppers
The large marsh grasshopper risks extinction. But volunteer citizen keepers are raising the insect for rewilding to newly restored wetlands.
Inside the world’s most advanced cultivated meat facility
UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) is offering consumers tours of “the world’s most advanced cultivated meat production facility.”
These supergrids are uniting the world’s clean energy supplies
Europe is creating a supergrid across regions, countries, and oceans to smooth out the fluctuations in energy suppliers — and hopefully build more resilient power systems.
Paris to make the Seine River swimmable for the Olympics
Paris’ plan to make its iconic Seine River swimmable for the 2024 Summer Olympics could help other cities clean up their own waterways.
The world’s first indoor saltwater farm
But Sam Norton, founder of Heron Farms, is using the world’s most abundant resource — seawater — to grow sea beans.
Luminescent materials could cool our cities and light the streets
Luminescent materials could be used to cool our cities, and simultaneously cut down on electricity.
There’s a ton of wind power in the deep sea. Let’s go get it.
The most powerful winds can be found over the deep, open ocean. Floating wind turbines could tap into this and 100x our wind energy.
New tech “upcycles” junk plastic, reducing its carbon footprint
A chemicals and aircraft parts manufacturer has created a new method for converting low-grade plastic waste into oil, which they can turn into high-quality plastic.
Rock dust can turn farmland into a sponge for greenhouse gases
Spreading rock dust over large areas of farmland could cause the soil to absorb considerably more carbon from the air, while improving crop yields — a process called mineral weathering.
7 scientists we are thankful for this Thanksgiving
One of these scientists saved more lives than any other person in history.
NASA plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2031
NASA and the Department of Energy are asking U.S. companies for help putting a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2031.
Self-driving electric tractor startup to boost production eight-fold
California startup Monarch Tractor has raised $61 million to increase production of its self-driving electric tractor.
The science of climate change in 6 charts
Here’s what the science says about climate change — and a few reasons to be optimistic.
Will battery recycling be ready when all these new EV batteries die?
The growing usage of lithium-ion batteries, particularly in vehicles, is outpacing the technology to recycle them. But researchers and innovators are scrambling to find an effective and eco-friendly battery recycling technique.
Can CRISPR keep the beer flowing?
Researchers are turning to CRISPR to create barley better able to remain dormant in climate change — while being still ready to make beer.
Metal-eating bacteria could clean up dirty mining sites
A unique metal-chomping microorganism ate through a nail in just three days. Now they might be tasked with an enormous mission: cleaning up mining waste.
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Just Might Work
Fast fashion is killing the planet. These chemists are fighting back
Your clothes are mostly plastic. These chemists have figured out how to recycle them.
Agrivoltaics let farmland serve double duty
Agrivoltaics combines farming with renewable energy, using the shade of solar panels to help plants thrive in a changing climate.
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