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
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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Nuclear fusion gets closer to reality with this new reactor
Nuclear fusion just took a step forward thanks to a new, compact reactor from MIT.
Can trillions of reflective glass beads save arctic sea ice?
Arctic sea ice is more than majestic; it also reflects the sun’s rays. But young, thin ice melts fast. Can silica powder reflect enough sun to help it survive?
Doctors fighting deadly climate change
These doctors are coming together to address their collective carbon footprint, explore new solutions, and improve sustainability in healthcare.
Cooling the planet with a giant solar umbrella
Solar geoengineering would cool global temperatures — is it worth it?
Mini nuclear reactors take big step forward in the US
NuScale Power’s small modular reactors generate less energy than full-sized nuclear reactors, but they might also be cheaper and safer.
Could a Norwegian “hurricane net” stop storms by cooling the sea?
Norwegian company OceanTherm uses bubble nets to keep ice out of fjords. Could a hurricane net weaken the storms?
3D printed homes could soon be made out of dirt
By transforming soil into a construction material for 3D printed homes and other structures, researchers hope to slash concrete’s environmental impact.
Raising Pacific islands to save them from high sea levels
The president of Kiribati announced a new plan to fight against sea level rise: raise the islands.
Divers remove wildlife-killing “ghost nets” from shipwreck
The Healthy Seas initiative removes wildlife-killing “ghost nets” from the ocean so that they can be recycled into useful Econyl yarn.
New solar cells could be a breakthrough in clean energy
Better solar cells are an objectively good thing. Two new breakthroughs may help us harness more light, more cost effectively.
Want to save the planet? start with reinventing the motor
This highly efficient switched reluctance motor has the ability to save manufacturers millions of dollars and significantly reduce their carbon emissions.
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.
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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.
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