Nissan to spend $18 billion developing a cheaper, more powerful EV battery
Nissan says its solid-state battery will cut charging time by two thirds and help its EVs to achieve cost-parity with gas-powered cars.
Technology & innovation
This archive covers technology and innovation breakthroughs that improve lives, protect the environment, and expand human possibility. From medical devices to clean energy tools, the stories here focus on what’s working and who’s making it happen.
MIT-designed project achieves major advance toward fusion energy
A new superconducting magnet breaks magnetic field strength records, paving the way for practical, commercial, carbon-free power.
New iron-based batteries offer an upgrade to storing renewable energy
“Long-duration energy storage, like this iron-flow battery, [is] key to adding more renewables to the grid,” Venkat Viswanathan, a battery expert and associate professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.
Michelin’s airless passenger car tires get their first public outing
Michelin says “tweels” will last three times longer than normal tires, even when nothing goes wrong for the life of the tire, leading to a major reduction in waste.
World’s first battery-powered freight train unveiled in Pittsburgh
The train was built by rail-freight company Wabtec and showcased at Carnegie Mellon University as part of a bid by the two organizations to decarbonize rail freight transport in the U.S., The Guardian reported.
mRNA cancer therapy now in human trials after shrinking mouse tumors
BioNTech, the German company that developed Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine, is now testing whether mRNAs can treat cancer in humans. The treatment has already completely shrunk tumors in mice.
World’s largest direct air capture plant starts absorbing CO2 in Iceland
Climework’s latest facility, dubbed Orca, is designed to suck CO2 out of the air and store it away permanently underground as rocks. It will likely harvest roughly 4,000 tons of CO2 from the air every year.
Promising lung cancer blood test delivers impressively accurate results
A new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center is showing a novel blood test can detect the presence of lung cancer with over 90% accuracy using artificial intelligence.
Novel cement uses discarded clay to cut carbon footprint by two thirds
A research team from Germany’s Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and Brazil’s University of Pará has developed an alternative cement that drastically cuts emissions from production while meeting normal performance requirements.
First fossil-free steel delivered to Volvo cars in Sweden
HYBRIT — a joint venture between SSAB, Vattenfall, and mining company LKAB — aims to revolutionize a steel industry that, by some estimates, produces nearly 10% of all harmful greenhouse gas emissions.