Energy

an overhead shot of land split in three. the left side is dry and dusty. the middle has some vegetation, and the right side has a lot.

Desertification is destroying fertile land. Here’s how we’re fighting it.

a female presenting person in a lab coat holding a solar cell

New “tandem” solar cell breaks world record

A new tandem solar cell containing layers of silicon and perovskite has demonstrated an unprecedented efficiency of 33.7%.

Kristin Houser

Clean Energy

These 4 charts show the unstoppable growth of solar

Solar is growing fast enough to displace fossil fuels from the entire global economy before 2050, but infrastructure needs to keep up.

Andrew Blakers

Clean Energy

First solar canal project is a win for water, energy, air and climate in California

California’s aging power infrastructure has contributed to catastrophic wildfires and multiday outages. Solar canals can help.

Roger Bales

Climate Crisis

Could electrocuting clouds be the key to making it rain?

By analyzing the energy within raindrops, researchers found that they could squeeze water from the clouds by electrically supercharging them - another step to control the weather.

Teresa Carey

Clean Energy

MIT spinoff plans to drill 12 miles into Earth’s crust

MIT spinoff Quaise Energy is building a drill that vaporizes rock so that we can tap into the geothermal energy miles below our feet.

Kristin Houser

Transportation

Clean offshore charging buoys can save city air

Shipping giant Maersk is building custom charging buoys that provide electricity to ships moored overnight. The first is set to launch this year at an offshore wind farm.

Teresa Carey

Transportation

New EV battery material promises to quintuple electric car range

Researchers have developed a battery membrane made of recycled Kevlar fibers that may potentially double the range of electric vehicles and last 1,000 cycles.

Teresa Carey

Climate Crisis

Scientists propose mechanical trees to soak up CO2

Can we combine our two best ways to remove CO2 from the air?

Teresa Carey

Climate Crisis

Chile is making its own glaciers

Chilean climate experts will attempt to DIY their own glaciers in 2022, in hopes of supplying fresh water through the dry summer months.

Amanda Winkler

Animals

Green lights reduce bycatch in fishing nets by 63%

Adding green LEDs to gillnets can reduce bycatch of sharks, turtles, and other animals without affecting the catch of desired species.

Kristin Houser

Agriculture

The world’s largest vertical farm is opening in Pennsylvania

Upward Farms plans to build what will be the world’s largest vertical farm in Pennsylvania — and fish are going to fertilize its crops.

Kristin Houser

Sustainability

New biodegradable straws are made by bacteria

New biodegradable straws developed in China are as cheap as plastic, stronger than paper, and made from edible materials.

Kristin Houser

Sections

Video

Freethink

We focus on solutions: the smartest people, the biggest ideas, and the most ground breaking technology shaping our future.