We're getting better at producing clean energy worldwide, but storing this efficiently for later use remains a challenge.
That's why I'm excited about giant sand batteries, salt cave batteries – and MIT's energy-storing concrete. It could mean that future buildings constructed with this material could serve as their own power reserves for when electricity is expensive or unavailable.
Elsewhere, Paul McC looked into how a new tool to map the retina in your eye could help detect diseases that cause blindness before you start to experience symptoms. Get into these and more fascinating stories below!
Highlights
MIT's concrete battery just got 10 times more powerful
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
Scientists have been working on enhancing concrete to store energy. That includes researchers at MIT, who found a way to combine cement, water, and carbon black to create a 'supercapacitor' for this purpose back in 2023. It's now 10x better at this.
Next-gen imaging tech could catch sight-stealing diseases early
by Paul McClure
Scientists have developed a powerful new dual-imaging tool that maps the retina’s structure and oxygen use in unprecedented detail. This breakthrough could one day help doctors spot sight-stealing diseases long before symptoms appear.
Mom and dad’s DNA team up to shape aging and disease from conception
by Paul McClure
A groundbreaking study has revealed that your mom and dad’s DNA don’t just pass on telomere length, they actively reshape it in the first days of life, influencing how we age and our risk of developing diseases such as cancer.
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Massive expanding chasms are eating cities alive from below
by Bronwyn Thompson
Nearly 3,000 growing chasms have opened up in dozens of towns, swallowing up roads and houses in their path. Known as urban gullies, these destructive forces of nature are increasing rapidly and now threaten to displace more than 3.2 million people.
NASA moon rover project pushes extreme battery tech to its limits
by Ian Baker
It’s hard to think of a more challenging environment for an automotive battery than the Moon, and preparations for NASA’s Artemis program give us a chance to contrast the pioneering technology of the 1970s with where we are 50 years later.
Notoriously expensive loopy outboard propeller drops 50% in price
by C.C. Weiss
A year ago, Sharrow launched the MX-A propeller for small outboards, effectively cutting pricing by more than half compared to previous prop launches. Now it's doing it again with the AX, a sub-$1K propeller designed for even smaller outboards.
The Z1100 makes a comeback: Kawasaki’s liter-class naked returns
by Utkarsh Sood
When the Kawasaki ‘Big Zed’ naked was discontinued a few years back, it broke the hearts of many a folk. Some moved on, while others simply chose to live in the ghost of days gone by. Now, after a decade, the liter-class motorcycle makes a comeback!
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Camping kit packs a full kitchen for four into a case
by Ben Coxworth
If you camp with other people on a regular basis, chances are you know someone who cooks better in the woods than you do at home. Well, the all-in-one Dialed Camp Kitchen setup could be your first step towards becoming such a person yourself.
Most versatile Brompton ebike ever ready to conquer the US
by Paul Ridden
Though iconic British cycling brand Brompton celebrating its 50th anniversary this year is certainly newsworthy, the release of its "metro to mountain" folding Electric G in the US is what's getting us in the party mood.
Not-so-small Kookaburra stretches the definition of a 'tiny house'
by Adam Williams
Adapt Homes refers to its models as "not-so-tiny homes," and it's not exaggerating: its Kookaburra stretches the definition of a tiny house with an ultra-wide footprint that provides a light-filled, spacious interior for couples or a small family.
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