Lizzie Philip | The Verge

The future of solid-state batteries could be 3D-printed

2022-10-28T09:00:00-04:00

The race to create a solid-state battery that could compete with today’s lithium-ion cells is heating up. Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere: in your phone, car, camera, and more. Since their debut in the 1990s, they’ve become a leader in energy storage. But they have one major flaw: safety. Lithium-ion batteries have a tendency to catch fire, especially when damaged or at high temperatures.

Solid-state batteries replace a flammable liquid electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries with a more stable solid one. They also could have more power, faster charging, and a longer lifespan. Right now, lots of startups are trying to get their first batteries out of the lab and into a factory and hope to prove that solid-state batteries can be commercially viable.

One of those companies is California-based startup Sakuú, and it’s taking on an even bigger task: 3D-printing these next-gen batteries. Sakuú claims that 3D printing allows it to fit more battery layers in the same amount of space, boosting the capacity of its batteries compared to those made by traditional manufacturing. In theory, the batteries could take on more customized shapes, which could change how batteries are integrated into product design. But the company has yet to 3D-print a full battery using its prototype. Check out our video to learn more about how this new technology could reinvent the way batteries are made.

How microbes could help dye your next pair of blue jeans

2022-08-23T09:00:00-04:00

Blue jeans are an iconic staple of just about any wardrobe. But all that denim has a dirty secret: the dye that makes blue jeans so ubiquitous is actually made from fossil fuels and toxic chemicals. For thousands of years, when humans wanted to get a deep blue color, they used natural indigo from Indigofera plants. But in 1897, German chemists started selling a cheaper synthetic version for industrial use. Most pairs of jeans today are dyed with synthetic indigo.

It’s hard to say just how many jeans are made each year, but most estimates are in the billions. To get that blue color, over 70,000 tons of indigo dye are made each year. When the dye (and garment dyes in general) isn’t handled properly, it can end up polluting waterways, damaging local ecosystems, and impacting public health. Luckily, an alternative to synthetic indigo could eventually clean up this step of the manufacturing process.

Huue is a startup in Berkeley, California, on a mission to reverse engineer indigo molecules using microbes and sugar. They’re still in the R&D phase, testing out different strains and inputs to achieve a product that could drop into existing production processes. The next challenge is implementing their creation at scale and even expanding to other dyes. We spent a day in their lab to see how it all worked and even did some tie-dyeing on our own. Check out our video to see a colorful solution to a dirty process.

Why the US needs Russian uranium

2022-08-09T09:00:00-04:00

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is exposing a lesser-known unexpected link between Russia and the United States: the nuclear fuel supply chain. Back in March 2022, President Biden announced sanctions on Russia’s energy exports, specifically oil and gas. But one notable export was left off of that list: uranium.

In 2021, the US relied on Russia for 14 percent of its enriched uranium for nuclear fuel. The process of enriching uranium is highly complicated and can only be done in certain countries — including Russia.

Uranium fuel starts as uranium ore, a naturally occurring radioactive material. Only very little of this ore is useful for fuel. Once mined, the ore is converted into yellowcake, which is just concentrated uranium. That yellowcake is turned into a gas, which is enriched with the isotope U-235. This isotope is fissile, making it more efficient for nuclear fuel. The enriched uranium is then fabricated into fuel rods and can be used in a nuclear reactor.

Nuclear power is highly controversial. It creates a lot of hazardous waste, which is stuck in political limbo in the US. There’s also the rare risk of meltdowns, like Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and Fukushima. However, proponents say that nuclear power is a necessary source of carbon-free energy. While solar and wind power rely on the weather, nuclear power is an on-demand option that can fill in gaps left by other forms of carbon-free electricity. With the Biden administration’s goal of reaching 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2035, nuclear power will likely continue to be a hot-button issue.

As the Russia-Ukraine war drags on, there are many suggestions about how the US can become more independent with its uranium supply. Check out our video to learn more.

What the future of lab-grown meat could look like

2025-01-28T10:30:39-05:00

Lab-grown meat seems to be everywhere these days. Last year, cultured meat and seafood companies raised $1.38 billion in investment, and more and more startups are popping up to develop their own products. A lot of people are betting that cultured meat is part of the future of food — and we wanted to find out why.

The creation of cell-based meat starts with a biopsy from an animal. From there, the cells are cultured in a lab and given the right nutrients to grow and multiply. Once there are enough cells, the batch is transferred into a bioreactor, where the cells continue to multiply until the end result is enough cells to sink your teeth into.

This process takes a lot of time and resources, and according to the Good Food Institute, no company today has reached commercial production that is cost-effective. Expanding this enterprise will require a lot more infrastructure. That means bigger vats, more space, and more utilities, which raises lots of questions about the cost.

It’s too soon to tell just what shape the industry will take. In the meantime, consumers have the opportunity to consider what relationship they want to have with their food. Almost a decade ago, Dutch researcher Cor van der Weele explored this question with a focus group in the Netherlands. They came up with a thought experiment called the pig in the backyard, in which one pig could feed a whole neighborhood for years. Check out our video to learn more about the many potential futures of cell-based meat and meet a local backyard pig.