A new ultra lightweight hydrogen fuel tank could make jet fuel obsolete
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Hydrogen fuels tanks aren’t sexy but if you want to replace jet fuel with greener energy alternatives then making them light is crucial, so this is a milestone. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read...
Stanfords new solar panels work at night and there’s more to come
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF We are told solar panels only generate electricity when it’s sunny, but for researchers around the world that hasn’t been true for years. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, ...
This new super alloy from NASA could revolutionise hypersonic flight
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As aircraft and rockets, as well as other things, get faster and more demands are put on them we need new materials that can handle the temperatures and stresses. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University,...
The UK starts talks with SpaceX to launch a $20 Bn solar power station into orbit
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Solar panels are affected by cloud and other environmental conditions like dust, but in space solar power stations would be free from these challenges and could generate alot more constant electricity. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses...
Record breaking US military test takes beaming energy long distance to a new level
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Beaming electricity means you don’t need energy infrastructure and has lots of benefits, this was a ground breaking test. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog....
It turns out using the oceans to suck up CO2 might be alot harder than people thought
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The UN recently said that carbon sequestration and capture is now the only way to avert 2C of global warming, and the oceans could have played a big role … Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential...
Notpla’s latest sustainable packaging is edible and disappears
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF What if you could just eat the packaging a product came in? Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Plastic packaging is a scourge and today...
Sustainable packaging brand Notpla re-imagines paper by using seaweed
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Sustainability is at the top of everyone’s agendas, and seaweed could be a secret weapon used in everything from biofuels to packaging … Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, ...
World first as Chinese researchers power a high speed MAGLEV train wirelessly
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Wirelessly charging your smartphone is easy, but wirelessly charging an electric train moving at over 600kmh is an entirely different proposition. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote,...
Europe pushes Solar Fuels to help it end its reliance on Russian oil
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Traditionally fossil fuels were made from dead dinosaurs, today though they can be made from Sunshine and are more environmentally friendly. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote,...
Vertical farms are coming to save your perfume from climate change
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF You can grow crops sustainably in a vertical farm, or you can grow really expensive perfume ingredients with higher profit margins … Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch...
Miami appoint world’s first Chief Heat Officer to protect the city from extreme heat
WHY THIS MATTER As climate change accelerates and cities heat up more people are dying from heat exhaustion than ever before, and cities need a plan to cope with what’s coming … Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about...
The first electric truck powered by 3D printed batteries was just unveiled
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Being able to 3D print batteries means you can increase the surface are of the anodes and cathodes to help batteries store alot more energy. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech...
UK to create a complete digital twin of its power grid to improve performance
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF When things are digitised you can model more scenarios faster and identify and fix problems before they occur, and this is the first project to create a digital twin of an entire power grid. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof...
Plans to drill 12 miles deep into the Earth’s Mantle get the green light with new funding
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF We all sit above a limitless amount of energy, but getting to it is an engineering nightmare … Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. A...
Neumann Space successfully turns space junk into space fuel for satellites
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF There’s plenty of junk in space, and if it can be turned into fuel then it will kill two birds with one stone. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, ...
DeepMind’s AI can now successfully control plasma in a fusion reactor
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF In order to maintain fusion superheated plasma has to be held in magnetic confinement and AI’s proving to be very good at managing that. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and...
The first gas station in space is now operational
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF When satellites and other space vehicles run out of fuel there are only two options – junk them or crash them into Earth. Now there’s a third option – refuel them and keep them running. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future...
UK’s National Grid in talks to create an energy island in the North Sea
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Energy islands can accelerate the world’s transition to renewable energy and decrease renewable energy costs by at least 10%. Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trends, connect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog....