Rusty Batteries Could Greatly Improve Grid Energy Storage
Iron-air batteries have a “reversible rust” cycle that could store and discharge energy for far longer and at less cost than lithium-ion technology Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty ImagesA U.S. company is designing a large battery that it says could help decarbonize the nation’s power sector more cheaply than lithium-ion storage systems—and with domestic materials. The concept, known as
The Opioid Epidemic Is Surging among Black People because of Unequal Access to Treatment
In one way or another, Thomas Gooch has spent more than 30 years struggling with illegal drugs. The 52-year-old Nashville, Tenn., native grew up in extreme poverty. He was first incarcerated in 1988 and spent the next 15 years in and out of jail for using and selling narcotics. “Until 2003,” Gooch says. “That was
How Water Cycles Can Help Prevent Disastrous Floods and Drought
In just a few months this year, abnormally low water levels in rivers led China to shut down factories, and floods inundated one-third of Pakistan, killing around 1,500 people and grinding the country to a halt. A dried-up Rhine River threatened to tip Germany’s economy into recession, because cargo ships could not carry standard loads.
E-Waste Could Become a ‘Gold Mine’ for Rare-Earth Elements
Your smartphone begins life neatly packed into a well-designed box. Chances are it will end its days in a more ignominious manner. Assuming it doesn’t end up rattling around in a junk drawer, it will most likely go to the same landfill as your other household waste, where it will slowly leach toxic chemicals into
COVID Vaccines Can Temporarily Affect Menstruation, and Studying That Matters
The COVID vaccines can affect menstrual cycles, but the changes are small and short-lived, research shows Credit: Westend61/Getty ImagesFor as long as there have been vaccines, there has been vaccine misinformation—and surprisingly often it has focused on fertility. The COVID vaccines have been no exception. False claims that vaccination provokes the immune system to attack
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