The future of energy: 5 battery stories of 2024

[{"selector":"#anim-2b13ec06-c64b-4cdf-b89c-69baa31a02ed","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.01)","scale(0.999)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] Can a thumb-sized nuclear battery last 50 years? The race to build a nuclear battery is heating up, with a Chinese startup pitching a coin-sized device it says can keep producing a charge for 50 years. Learn more

Many Australians now sell solar power into the grid on sunny days generated on their rooftops. Soon it may be possible to do the same thing when it’s dark – with the help of an electric car.

Sustainable sodium – the next battery of the futureLithium takes most of the attention in the battery space, but for Professor Maria Forsyth, there is a host of opportunities in glancing just down the periodic table, to sodium. Learn more

Australian researchers have constructed a safe, cheap zinc battery – using an office laminator! They say their “aqueous zinc-ion batteries” could be recyclable, easy-to-make power sources for small devices.

Stretchy batteries for flexible, wearable technology?Two teams of scientists have announced they’ve made stretchy, jelly-like batteries. These batteries, which are made with very different methods, represent 2 possible paths to more widespread flexible electronics. Learn more

cosmosmagazine.com

[{"selector":"#anim-b121029e-9fb4-41f0-994e-00fb45f45952","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8e6034a4-3d43-4437-8077-a5ddc141d624","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 1910.74043%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9093e500-7b87-414e-8477-70b2e43f5fb4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a5d67307-8dba-42d9-aeae-2b951e2e20c2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.78316%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The future of energy: 5 battery stories of 2024

Many Australians now sell solar power into the grid on sunny days generated on their rooftops. Soon it may be possible to do the same thing when it’s dark – with the help of an electric car.

Australian researchers have constructed a safe, cheap zinc battery – using an office laminator! They say their “aqueous zinc-ion batteries” could be recyclable, easy-to-make power sources for small devices.

cosmosmagazine.com

THE INFORMATION YOU NEED

Technology

Chemistry

Space