Technology

Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere may become an important tool for slowing climate change. Climate models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will require not only cutting emissions, but also removing hundreds of billions of tons of carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere.

The market for batteries has exploded in recent years. Demand has grown more than fortyfold since 2010. The major reasons for the growth are electric cars and energy storage for solar and wind. Sales of EVs hit 20 million last year and storage capacity for solar farms has grown twentyfold in just the past 5 years.

James Scott has become one of America's leading historians of World War II, bringing meticulous research and compelling storytelling to pivotal moments in modern history. A Pulitzer Prize finalist and 'New York Times' bestselling author, Scott now turns to one of the war's most consequential and controversial decisions in 'Empire of Ashes: Truman, Hirohito, and the Descent into Total War.'Drawing on newly uncovered Japanese sources and survivor accounts, the book examines the final months of the Pacific War, the debates surrounding the atomic bomb, and the devastating human cost of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. James Scott joins us to discuss 'Empire of Ashes.'

The heatwaves that keep happening this summer are a major strain on power grids. In some places, electric school buses are helping utilities to keep the lights on and air conditioners running.

The Best of Our Knowledge explores topics on learning, education, and research.Tuberculosis is one of the deadliest diseases faced by humans. A team of researchers is using AI to potentially find more reliable treatments. And, as we listen for extraterrestrial radio waves, have we missed messages and should we change the way we scan for signals?

The Best of Our Knowledge explores topics on learning, education, and research.Tuberculosis is one of the deadliest diseases faced by humans. A team of researchers is using AI to potentially find more reliable treatments. And, as we listen for extraterrestrial radio waves, have we missed messages and should we change the way we scan for signals?

The UN estimates that 2.2 billion people lack safely managed drinking water. Across the globe, over 300 million people rely on desalinated water for part or all of their daily needs. There are more than 22,000 desalination plants around the world. In the U.S., about 5 million people receive water from desalination, mostly in states like California and Florida.

For decades, Cory Doctorow has been one of the sharpest critics of the digital world—a bestselling science-fiction writer, journalist, co-editor of Boing Boing, and longtime advocate for digital rights and an open internet. His latest nonfiction book, 'The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI,' takes aim at the hype, fear, and confusion surrounding artificial intelligence.

Hydrogen has long been envisioned as the ideal clean energy source for society. Used as a fuel, it releases only water as it is burned. Thus, it could be a direct replacement for fossil fuels in applications where it is difficult to find viable clean alternatives. In fuel cells, hydrogen can be used to generate electricity. But hydrogen faces a major problem: where to obtain it.

The Best of Our Knowledge explores topics on learning, education, and research.Not all answers given by artificial intelligence-powered chatbots are equal. It can be that, based on what language users might ask their question, a chatbot may give a different response.We’ll speak with a researcher who was part of a time that examined how government media control affects AI.