Yet-Ming Chiang

A new lithium extraction method using weak acid could reduce costs and emissions for EVs and energy storage, while an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is proving difficult to control. Pope Leo XIV's encyclical on AI emphasizes that 'technology is never neutral' and calls for ethical guidance in AI development.

Researchers developed a new lithium extraction method using weak acid to dissolve silicate minerals, offering a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative to current brine and hard-rock mining techniques. A startup, Rock Zero, aims to commercialize the process, which avoids dangerous chemicals like hydrofluoric acid and also recovers alumina and silica.