by Nicolas P. D. Sawaya figures by Brad Wierbowski More renewable energy means more electricity storage When the National Academy of Engineering ranked the twentieth century’s greatest engineering achievements, first on the list was “electrification,” beating out more obvious technologies like computers and spaceflight. If this choice seems banal, it is only because our electricity supply is so remarkably reliable that it never enters our … Continue reading The Multitude of Technologies Needed for Electricity Storage

by Karen J. Kieser figures by Karen J. Kieser Tuberculosis (TB) has been a disease of humankind for millennia, and rising rates of drug resistance threaten humanity’s ability to arrest its spread. Compared to common bacterial infections, such as strep throat, which can often be treated with one pill a day for ten days, TB treatment is an immense burden (Figure 1). Drug-sensitive TB demands 6-9 months … Continue reading A Millennia-Old Disease is in the Dock: Tuberculosis on trial for resisting arrest

by Emma Bertran figures by Rebecca Clements Over the past few decades, our Earth has undergone global changes, a gradual reshaping that can be witnessed in real time. Since the Industrial Revolution, the global annual mean concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), a powerful greenhouse gas, has increased by more than 40%, rising from an average of 280 ppm (parts per million; 280 ppm can … Continue reading The Ghost of Climate Past: Lessons from a previous global warming