What you need to know
- Microsoft and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) might be on the verge of a breakthrough that will see the use of lithium in batteries reduced by up to 70%.
- The scientists leveraged AI and highly capable computing to identify potential materials that can be substituted in place of lithium.
- Lithium is prone to fires, and its extraction process has negative implications on the environment since it requires a lot of water and energy.
- The identified material is a solid electrolyte which makes it a poor conductor of energy, ultimately giving lithium the upper hand in comparison since it's a better conductor in its liquid state.
