Rishi

An international team of researchers has developed a groundbreaking class of mechanical metamaterials capable of storing and releasing elastic energy at unprecedented levels. By cleverly twisting rods into a helical shape and integrating them into a new metamaterial structure, they've achieved an enthalpy 2 to 160 times higher than existing materials.

The innovation uses intense torsion to induce helical buckling patterns, maximizing energy storage while maintaining structural integrity. Applications include shock absorption, robotics, and energy-efficient machines. The breakthrough combines high stiffness, high strength, and large recoverable strain—properties previously thought to be in conflict.

SpaceX has filed a request with the Federal Communications Commission to launch a constellation of up to 1 million solar-powered satellites that will serve as data centers for artificial intelligence. There are currently around 15,000 satellites orbiting Earth, and they're already creating issues with pollution and debris, but this ambitious plan aims to solve computing challenges at scale.

The satellites would be powered entirely by solar energy, making them self-sustaining infrastructure for distributed cloud computing and AI workloads. This represents a significant shift in how edge computing and data processing could be distributed across an orbital network.

In 2025, EVs made up over a quarter of new vehicle sales globally. MIT Technology Review explores three major developments: the growing opportunity for sodium-ion batteries as cheaper alternatives to lithium, major tests for solid-state batteries, and a shifting global landscape dominated by Chinese companies like CATL.

Sodium-ion batteries currently cost about $59 per kilowatt-hour, making them cheaper than average lithium-ion but still more expensive than lower-end lithium iron phosphate cells. However, rising lithium prices could soon make sodium batteries more competitive, especially for stationary storage applications.

Governor Kathy Hochul celebrated Radical AI for establishing New York's first fully autonomous materials science laboratory at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The $4 million project, supported by up to $2 million in tax credits, will create a state-of-the-art facility capable of running approximately 100 AI-driven experiments per day.

The facility will focus exclusively on discovering new inorganic materials through AI-driven experimentation, accelerating the traditionally slow process of materials discovery by 370x. The company expects to create 115 new high-paying jobs in the growing fields of materials science and AI, strengthening New York's position as a global hub for deep-tech research.