Sail-powered cargo ships are making waves on the seas. High-tech versions of old tools are being installed on existing cargo ships in order to reduce fuel costs and help decarbonize the industry, which currently generates 3% of all human-created greenhouse gasses. Retrofitting cargo ships with sails could make maritime shipping greener and cheaper, and even change how the complicated shipping industry works. WSJ host Danny Lewis reports.

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Further reading:

Old-School Wind Power Is Back for Cargo Shipping 

Shipping Regulator to Steer Clear of Stricter Rules on Carbon Emissions 

Fertilizer Companies Are Betting on Ammonia as a Low-Carbon Fuel 

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Breast milk imparts a number of long-term health benefits to babies, including a lower risk of asthma, obesity, Type 1 diabetes and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But for a variety of reasons, many parents turn to formula. Now, several startups such as BIOMILQ and Helaina are working on new kinds of infant nutrition products that promise to better mimic parts of human breast milk—and may lead to advances in adult nutrition along the way. But to bring artificial breast milk to market, they’ll need to do some tough science and overcome regulatory and ethical hurdles. 

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Further reading: 

The ‘Arms Race’ to Build a Better Baby Formula 

Baby-Formula Shortage Worsened by Drop in Breast-Feeding Rates 

Baby-Formula Makers Face FTC Investigation for Collusion

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The next generation of nuclear power plants could be tiny, and that could mean big things for carbon-free electricity. Several companies including NuScale Power and Bill Gates’ TerraPower are developing small modular reactors that promise to be more adaptable than the towering conventional nuclear power plants. After years of development and growing investment, the first of these next-generation reactors could go online by 2030. But will their promises to provide safe and plentiful energy live up to the hype, and overcome the economic challenges of their predecessors? WSJ’s Danny Lewis looks at what small reactors could mean for the business of nuclear power and how you get your electricity. 

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Further reading: 

A Futuristic Plan to Make Steel With Nuclear Fusion 

Nuclear Power Is Staging a Comeback, but Is It Affordable and Safe? 

OpenAI’s Sam Altman Is Taking a Nuclear-Energy Startup Public 

Nuclear Power Is Poised for a Comeback. The Problem Is Building the Reactors. 

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There may come a day when everyone will be wearing hearing aids. That’s because today’s hearing aids can do much more than clarify and amplify sound. Companies like Starkey are adding features like cognitive activity tracking and exercise monitoring. They’re developing tech that aims to warn users before they might fall and predict aspects of mental health too. If barriers like high cost and social stigma are addressed, hearing aids could become a vital accessory, whether or not you’re one of the 55 million Americans projected to have hearing loss by 2030.

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Further reading: 

Wait, Are Hearing Aids Cool Now? Ask Millennials 

​​Apple AirPods Could Help You Hear Better 

Buying Help for Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids—Whether You Spend $250 or $2,500 

Cheaper Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Are Coming. Here’s How to Comparison Shop.  

Cures for Hearing Loss May Be Found in New Drugs 

Using Teeth to Help Restore Hearing

Better Hearing Can Lead to Better Thinking

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What if there were a way to generate clean solar electricity from space and send it directly to Earth? It sounds like science-fiction, but Caltech engineers are working on ways to collect solar energy on orbiting satellites and wirelessly beam that power back to stations on the ground. The results of their experiments suggest that space-based solar power may have a bright future. But while they’ve been able to show it’s possible on a demonstration satellite, getting power from orbit to Earth is a big challenge. WSJ’s Danny Lewis talks with science journalist Corey S. Powell about what it will take to wirelessly transmit solar energy and how it could transform the future of the grid.

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: [email protected] 

Further reading: 

Beaming Solar Energy From Space Gets a Step Closer 

The Next Bets for Renewable Energy 

Solar Boom Spreads to Timberlands and Self-Storage Rooftops 

Investments in Solar Power Eclipse Oil for First Time 

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Want to go electric? We might need to dig a little deeper… into the Earth’s crust. Researchers and startups are testing new technology and drilling techniques to harness geothermal energy – heat from the Earth that can be used to generate electricity. It’s a renewable energy source that has been billed as a way to boost energy independence while reducing carbon emissions. But because of technical limitations, geothermal made up just 0.4% of all electricity generated in the U.S last year. The Biden Administration and energy giants such as Chevron are investing in geothermal, with the aim that your lights, your cell phone and your electric car might be powered by geothermal in the future. WSJ’s Alex Ossola explores what it will take for geothermal energy to scale. 

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Further reading: 

Can the Oil-and-Gas Industry Crack Geothermal Energy?

‘Deep Geothermal’ Promises to Let Drillers Go Deeper, Faster and Hotter 

The Next Bets for Renewable Energy 

Fracking for Geothermal Energy? Not So Fast 

The Race to Drill America’s Longest Oil and Gas Wells 

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Is there life on planets other than Earth? For generations, scientists have puzzled over the question, searching for planets that might have the right conditions both inside and outside the Milky Way. There are thousands of exoplanets – those beyond our solar system – ranging from gas giants, to balls of rock, to possible ocean worlds and so-called “super Earths.” But even as new technology has given scientists a glimpse at these distant worlds, one lingering question is whether any of them can support life and what forms it might take. WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks to University of Arizona astronomer Chris Impey about what makes a planet habitable and how learning about exoplanets can teach us more about our own world.

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Further reading: 

​​A Moon of Saturn Has All the Ingredients Needed for Life 

Jupiter Mission Launches on Journey to Explore Icy Worlds 

Astronomers Catch a Star Swallowing a Planet 

These Scientists Want to Send Space Aliens a Cosmic Road Map to Earth

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AI-generated or manipulated images are quickly becoming a lot more realistic. Soon, it may be impossible to tell the difference. That could create an opportunity for people to spread misinformation, and make it difficult to know what’s real. Tech companies like Adobe, Microsoft and Google, academics and government agencies are coming up with frameworks to verify images and, in some cases, show how they’ve been altered. But, these techniques may come with security risks of their own. WSJ’s Alex Ossola and Charlotte Gartenberg explore the new technology solutions that will identify fake images online and the potential issues getting them in front of users.

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Further reading: 

AI-Created Images Are So Good Even AI Has Trouble Spotting Some 

Ask an AI Art Generator for Any Image. The Results Are Amazing—and Terrifying 

Paparazzi Photos Were the Scourge of Celebrities. Now, It’s AI 

AI, Art and the Future of Looking at a Painting 

Some of the Thorniest Questions About AI Will Be Answered in Court 

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The great American road trip has long been powered by gasoline. Gas stations are everywhere, making it easy to fill-up when your gas tank nears empty. But what if you’re trying to travel long-distance in an electric car and can’t find a charger? WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks to WSJ tech columnist Christopher Mims about his recent road trip in an ultralong-range Lucid Motors EV. The car aims to eliminate range anxiety by traveling an Environmental Protection Agency-estimated range of more than 500 miles without needing to recharge. 

What do you think about the show? Let us know on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or email us: [email protected] 

Further reading: 

Ultralong-Range Electric Cars Are Arriving. Say Goodbye to Charging Stops 

Why America Isn’t Ready for the EV Takeover

The Key to Widespread Adoption of EVs: Less Range 

Big Automakers Plan Thousands of EV Chargers in $1 Billion U.S. Push Ford Venture Gets Record $9.2 Billion Government Loan for EV Batteries

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When you think of a robot, what comes to mind? A big metal arm in a car factory? A shiny android like C3PO from “Star Wars”? What about a robot that’s soft, floppy and looks a little more like the hot dog fingers from “Everything Everywhere, All at Once”? Soft robots are engineered for more delicate tasks that used to require a human touch – like handling food or conducting tests inside our bodies. But for now, they’re isolated to specific fields, like manufacturing and medicine, and haven’t really made their way into the daily lives of most people. WSJ’s Alex Ossola looks into what it will take to bring soft robots out of the factory and hospital and into our homes. 

Further reading: 

Robots Are Learning to Handle With Care  

Robots Are Looking to Bring a Human Touch to Warehouses 

What Picking Up an Apple Tells You About the Future of Robotics  

First Autonomous, Entirely Soft Robot Developed 

Amid the Labor Shortage, Robots Step in to Make the French Fries 

The Quest for a Robot With a Sense of Touch 

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