You’re likely reading this email on a device powered by the invention that won this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry: lithium-ion batteries. Its story started in the 1970s, but it is conferring “the greatest benefit to humankind”—as Alfred Nobel’s will stipulates—right now.
Those devices could not have shrunk and yet become so powerful without the advances that gave us lithium-ion batteries. Today, you can find them in wireless earphones, smartphones, electric cars, electric ships, and even electric planes. Ironically, what began as part of an oil company has now become a threat to the entire oil industry by making alternative forms of energy economically viable.
While much ink has been spilled to understand the exponential growth of computing power, not enough has been said about lithium-ion batteries. And as we look ahead to the rest of this century, to the rise of electrification and the growing threat of climate change, unraveling the mysteries inside the black box that holds the lithium-ion battery is critical.
One place Quartz members can start is this field guide on the battery revolution I recently wrote, with the help of some of my colleagues. In it you will find:
- The state of play of the industry, from the big players to the big trends.
- A Q&A with an MIT scientist who has launched three battery companies
- The inside story of CATL, a Chinese startup that is now the world’s largest maker of lithium-ion batteries
- A no-nonsense guide to cut through the hype any exponential technology attracts
- A roadmap on what the next battery breakthrough is likely to be
On this day of recognition for an invention that has changed humanity, I hope you’ll take the time to read my field guide. You might also be interested in Quartz’s field guides for members on China’s electric-car boom, the future of air travel, and the world’s water crisis or this profile we published some time ago of John Goodenough, one of today’s Nobel winners.
If you’re not already a member, you can sign up here. As a special offer, use code AKSHAT8487 at checkout for 50% off your first year of membership.
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Thank you for your support!
Regards,
Akshat Rathi
Senior Reporter, Quartz