[reddit](https://teddit.net/r/Futurology/comments/xalf33/infrared_laser_can_transmit_electricity)

[nature publication](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05004-5)

[reddit](https://libredd.it/r/science/comments/wxxzsn/engineers_at_mit_have_developed_a_new_battery)

In concept, space-based solar power is fairly straightforward. Satellites orbiting well above Earth's atmosphere collect solar energy and convert it into current; this energy is then beamed back to Earth via microwaves, where they are captured by photovoltaic cells or antennas and converted into electricity for residential or industrial use. The primary benefits of gathering solar power from space, rather than on the ground, is that there is no night or clouds to interfere with collection; and the solar incidence is much higher than at the northern latitudes of the European continent.

Antarctica's coastal glaciers are shedding icebergs more rapidly than nature can replenish the crumbling ice, doubling previous estimates of losses from the world's largest ice sheet over the past 25 years, a satellite analysis showed on Wednesday. The first-of-its-kind study, led by researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) near Los Angeles and published in the journal Nature, raises new concern about how fast climate change is weakening Antarctica's floating ice shelves and accelerating the rise of global sea levels.

Drug delivery in the body relies on diffusion, but it's often inefficient. It works well in the bloodstream, but more poorly in viscous substrates like mucus. Self-propelled nanobots may be a superior solution. Millions of people around the world die every year in hospitals from bacterial infections that are very hard to treat with conventional drugs, so a breakthrough like this may offer a much better solution.

Wind power on the oceans could power the species many times over. Research suggests a chunk of the ocean between iceland and the UK could power the whole world's energy needs in the winter, and electricity needs in summer. This type of wind resource exists in both the northern and southern higher latitudes. If we built two power lines circling the earth at these latitiudes we could do some serious space lazer shit based wind power. [Source](https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1705710114) Now, if we figure out how to integrate solar power that 'floats above the waves' in these same areas - we yet again see a chance to power the world. Not so confident on the world wide power line just yet, but that's ok for now...but places with big ocean borders could do some cool things.