One task awaiting new energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is devising a plan to avoid a crisis by the end of the decade

Welcome to the energy secretary job, Miatta Fahnbulleh. You have a politically tricky decision to make on whether to approve production at the Jackdaw gasfield and the Rosebank oilfield. But here’s another one that can’t wait much longer: what is the broader plan to ensure Britain avoids a gas supply crisis in 2030?

By way of reminder, one of the more alarming reports published by the energy department under Ed Miliband was the one that warned of “an emerging risk” to gas supplies at the turn of the decade if an important piece of kit – an import terminal, say, or the critical 725-mile Langeled pipeline from Norway – were to be out of the action during a severe cold snap.

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© Photograph: PA Images/Alamy

© Photograph: PA Images/Alamy

© Photograph: PA Images/Alamy

Apple:

In macOS 28 and later, the Mac OS Extended file system format will be supported only for volumes (disks and other storage devices) that aren’t encrypted. For future macOS compatibility, either decrypt or reformat any encrypted Mac OS Extended volumes.

I think Apple removed the user interface for creating such volumes way back in Big Sur. It’s not really surprising that they’re going away, although only offering a year of warnings seems rather aggressive. Many people delay updating to major OS versions or wait until they get a new Mac. There will be users that switch to a Mac that can only run macOS 28 and get rid of their old one before realizing that some drive they haven’t connected in a while won’t mount.

The other surprising part is that Apple’s options—reformat or decrypt—are not great. During the initial transition to APFS, macOS would transparently convert an encrypted HFS+ boot volume to encrypted APFS without rewriting any data. This functionality is nominally still available via the diskutil apfs convert command, but Apple hasn’t mentioned this or built an automatic upgrader GUI.

[Decrypting] doesn’t apply to encrypted Time Machine backup disks.

It’s obvious why. The old Time Machine format with hard links is totally different from the new one based on APFS snapshots. But this means that you’ll either need to buy a new Time Machine drive for use with macOS 28 or delete your backup history. Even if you keep the old drive, you’ll need an older boot drive or an old Mac in order to be able to access it.

Previously:

• Searching Time Machine Backups and Versions
• macOS 27 Golden Gate Announced
• macOS 27 to Drop Support for AirPort and Time Capsule Backups
• Removing Unwanted APFS Time Machine Backups
• Should You Continue Using HFS+?
• Time Machine Evolution and APFS
• SuperDuper 3.3 for Catalina
• APFS to be Mandatory for SSDs in High Sierra

Update (2026-07-24): Marcus Mendes:

Apple has now revised the page to add a third option, allowing users to convert an encrypted HFS+ volume directly to encrypted APFS without decrypting it first.

[…]

The company has also removed its previous instructions for decrypting the volume first, converting it to APFS without erasing it, and then optionally re-encrypting it.

Hammer:

Ignore Apple’s guidance and do not use Convert to APFS in Disk Utility for disk images.

The first encrypted HFS+ disk image I tried to convert that way failed and left me with an unusable disk image. If I didn’t have backups I’d have lost its contents.

It didn’t corrupt the disk images that I tried, but it didn’t work, either, instead failing with an error about expecting a GPT partitioning scheme.

Update (2026-07-28): Howard Oakley:

As encrypted disk images have never used CoreStorage, withdrawal of support for that has no impact on the continued use of any form of encrypted disk image, including those using HFS+ as their virtual file system.

This is a good point. Apple’s support page refers to “encrypted Mac OS Extended disks,” but the developer release notes refer to CoreStorage specifically. So this shouldn’t affect most encrypted disk images, which show up in Finder as unencrypted after mounting. The encryption is at the disk image level rather than at the file system level. However, I’m not sure that all encrypted disk images are safe. Presumably, a device image, which directly copies the blocks rather than the files, would still use CoreStorage.

Mike Bombich:

The USB device drivers report that they are destroying the “Rocket XTRM Q” device due to a “link change interrupt”

APFS filesystem drivers report a “dangling mount”, failures to finish transactions before unmount, and dozens of “media is not present” errors.[…]

storagekit collects a report of the “disappeared” devices and notices that one of them was mounted. This is ultimately what leads to the “Disk Not Ejected Properly” notification.

Unfortunately, nothing in here explains what caused the “link change interrupt”; all we know is that the USB device drivers detected an interruption.

Not discussed here, perhaps because there’s little we can do about it, is the role of changes to macOS. I’ve documented problems in the past of hard drives, which used to work perfectly, suddenly start spontaneously unmounting with every backup after updating to a new OS version. The Sierra to Big Sur period was particularly bad, as I recall. (There are also some hard drive enclosures, and cheap SSDs, that seem to be problematic to matter the OS version, but I don’t continue to use those.) Sometime around Monterey or Ventura, the spontaneous unmounts almost completely disappeared for me, though Ventura introduced other mounting/unmounting problems. Last week, I finally updated to Tahoe, and I’m sad to say that spontaneous unmounts are back. Almost every night, one of my Samsung SSDs—connected to a Thunderbolt dock—gets reported as improperly ejected. Sometimes it remounts by itself; other times I have to unplug and replug it.

Previously:

• Upgrading My Mac’s External SSD
• Remaining Issues in Big Sur
• OWC Dual Drive Dock USB 3.1
• Some Known Bugs in macOS 10.12.6
• RocketStor Drive Dock: More Expensive But Reliable
• Highpoint RocketStor 5212 Thunderbolt Dual Drive Dock
• Ejecting External Disks With macOS 13
• Ventura Issues

Update (2026-07-09): Rosyna Keller:

I keep getting these errors too. It only started when I connected the external SSD to a OWC Thunderbolt dock. It never happened with direct connect.

My Thunderbolt dock is from Anker.

Update (2026-07-10): Matt:

I also just stared getting these a bunch. Mine is connected to a CalDigit Thunderbolt dock.

I have to wonder if something changed in a recent update (15.7/26.4?)

macOS 27 Golden Gate Beta 3 Release Notes:

Apple Intelligence for Home requires an iCloud+ subscription starting at 2TB.

Via Rajesh Pandey:

As part of the upgrade, the Home app uses AI to generate summaries of motion alerts from compatible HomeKit Secure Video cameras.

[…]

Apple likely requires the 2TB iCloud+ tier because HomeKit Secure Video already relies on iCloud+ storage tiers. The 2TB plan supports a larger number of cameras, and AI-generated video descriptions would add to Apple’s cloud processing costs.

That makes sense, but it seems odd because the iCloud tiers are named based on storage amounts, yet the feature isn’t tied to how much space you’re actually using. A lower iCloud plan with tons of free space doesn’t get the features, yet a nearly full 2 TB plan does. There are already restrictions where supporting more cameras requires higher plans, but that is at least quasi related to storage.

I reluctantly upgraded to a 2 TB family plan within the last year or so. We don’t store many files in iCloud, messages are set to auto-delete after a year, and I manually offload photos older than a year (except for hearted favorites). It’s hard to believe given how I remember the original 5 GB free tier once being sufficient, but staying under 200 GB became untenable without a lot of extra work. It doesn’t help that Live Photos sometimes gets inadvertently turned on, so that we’re storing all these little videos without realizing it.

Previously:

• “Don’t Let Me Go” and iCloud Storage Tiers
• Limiting iMessage’s Disk Usage
• The Missing iCloud Storage Bump

Android Backup passa a contar todos os dados no armazenamento da conta Google, com mais controle para o usuário.

O post Android agora conta todos os dados de backup na sua conta Google apareceu primeiro em Blog do Edivaldo - Informações e Notícias sobre Linux.

CATL has signed a memorandum of understanding with Dutch energy company Alfen to deploy 5 GWh of its Tener Sodium energy storage systems across Europe, one of the largest sodium-ion commitments the region has seen.

The batteries are rated for 15,000 cycles and a 25-to-30-year service life — the pitch that sodium-ion’s longevity, not its energy density, is what wins grid storage.

With end-to-end encryption and zero-knowledge architecture, Scramble Cloud offers a 20TB lifetime cloud storage subscription for $349.95.

(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Bacterial cellulose—nature’s own polymer scaffold—is gaining attention as a renewable feedstock for supercapacitor electrodes. With modern devices demanding fast charge, high power bursts, and long cycle life, researchers are searching for electrode materials that combine performance with sustainability.

A new systematic literature review led by Prof. Dahlang Tahir at Hasanuddin University, Indonesia, maps how bacterial cellulose-derived carbon (BCC) is turned into energy-storage electrodes—and why some fabrication paths outperform others. The study synthesizes evidence from the scientific record to clarify which processing choices control electrochemical behavior.

The review focuses on BCC as a precursor to porous carbon. Bacterial cellulose forms a naturally pure, interconnected network of nanoscale fibers, and heat treatment can convert that architecture into carbon structures with tunable porosity—critical for charge storage. The authors emphasize that electrical performance is not just a matter of “making carbon,” but of preserving and engineering the fiber network before carbonization.

Across 49 Scopus-indexed journal articles, the team compares major strategies including direct carbonization, chemical activation to enlarge pore systems, heteroatom doping to modify surface chemistry, and composite fabrication with materials that can add rapid redox (pseudocapacitive) contributions.

A recurring message is the importance of pre-carbonization drying. Freeze-drying appears as the most commonly used approach because it limits collapse of the wet nanofiber structure during water removal. Since pore architecture governs ion access and charge transport, maintaining nanoscale structure can translate into higher effective capacitance.

The review also distinguishes test formats. Three-electrode measurements are frequently reported, but two-electrode devices better represent real supercapacitor operation, where electrode–electrode interactions shape performance.

When processing is optimized, the results point toward a pathway for BCC-based electrodes to rival or surpass commercial activated carbon under comparable conditions. Activation and heteroatom doping generally increase accessible surface area and create additional active sites, while composites often achieve the strongest capacitance by combining electrical double-layer effects with fast surface reactions.

Yet the authors warn that progress is constrained by inconsistent experimental reporting, uneven protocols, and limited mechanistic understanding. To move beyond laboratory demonstrations, they call for predictive design, data-driven structure–performance models, scalable carbonization methods, and robust flexible devices resistant to deformation and humidity.

Subject of Research: Supercapacitor electrodes using bacterial cellulose-derived carbon
Article Title: Bacterial cellulose-derived carbon electrodes for supercapacitors: Fabrication strategies, electrochemical performance, and mechanical properties — A review
News Publication Date: 9 June 2026
Web References: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2026.123044
References: 10.1016/j.est.2026.123044
Image Credits: Lightenoughtotravel from Wikimedia Commons

Keywords

bacterial cellulose; supercapacitors; porous carbon; freeze-drying; chemical activation; heteroatom doping; electrode materials; two-electrode testing; pseudocapacitance; sustainable energy storage

Google's biggest solar and battery project stands in sharp contrast with xAI's nearby unpermitted power plant.

Les orages vont se multiplier ces prochaines heures, et ces prochains jours, en France. La vague orageuse qui mettra fin à la canicule va traverser la majorité du pays, et certains départements risquent d'être confrontés à des phénomènes violents, voire destructeurs. 

BYD Energy Storage has landed a contract to supply 11.275 GWh of battery storage for Masdar’s Round the Clock (RTC) project in Abu Dhabi — one of the single largest energy storage procurements ever signed.

The RTC project pairs a 5.2 GW solar array with a 19 GWh battery system, making it the world’s largest combined solar-plus-storage plant. BYD’s award covers the majority of that storage.

China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) has put the world’s largest solar PV-plus-concentrated-solar hybrid into commercial trial operation in the Gobi Desert — and its headline trick is delivering power after sunset without a single lithium battery.

The 1-gigawatt Hami project in Xinjiang stores the sun’s energy as heat in molten salt, letting it keep generating for up to eight hours after dark.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign say underground aquifers could offer an unexpected solution to one of artificial intelligence’s fastest-growing environmental challenges: cooling the massive data centers that power the technology.

As protests and debates continue over the rapid expansion of AI data centers around the world, researchers are exploring new ways to manage the enormous amounts of energy and water required to keep these facilities running. To meet such demands, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign team has proposed an innovative solution: using underground aquifers as natural “thermal batteries” to cool data centers while reducing their environmental footprint.

Critics have raised concerns ranging from the vast quantities of water consumed by AI infrastructure to the ethical implications of job displacement and the broader societal impacts of artificial intelligence. Against that backdrop, designing AI systems that reduce their climate impact could represent an important step toward more sustainable computing.

Researchers Yu-Feng Lin, Andrew Stumpf, and postdoctoral researcher Upasana Pandey from the Prairie Research Institute’s Illinois State Geological Survey explored the potential of Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) as a cooling strategy for data centers. The team suggests underground water systems could provide an efficient alternative to traditional cooling methods. Their findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Groundwater.

“Data centers use large amounts of electricity, and 10 to 40% of that energy can go just to cooling, depending on the design,” Pandey said in a statement. “They also consume tremendous volumes of water, often through cooling methods where water is evaporated and effectively lost from the local supply.”

To address both challenges, the researchers propose using groundwater stored beneath Earth’s surface as a reusable thermal energy storage system. ATES can provide direct or supplemental cooling by circulating groundwater through underground pipes. Cool groundwater absorbs heat through a heat exchanger before the warmed water is returned to the aquifer for seasonal storage. The system can also store excess summer heat for winter heating and preserve cold winter water for use during the summer months.

“In places like Illinois, where we experience seasonality, and when the subsurface geology is ideal, instead of constantly trying to moderate the outdoor temperatures that swing from 90°F in summer to minus 10°F in winter, we can tap into the Earth’s near-constant temperature,” Stumpf said. “You’re no longer adjusting from 90°F to 70°F; you’re adjusting from about 55°F to 70°F. That’s a huge energy savings.”

Illinois is particularly well-suited for aquifer thermal energy storage because of its pronounced seasonal temperature swings, favorable aquifer characteristics, and suitable subsurface geology. The system can utilize non-potable water sources, including deep saline aquifers, contaminated groundwater, and even abandoned mines.

According to the researchers, the primary barriers to broader adoption are the high upfront installation costs and relatively short investment timelines, rather than technical feasibility.

“Data centers sit at the center of the water-energy nexus: If you try to reduce energy use, you often use more water, and if you reduce water use, you may need more energy,” Lin said. “Our work looks for solutions that address both together.”

“Water is a magic material in this context because it has high heat capacity and can be a good thermal carrier with flow,” he adds.

“That combination is rare, and in groundwater, we can tap those same properties for energy storage.”

Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and the founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on YouTube and on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton, Instagram: @BeingChrissyNewton, and chrissynewton.com. To contact Chrissy with a story, please email chrissy @ thedebrief.org.

Poisson spots, a light phenomenon first discovered two centuries ago, have been employed by researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), to produce optical skyrmions, a stable light pattern, with major implications for cutting-edge data storage research.

Published in the journal Optica, the NTU researchers describe producing small, swirling optical skyrmions using only a laser focused on a small disk, thereby eliminating the need for complex, expensive equipment typically required to achieve the same effect.

The NTU team’s breakthrough allows optical scientists to generate, control, and study this optical light phenomenon much more easily than before.

Data in Light

In the search for optimal data storage and retrieval methods, scientists have been considering skyrmions as a potential next-generation solution for communication and computing applications. Earlier skyrmion work required metamaterials engineered with complex microstructures, although at great expense.

“What is remarkable is that optical skyrmions can now be generated using a simple effect where light bends around an object, without relying on expensive, complex man-made metamaterials or highly specialised techniques,” explained co-author Shen Yijie, of NTU’s School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

“This could make optical skyrmions much more accessible to researchers,” Shen continued. “By lowering the technical barrier to creating and studying them, the method opens up new possibilities for scientists to study how they could be used in future optical, materials, and computing research.”

The Nature of Light

Scientists have been interested in the Poisson spot since the early 19th century, as part of the debate over whether light travels as waves or particles. When a coherent light source—in this case, a laser—strikes a circular object, a bright point appears at the center of its shadow. That bright point is what physicists refer to as the Poisson spot.

This is created by light diffraction, the bending and spreading that occurs when it moves through an object or a small opening. Nineteenth-century experiments, which produced the Poisson spot instead of the solid darkness normally expected of a shadow, were major evidence for diffraction—the wave-like behavior of light.

Skyrmions have been studied from many angles over the years, first out of an interest in particle physics and nuclear physics; then in condensed matter physics and magnetic materials research, and now in photonics.

Producing Skyrmions

The new Poisson spot-based system developed by the NTU team creates four distinct patterns at the same time: spin skyrmions, Stokes skyrmions, electric-field skyrmions, and magnetic-field skyrmions. Spin describes how the light rotates, while Stokes parameters quantify the light wave’s polarization as it travels.

By possessing this “four-in-one” behavior, the researchers say these expressions could provide a valuable opportunity to study skyrmion formations, variety, and interaction within a single light field.

The NTU team’s simulations of skyrmions depict them as swirls of arrows, enabling researchers to track how light’s properties change direction as it traverses the Poisson spot. The intensity, phase, polarization, spin, electric, and magnetic field vectors of light can all be manipulated by scientists to create patterns in light called topological structures, enabling researchers to control the size, shape, and behavior of skyrmions.

“In the light spot that we created, several types of optical vectors could form topological structures at the same time,” Shen explained. “These different components of light are closely connected, but they do not necessarily form identical topological patterns.”

“Being able to produce and compare several skyrmions within one system could help researchers uncover new links between light’s electric, magnetic, and other physical properties,” Shen concluded.

Going forward, the NTU team hopes that their work will help to quite literally illuminate a new path for the future of data storage and communications technologies.

The paper, “Optical Skyrmions in Poisson Spots,” appeared in Optica on June 18, 2026.

Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.

Tesla and independent energy firm NatPower have reached a deal to build 25 gigawatt-hours of battery storage in Italy and Britain, the first phase of a program worth up to $5 billion.

Under the multiyear agreement, NatPower will deploy Tesla’s Megapack systems and use Tesla’s trading software to decide when to buy and sell electricity — extending Tesla’s reach deeper into Europe’s fast-growing grid storage market.

Security cameras have gone from a niche commercial investment to something close to standard equipment. Front doors, driveways,

In the ever-evolving landscape of energy storage technologies, the lithium–sulfur (Li–S) battery stands out for its promise to deliver unmatched energy density and reduced costs compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries. However, progress toward commercial viability has been hampered by complex electrochemical challenges, particularly those involving interfacial charge transfer dynamics. A new study, recently published in Nature, unveils groundbreaking insights into the intricate reaction pathways occurring at solid–liquid interfaces within Li–S batteries, illuminating mechanisms that govern lithium sulfide deposition under realistic, lean electrolyte conditions.

The difficulty in understanding and controlling the conversion of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) during battery cycling stems largely from the dynamic and highly concentrated nature of reactant distributions at the electrode–electrolyte interface. In these environments, the balance between surface-bound and dissolved species dictates the overall electrochemical performance. The new research deploys advanced in situ liquid-cell electron microscopy techniques to directly visualize these sophisticated concentration gradients, a feat that has eluded scientists due to the liquid phase’s complexity and the scales involved.

What emerges from this study is a revelation of concentration-driven phase segregation phenomena right at the interfacial layers, termed high-concentration interfacial layers (HCILs). These HCILs form as LiPSs aggregate in the immediate vicinity of the electrode surface during cycling, dramatically altering the local reaction environment. This segregation is not merely a passive occurrence; it actively directs charge-transfer dynamics by establishing competitive conditions between surface-mediated and solution-based pathways. The delicate interplay in these zones influences where and how lithium sulfide (Li₂S) nucleates and grows, directly impacting the battery’s capacity retention and cycling stability.

Complementing the microscopy observations, computational explorations using density functional theory (DFT) provide a molecular-level understanding of how LiPS clusters modify their electronic structure upon aggregation. The study identifies that the molecular geometries and orbital hybridizations evolve as LiPSs coalesce, resulting in enhanced electronic interactions that facilitate charge transfer through the concentrated clusters. This phenomenon fundamentally challenges previously held models which treated LiPS species largely as isolated entities, offering a new paradigm that accounts for collective behavior in highly concentrated solutions.

The practical implications of these mechanistic insights are far-reaching. By comprehending how HCILs govern interfacial reaction pathways, the researchers have engineered electrodes that strategically balance surface and solution reactions amidst high LiPS concentrations. These meticulously optimized electrodes enable impressive fast-charging capabilities—reaching rates up to 4 C with current densities of 26.8 mA cm⁻²—without compromising energy density, which itself surges beyond 400 Wh kg⁻¹. Such milestones represent a substantial leap forward in the achievable performance metrics for Li–S battery technology.

This study’s significance extends beyond the immediate Li–S chemistry, addressing a broader challenge in electrochemical energy conversion: capturing and controlling complex interfacial phenomena under dynamically varying concentrations. The in situ liquid-cell electron microscopy method establishes a powerful approach for observing reactive species and phase evolution directly in their native electrochemical environment. As such, it holds promise to transform research across a host of energy storage and catalysis systems where interfacial reactions dictate overall function.

Notably, this work also clarifies why lean electrolyte conditions—essential for practical high-energy devices—have historically been so difficult to optimize. The rich detail uncovered concerning phase segregation and charge transfer competition suggests that managing HCIL formation and stability may be the key to unlocking robust Li₂S deposition and dissolution cycles. Hence, this strategy could mitigate common pitfalls like cathode passivation and capacity fading, which have limited long-term operational viability.

The fusion of experimental visualization with robust theoretical modeling provides a comprehensive framework that future researchers and engineers can exploit to rationally design electrode interfaces. Moving past empirical trial-and-error, the ability to predict and control molecular aggregation behavior and its effects on electronic properties opens new avenues for tuning battery chemistry on an atomic scale. Such sophistication could accelerate the sustainable deployment of lithium–sulfur batteries within electric vehicles, grid storage, and portable electronics.

Moreover, the study emphasizes the profound impact of molecular-level phenomena on macroscopic performance metrics such as charging speed and energy density. By showing that the electrochemical environment at the nanoscale directly modulates reaction kinetics and phase evolution, this research bridges a critical knowledge gap between fundamental science and technological application. It highlights the necessity for integrated approaches combining real-time imaging, theoretical insight, and materials engineering.

Looking ahead, the insights gained are poised to influence material selection, electrolyte formulation, and cell architecture design. Tailoring these elements to favor desirable HCIL characteristics could lead to batteries that not only charge rapidly and store vast amounts of energy but also maintain stability over many cycles. Furthermore, the foundational principles elucidated may inspire innovations beyond lithium–sulfur systems, potentially transforming a range of emerging battery chemistries where interface complexity rules.

In conclusion, this remarkable study marks a pivotal advance in understanding and harnessing the subtleties of interfacial charge transfer within lithium–sulfur batteries. By unraveling the competitive reactions shaped by concentration gradients and molecular aggregation, it charts a pathway toward high-performance batteries ready for real-world demands. As energy storage solutions continue to underpin the clean energy transition, such elegant fusion of fundamental science and engineering innovation will be indispensable for propelling next-generation technologies.

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Subject of Research: Charge transfer and reaction mechanisms at solid–liquid interfaces in lithium–sulfur batteries.

Article Title: Revealing competitive interfacial reactions in high-energy Li–S batteries.

Article References:
Zhou, S., Pei, F., Zheng, Q. et al. Revealing competitive interfacial reactions in high-energy Li–S batteries. Nature (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09473-2

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09473-2

In recent years, forests have emerged as pivotal players in global climate mitigation efforts, representing one of the most promising nature-based climate solutions available today. These ecosystems sequester approximately 31% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions annually, providing a critical buffer against the accelerating pace of climate change. However, the reliability of forest carbon credit systems—mechanisms designed to monetize and incentivize carbon sequestration efforts—has come under intense scrutiny. A groundbreaking study published in the journal Biological Diversity unveils deep-rooted methodological flaws that cast profound doubt on the environmental integrity of current carbon credit frameworks, signaling a crisis of confidence across global carbon markets.

The rigorous analysis, spearheaded by environmental scientists from Yangtze University and Beijing Normal University, meticulously dissects the complex architecture of forest carbon credit systems and identifies four principal structural weaknesses that collectively undermine their trustworthiness. Foremost among these is the use of subjective assessments of additionality, a core concept requiring that credited emissions reductions would not have occurred in the absence of the project. Present carbon credit models predominantly rely on static historical baselines to calculate additionality, yet only an alarming 6% of REDD+ credits—credits allocated under the United Nations’ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation program—provide robust empirical evidence to substantiate genuine additional carbon mitigation.

Beyond the critical challenge of additionality, the permanence of carbon sequestration—signifying the long-term retention of carbon stock in forest biomass—is grossly overestimated by current standards. This overestimation is particularly precarious in light of escalating ecological disturbances linked to climate change including wildfires, prolonged droughts, pestilence outbreaks, and inadvertent carbon leakage where forest degradation shifts to unmonitored regions. The failure to appropriately incorporate these growing risks into permanence calculations means that many credited projects likely exaggerate their true contribution to climate mitigation, presenting an illusory picture of impact.

The study further reveals that leakage accounting—the assessment and adjustment for project-driven emissions displacement—is critically underdeveloped. Prevailing methodologies apply a modest average leakage deduction of only 7%, a figure that starkly contrasts with empirical findings suggesting leakage rates ranging from 10% to a staggering 70%. Such systemic under-accounting inflates the perceived net climate benefits of these forest projects, enabling an artificially optimistic valuation of carbon credits within international markets and undermining carbon trading integrity.

Compounding these shortcomings are the conspicuous omissions of biophysical impacts such as albedo and evapotranspiration effects in carbon accounting. Forest ecosystems substantially influence Earth’s energy balance through their reflectance properties and water cycling functions. Neglecting these elements obscures the true net climate impact, as alterations in surface albedo can significantly offset the cooling benefits gained from carbon sequestration, thereby diluting the overall effectiveness of forest-based interventions in climate regulation.

The collective failure to address these intertwined issues has deep ramifications not only for the credibility of carbon markets but also for biodiversity conservation and community well-being, which are often marginalized in project implementation. Insufficient local community involvement and opaque benefit-sharing arrangements risk alienating indigenous stakeholders, raising social equity concerns, and jeopardizing the sustainability and durability of mitigation efforts.

In response to these multifaceted challenges, the research team advocates for a transformative overhaul of forest carbon credit systems through a data-driven, science-based, and integrative accounting framework. Central to this reform is the replacement of static baselines with dynamic monitoring systems that leverage high-frequency remote sensing technologies alongside advanced machine learning algorithms. This approach enables objective, continuous, and quantitative assessments of additionality, dramatically enhancing transparency and scientific rigor in credit issuance.

Addressing permanence requires the establishment of a comprehensive three-tier risk management architecture comprised of prevention, buffering, and insurance mechanisms. This tiered system proactively mitigates disturbances by integrating biodiversity conservation as a mandatory compliance criterion rather than considering it a supplemental benefit, thus embedding ecosystem resilience at the heart of carbon project governance.

Transparency and standardization are equally emphasized through the call for stringent Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) protocols. The use of cutting-edge technologies such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and environmental DNA (eDNA) is prescribed to ensure precise biomass and biodiversity assessments. Additionally, mandatory disclosure of datasets and verification methodologies aims to foster independent third-party audits, enhancing accountability and stakeholder confidence in carbon accounting practices.

Sociopolitical dimensions are also addressed, with the framework highlighting the critical necessity of formalized community governance structures and the institutionalization of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) procedures. These mandates ensure that forest-dependent communities retain decision-making power and equitable access to the socioeconomic benefits derived from carbon sequestration projects, thereby reinforcing local stewardship and long-term project viability.

While the introduction of these rigorous standards is expected to contract the overall volume of carbon credits issued—reflecting a more conservative and realistic accounting of mitigation gains—the resultant credits will embody higher integrity and trustworthiness. This qualitative transformation is paramount for forest carbon credits to evolve from contested commodities susceptible to skepticism into robust and reliable assets underpinning credible global climate governance.

The implications of this research are profound. By embedding scientific rigor and standardized risk management, forest carbon credits can realize their full potential as durable climate mitigation tools while simultaneously safeguarding biodiversity and respecting community rights. This paradigm shift promises to restore confidence among stakeholders, catalyze more effective climate finance mechanisms, and advance global efforts to stabilize the Earth’s climate system.

Ultimately, this work underscores a crucial message: nature-based climate solutions like forests must be governed by scientifically sound and socially just frameworks. Only through such commitment to transparency, accuracy, and inclusivity can these natural assets deliver genuine and lasting contributions to the fight against climate change.

---

Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: Restoring Trust: Rebuilding the Forest Carbon Credit System Through Scientific Rigor
News Publication Date: June 17, 2026
Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bod2.70026
References: Chen, Xiaoqian, and Shaokun Li. 2026. “Restoring Trust: Rebuilding the Forest Carbon Credit System Through Scientific Rigor,” Biological Diversity: 1–5.
Image Credits: Xiaoqian Chen, and Shaokun Li
Keywords: Environmental sciences, Carbon emissions, Biodiversity conservation, Climate change mitigation, Risk management, Deforestation, Community ecology, Albedo, Resource policy, Environmental economics, Sustainable development, Land use, Climate change adaptation, Forestry, Carbon, Environmental policy, Environmental impact assessments, Environmental management, Remote sensing, Forest ecosystems

In a groundbreaking advancement that bridges the gap between biological intelligence and artificial systems, researchers at Oregon State University have engineered a light-sensitive device that not only detects visual stimuli but also bio-mimics the brain’s ability to store and modulate memories dynamically. Drawing direct inspiration from the complex workings of human neural processes, this pioneering approach integrates sensing, memory, and signal processing into a single phototransistor, a feat poised to revolutionize the future of neuromorphic computing.

Traditional artificial intelligence hardware architectures typically bifurcate these essential functions—detection, memory retention, and processing—forcing data to shuttle between distinct components. This separation not only introduces latency but significantly amplifies energy consumption. The novel phototransistor developed by the OSU team disrupts this paradigm by embedding memory capabilities precisely where sensory inputs occur, vastly improving computational efficiency and speed.

Central to this device’s innovation is its ability to mimic the neurochemical processes governing memory strength and decay in the human brain. Rather than storing information with fixed permanence, the phototransistor utilizes trapped electrical charges generated by incident light to represent memories, which can then be pharmacologically tuned—via electrical gate voltages—to either reinforce or weaken these stored traces over time. This dynamic modulation reproduces the adaptive nature of biological synapses and opens unprecedented avenues for creating AI systems that can ‘forget’ as well as ‘remember,’ essential for real-time learning and adaptation.

Structurally, the device marries an oxide semiconductor acting as the electronic transistor channel with an organic photosensitive layer responsible for absorbing photons and generating charge carriers. The organic layer traps a subset of these carriers, creating a persistent local electric field even after illumination ceases. This trapped charge influences electron flow through the semiconductor channel, effectively encoding a memory of prior light exposure.

A key technical breakthrough lies in the device’s gate-tunable interface: by adjusting the voltage applied to the transistor’s gate terminal, researchers can manipulate the spatial positioning of trapped charges relative to the conduction channel at a nanoscopic level. This precise control modulates the strength of electrical interaction, allowing for programmable decay times of the optoelectronic memory—ranging from seconds to considerably longer durations. Such flexibility is vital for neuromorphic systems requiring adjustable time constants for processing temporal patterns.

The implications of this technology extend beyond simple visual sensing. By localizing both sensing and adaptive memory functions, the phototransistor can serve as a foundational building block for advanced vision systems capable of real-time data processing with exceptional energy efficiency. This novel hardware approach offers substantial improvements over conventional sensors, which often offload processing to centralized units, incurring latency and energy penalties.

Neuromorphic computing, a field striving to emulate the architecture and operational principles of the brain, stands to gain significantly from this development. The device’s capacity to embody synapse-like plasticity within a phototransistor embodies a leap toward systems that do not merely compute but adapt, learn, and optimize autonomously. Furthermore, the integration of these functionalities at the hardware level paves the way for compact, scalable AI platforms potentially transformative for robotics, autonomous vehicles, and sensory-rich IoT devices.

The research team acknowledges that the trapped charges’ mobility within the device’s photosensitive layer marks a fundamental departure from fixed-charge memory devices. By enabling charge repositioning in response to externally applied voltages, the phototransistor achieves an unprecedented degree of control over memory retention timescales—a property rarely realized in optoelectronic components designed for AI applications.

From an energy perspective, co-localizing sensing and computation reduces data transfer bottlenecks traditionally plaguing AI processors. This attribute directly addresses pressing challenges in AI hardware, where escalating computational demands often collide with limitations in battery life and thermal management. As a result, the novel phototransistor aligns with broader efforts to develop sustainable, high-performance AI technologies.

Conceived through a multidisciplinary collaboration spanning electrical engineering and physical sciences at Oregon State University, the device’s development also underscores the growing convergence of materials science with computational intelligence. By synergizing metal oxide semiconductors with organic tetracene compounds, the team harnessed complementary material properties—robust electron transport with efficient light absorption—to realize the device’s multifunctional capabilities.

The National Science Foundation’s support, alongside the efforts of researchers including Larry Cheng, Ahasan Ullah, Tasnim Sarker, Xueqiao Zhang, Andrew Ensinger, Lizhong Chen, Roshell Lamug, and Oksana Ostroverkhova, culminated in the publication of their findings in the esteemed journal Advanced Functional Materials. The study not only charts new territory in optoelectronics but also sets the stage for transformative innovation in neuromorphic computing hardware.

As artificial intelligence increasingly demands systems capable of real-world adaptability and resource efficiency, innovations like this gate-tunable neuro-phototransistor epitomize the direction forward. By drawing directly from the brain’s principles of memory modulation and energy-efficient computation, the OSU team’s technology heralds a new era where AI devices can perceive, process, and remember in ways that approximate human cognition more closely than ever before.

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Subject of Research: Not applicable

Article Title: Neuromodulator-Inspired Gate-Tunable Tetracene–Metal Oxide Phototransistor for Adaptive Optoelectronic Memory and Neuromorphic Computing

News Publication Date: 19-May-2026

Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adfm.75942

References: Published in Advanced Functional Materials

Image Credits: Oregon State University

Keywords

Neuromorphic computing, phototransistor, adaptive memory, optoelectronics, brain-inspired AI, gate-tunable memory, oxide semiconductor, organic photosensitive material, energy-efficient AI, in-sensor computing, tetracene, neuromodulation

In a breakthrough that could reshape the future of sustainable materials and energy production, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering have unveiled a revolutionary method of producing high-quality graphite at significantly lower temperatures than those traditionally required. The pivotal discovery emerged unexpectedly in the laboratory of Professor Götz Veser, where ethane was pumped through molten metal heated to under 1,000 degrees Celsius. Contrary to expectations, the carbon byproduct that surfaced was not the usual mundane residue but a fluffy, high-grade graphite, a material that has become a cornerstone in advanced battery technologies.

Graphite, often hailed as “black gold,” particularly in contexts involving automotive and high-tech sectors, is indispensable for lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles and modern electronics. Currently, the industrial synthesis of such graphite is a notoriously energy-heavy process necessitating temperatures approaching 3,000 degrees Celsius. Moreover, the global supply chain is heavily dependent on China, which accounts for some 95 percent of battery-grade graphite production. This dependency presents significant challenges in energy efficiency, sustainability, and geopolitical autonomy.

The Pittsburgh team, led by Professor Veser and former PhD candidate Aime Laurent Twizerimana, along with Assistant Professor Mohammad Masnadi and PhD student Nader Sawtarie, recognized the urgent need for an energy-efficient and domestically viable alternative. Their research harnessed an underexplored catalytic method involving molten metals, a concept that traces its roots back nearly a century but remained largely unexploited in this context. Unlike conventional solid catalysts, molten metal catalysts offer a unique physical characteristic: their extreme density causes carbon to separate and float atop the molten medium, simplifying collection and preventing reactor clogging.

The process began as an effort to develop greener pathways for ethylene production by “cracking” ethane, a major component of natural gas abundant in Western Pennsylvania. Ethane cracking conventionally involves steam reforming, a technique plagued by continuous formation of carbon deposits that necessitate frequent shutdowns for maintenance. However, the molten metal catalysis technique demonstrated a cleaner and more efficient alternative, reducing energy input while producing valuable byproducts.

As Twizerimana delved deeper into his doctoral research, he noticed a curious variation in carbon morphology when different metals were employed. Some metals yielded a fluffy, distinct carbon arrangement rather than the dense deposits typically associated with ethane cracking. This observation spurred further analysis by Sawtarie, whose expertise in two-dimensional metals and graphene characterization was instrumental. Their collaboration revealed that this fluffy substance was, in fact, high-value graphite, matching or exceeding quality standards for battery applications.

This discovery not only offers a lower-temperature route for graphite synthesis but simultaneously generates hydrogen as a co-product. Hydrogen, widely recognized as a clean energy vector, complements the sustainability credentials of this novel process by providing an additional revenue stream and reducing reliance on fossil-fuel-based hydrogen production methods.

Revolutionizing a process that typically demands prolonged batch operations at scorching temperatures—often taking up to three weeks—this new method offers a continuous, scalable approach that could dramatically reduce carbon emissions and costs. While small-scale graphite production in the United States exists, it remains economically uncompetitive compared to Chinese imports. The Pittsburgh innovation aims to close this gap by delivering domestic, scalable, and cost-effective graphite synthesis.

Supported by the University of Pittsburgh’s Big Idea Center, which provides vital mentorship and resources for entrepreneurial ventures, the research team transitioned their laboratory success into a startup named Graphonos Materials. The startup’s disruptive technology captured the imagination of investors and judges alike, securing a $20,000 Aramco Innovator Prize at the prestigious Rice Business Plan Competition—an event often dubbed the “Super Bowl” of entrepreneurial pitch contests.

Beyond financial endorsements, these achievements underscore the market’s clear appetite for sustainable, low-cost graphite and the critical role such materials play in the clean energy transition. The team is currently advancing toward developing a fully integrated bench-scale system capable of producing kilograms of graphite per day. This milestone is a crucial stepping stone toward pilot-scale demonstrations and eventual commercialization, aligning with global efforts to localize critical materials supply chains and innovate energy-efficient manufacturing.

If realized at scale, the process promises dual environmental and economic benefits by transforming Western Pennsylvania’s ethane reserves into essential raw materials that undergird electric vehicles, renewable energy storage, and advanced electronics. It embodies a strategic pivot from traditional fossil fuel processing to value-added chemical production within a circular economy framework, contributing meaningfully to energy transition narratives.

As the demand for lithium-ion batteries accelerates worldwide, fueled by electrification policies and consumer preferences, the importance of sustainable graphite synthesis cannot be overstated. The Pittsburgh innovation leverages unique catalytic chemistry and materials science to disrupt entrenched production paradigms marked by extreme energy consumption and geopolitical bottlenecks.

Ultimately, this development is emblematic of how interdisciplinary research—melding chemical engineering, materials science, and entrepreneurship—can yield tangible solutions to pressing global challenges. By capturing the potential of molten metal catalysis, the Graphonos Materials team paves the way for greener, domestic production pathways that harmonize economic competitiveness with environmental stewardship.

Subject of Research:
Advanced molten metal catalytic process for low-temperature synthesis of battery-grade graphite and hydrogen co-production.

Article Title:
University of Pittsburgh Researchers Innovate Low-Temperature Molten Metal Catalysis to Produce Sustainable Battery-Grade Graphite

News Publication Date:
April 2024

Web References:

• University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering Faculty Pages
• Rice Business Plan Competition Official Website
• Aramco Ventures News Releases

Keywords:

• Chemical engineering
• Molten metal catalysis
• Graphite production
• Battery materials
• Ethane cracking
• Sustainable manufacturing
• Hydrogen co-production
• Lithium-ion batteries
• Energy transition
• Clean energy technologies
• Chemical reactors
• Circular economy