The Download: unlocking lithium and controlling Ebola

A new extraction process for lithium using a weak acid to dissolve silicate minerals could significantly reduce costs and emissions in the production of lithium for EVs and energy storage. MIT professor Yet-Ming Chiang believes this method could be the most cost-effective way to extract lithium globally. Meanwhile, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is proving challenging to control, with concerns raised about the disease, available treatments, and the local environment. Additionally, the encyclical "Magnifica Humanitas" by Pope Leo XIV emphasizes the need for individuals to act courageously and with solidarity as AI continues to transform human life, cautioning against letting corporations solely dictate this transformation.