The Download: unlocking lithium and controlling Ebola
A new extraction method for lithium could significantly reduce costs and emissions, making it a promising development for electric vehicles and energy storage. Meanwhile, an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is raising alarms due to its severity and the challenges in controlling it. Additionally, Pope Leo XIV's encyclical on artificial intelligence emphasizes the need for responsible action in the face of technological advancements.
- ▪A new method for extracting lithium uses a weak acid to dissolve silicate minerals, potentially lowering costs and emissions.
- ▪The Bundibugyo virus, a cause of Ebola, has led to a deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with four health-care workers dying within days.
- ▪Pope Leo XIV's encyclical on AI calls for courage and solidarity as technology transforms human life, stressing that corporations cannot solely dictate the direction of this transformation.
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The DownloadThe Download: unlocking lithium and controlling EbolaPlus: Anthropic is now valued higher than OpenAI. By Thomas Macaulayarchive pageMay 29, 2026 This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. How a new extraction process could unlock the world’s lithium A new method for extracting lithium could cut costs and emissions from one of the world’s most important materials for EVs and energy storage. The technique uses a weak acid to dissolve silicate minerals. That frees not only the lithium but also other useful materials, including alumina and silica.
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