The Download: unlocking lithium and controlling Ebola

The Download The Download: unlocking lithium and controlling Ebola Plus: Anthropic is now valued higher than OpenAI. By Thomas Macaulay archive page May 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. “At scale, we believe this will be the lowest-cost way of sourcing lithium in the world,” says Yet-Ming Chiang, an MIT professor who co-authored a study of the process published yesterday in Science . Startup Rock Zero is already working to commercialize the research. Read the full story on a new way to unlock the world’s lithium . —Casey Crownhart The deadly Ebola outbreak is proving difficult to control The alert was raised on May 5. Four health-care workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had died from an unknown illness within four days. Tests in Kinshasa revealed the culprit: the Bundibugyo virus, one of the causes of Ebola. A couple of weeks ago, an outbreak of hantavirus erupted aboard a cruise ship. Three people died, but the outbreak was kept under control. The picture for Ebola is bleaker for several reasons, including the disease itself, the available treatments, and the local environment. Find out why the outbreak is causing alarm . —Jessica Hamzelou This story is from The Spark, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things biotech. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday. How the Pope’s Magnifica Humanitas offers a template for individuals to meet the AI moment ——Father Séamus Finn, a leader in faith-based and socially responsible investing with the Oblates of Mary