The Download: Cutting AC Emissions, and Nature’s Drug Designer
Plus: Anthropic has shut down access to its top models after a US directive.
This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's happening in the world of technology.
These New Solid-State ACs Promise a Cool Future. Scientists Aren't So Sure.
After three years of record-breaking heat and another scorcher underway, air-conditioning isn't going anywhere. That's good for our health but bad for the planet: AC already accounts for 7% of global electricity use and 3% of greenhouse-gas emissions. As of 2026, with climate goals tightening, innovators are under pressure to find sustainable solutions.
Feeling the heat, scientists and startups are hoping to advance solid-state cooling. These systems move heat through conductive materials, which could cool spaces and surfaces with fewer messy side effects. The catch is whether they can match the efficiency of traditional AC—a critical factor for widespread adoption in a warming world.
Find out how these unconventional coolers aim to dial down AC emissions.
—Sara Kiley Watson
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