Monthly Issue
April 2026
How the systems that power our bodies and our world are evolving.
Energy powers everything. It’s what makes action possible, from the scale of cities to cells. In this issue, we examine how our understanding of energy — and how we source and use it — is evolving. We dig into the data to see how demand from AI data centers will affect the electric grid and your power bill. We talk to a Columbia researcher attempting to prove that optimizing our mitochondria — the “powerhouses” of cells — is the key to a healthier life. And we look overseas to examine how electrification will change where our energy infrastructure comes from and who controls its path to us. We hope you enjoy.
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The Strait of Hormuz is today’s energy chokepoint. China is tomorrow’s.
As the global economy moves beyond oil, the strategic importance of the world’s most critical hydrocarbon chokepoint is likely to decline rapidly.
What if the real driver of your health isn’t genes or diet — but energy flow?
A Columbia researcher argues that everything from stress to aging comes down to how energy moves through your body.
The power grid is breaking. Can it fix itself?
A new generation of self-healing tools could make the U.S.’s aging power grid far more resilient against modern threats.
Only antimatter provides the energy we need for interstellar travel
Our dream of journeying to other star systems has a big obstacle to overcome: the vast interstellar distances. Can antimatter get us there?
Everything you eat is sunlight. Scientists want to cut out the middleman.
A growing movement is trying to turn energy directly into food — reviving an old dream of escaping the violence and inefficiency of eating.
Why AI data centers might lower electricity prices — not raise them
Data centers consume enormous amounts of power, but their steady demand could make the grid more efficient — and lower costs for everyone.
A physicist explains what the Kardashev scale gets wrong
The famous framework ranks civilizations by energy use — but ignores a critical factor that can halt their progress.
Why rest alone doesn’t restore energy
Your energy doesn’t work like a battery — and treating it that way may be why you still feel tired even after a break.
The China factor in the great progression of the next 25 years
A firsthand look at China’s material progress and clean-tech revolution — and what could happen if we let an authoritarian state steer AI’s future.
Lead with love and follow 5 principles of “energetic success”
When leaders embrace positive personal energy, everyone feels the benefits — in trust, innovation and creativity.
Don’t let climate fatalism become a self-fulfilling prophecy
The idea that it’s “too late” to reduce emissions fuels cynicism and despair, putting us on an even worse trajectory.
The solar revolution turning sunlight into synthetic fuel
“10 years ago, my colleagues and I looked at the prognosis for climate change, and it looked pretty hopeless. There really was no way out. But something happened – something good.”
