11-15-2017, 11:44 PM
As Joy explains it, Ionic’s innovations combine the advantages of the familiar alkaline batteries we buy at the drugstore (cheap, safe, and reliable) with those of the more expensive, fire-prone lithium batteries in our computers and phones (powerful, rechargeable, and more earth-friendly). He claims Ionic’s new approach is a big step to cheaper, safer, and more efficient batteries will not only power our devices and vehicles, but also enable an “energy internet” based on renewable sources. Joy decoded the breakthrough to Backchannel, and also followed up on his famous WIRED essay about a future techno-apocalypse. The interview is edited for space and clarity.