Why Bill Joy Is Investing in Solid-State Batteries

As technology tries to maintain its dizzying ascent, one dead weight has kept its altitude in check: the battery. Our chips keep getting faster and our data rates keep climbing, but at the end of the day--or worse, by mid-afternoon--those power meters on our screens inevitably turn to red. Every great device, gadget, electric car, and robot would be even greater if batteries didn't suck so badly. Despite a steady flow of rumors that transformative breakthroughs are just around the corner, progress has moved at the pace of a tar flow. Steven Levy is Backchannel's founder and Editor in Chief. Sign up to get Backchannel's weekly newsletter.