June 4th 2025

Author

Max Gray
June 04, 2025

The Daily Innovation Newsletter

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June 4th 2025

⚡️ Energy

California-based Radiant has raised $165 million to advance testing of its 1-megawatt portable nuclear microreactor, Kaleidos, designed for deployment in remote, austere, or disaster-affected areas. The helium-cooled system, which operates without water and features passive safety mechanisms, is engineered for mass production and rapid deployment as a clean diesel alternative. Backed by high-profile investors and set for testing in 2026 at Idaho National Laboratory, Kaleidos could reshape energy access and security.

🚘 Transport

The UK’s RML Group has unveiled the VarEVolt battery, the world’s most power-dense automotive battery, capable of full charge or discharge in just 18 seconds. Designed for hybrid hypercars, the battery delivers 6 kW/kg and supports extreme, rapid energy discharge, solving performance and recharge issues for high-end EVs. Now certified for mass production under UN ECE Regulation 100, VarEVolt is poised to transform electric vehicle performance standards.

🌎 Sustainability

MIT’s Olivetti Group and Concrete Sustainability Hub have developed an AI system that screened over 1 million samples to identify 19 promising materials that can replace cement in concrete. These alternatives, including recycled ceramics like tiles and bricks, match or exceed cement’s binding performance while reducing emissions and processing costs. Published in Communications Materials, this work could significantly lower the carbon footprint of the world’s most-used construction material.

💊 Healthcare

A team from the University of New South Wales has created PainWaive, an interactive game that teaches users to regulate abnormal brainwaves linked to chronic nerve pain, offering a non-invasive alternative to opioids. In a small trial, three out of four participants experienced significant pain relief, comparable to or exceeding that of medication. Published in the Journal of Pain, the affordable, home-use system could transform pain management for those with limited access to traditional care.

Researchers at UCLA have developed a 3D-printed pen using magnetic ink that can diagnose Parkinson’s disease by detecting tremors in handwriting or air movements. The pen converts subtle motor irregularities into electrical signals, which a neural network analyzes to identify Parkinson’s-related patterns with over 96% accuracy. Published in Nature Chemical Engineering, this low-cost, power-free tool could enable private, early detection of Parkinson’s, especially in underserved regions.

A team from the University of Warwick has developed the first sugar-based diagnostic test to detect Western Diamondback Rattlesnake venom quickly and affordably, using synthetic glycopolymers and gold nanoparticles to produce a visible color change. Unlike costly antibody-based tests, this method identifies venom by mimicking human sugar structures the toxins target, enabling faster treatment and improved survival chances. Published in ACS Biomacromolecules, the platform could revolutionize global snakebite response and help differentiate venom types based on sugar-binding behavior.

P.S.

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Max

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