Lunar Lasers, Desalination Lithium, and Spinal Regeneration w/ Ralph Bond

About this episode

This episode discusses advancements in laser communication from the Moon, innovative lithium extraction methods, spinal regeneration treatments, and bioprinting technologies.

Show Notes 27 February 2026 Story 1: Artemis II to Test Laser-Based Communication from the Moon Source: ExtremeTech.com Link: https://www.extremetech.com/aerospace/artemis-ii-to-test-laser-based-communication-from-the-moon Story 2: New solar-powered device extracts lithium for batteries while desalinating seawater Source: Interesting Engineering Link: https://interestingengineering.com/energy/china-solar-device-extracts-lithium-desalinates-seawater See research paper here: https://www.cell.com/device/abstract/S2666-9986(25)00341-2 Story 3: Paralysis treatment heals lab-grown human spinal cord organoids Source: Northwestern University Link: https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2026/02/paralysis-treatment-heals-lab-grown-human-spinal-cord-organoids See research paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-025-01606-2 Story 4: Toward regenerative bioprinting: Magnetic mixer enables scalable manufacturing of 3D-printed tissues Source: TechXplore.com Link: https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-regenerative-bioprinting-magnetic-mixer-enables.html See research paper here: https://www.cell.com/device/abstract/S2666-9986(25)00357-6 Honorable Mentions Story: How to Compute with…

People in this episode

Host: Ben Crossman

Guest: Ralph Bond

Topics covered

• laser communication
• lithium extraction
• desalination
• spinal regeneration
• bioprinting

Keywords

• laser communication
• lithium extraction
• desalination
• spinal regeneration
• bioprinting
• Artemis II
• solar-powered device

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ExtremeTech.com, Interesting Engineering, Northwestern University, TechXplore.com, NewsBreak.com, Yanko Design

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