THE LITHIUM-ION BATTERY is the unsung hero of the modern world. Since it was first commercialised in the early 1990s, it has transformed the technolog

Quantum computers are already detangling nature’s mysteries

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2021-06-23 10:30:10

THE LITHIUM-ION BATTERY is the unsung hero of the modern world. Since it was first commercialised in the early 1990s, it has transformed the technology industry with its ability to store huge amounts of energy in a relatively small amount of space. Without lithium, there would be no iPhone or Tesla – and your laptop would be a lot bigger and heavier.

But the world is running out of this precious metal – and it could prove to be a huge bottleneck in the development of electric vehicles, and the energy storage solutions we’ll need to switch to renewables. Some of the world’s top scientists are engaged in a frantic race to find new battery technologies that can replace lithium-ion with something cleaner, cheaper and more plentiful. Quantum computers could be their secret weapon.

It’s a similar story in agriculture, where up to five per cent of the world’s consumption of natural gas is used in the Haber-Bosch process, a century-old method for turning nitrogen in the air into ammonia-based fertiliser for crops. It’s hugely important – helping sustain about 40 per cent of the world’s population – but also incredibly inefficient compared to nature’s own methods. Again, quantum computers could provide the answer.