Pascal, founded by Adam Slavney (CEO) and Jinyoung Seo (CTO) from Harvard research, turned an unexpected experimental result into a company that raised $8.5 million in a follow-on seed round led by Sazze Partners and LB Investment with participation from KDB Silicon Valley. While swapping gases during high‑pressure measurements, the team uncovered a distinct pathway for solid‑state cooling and validated it over one to two years. The startup has a pilot contract with a multinational beverage company, plans its first prototype early next year, and aims to produce a batch of more polished refrigerators in 2028.
Rather than relying on traditional vapor refrigerants or compressing bulk solids, Pascal compresses carbon dioxide into cartridges filled with a proprietary sponge‑like porous material. CO2 molecules bouncing against pore walls transfer energy to the host, which a heat exchanger then rejects or absorbs; two cartridges alternate duties and reverse flow as they heat and cool. The system reportedly boosts efficiency by about 20% over existing models, avoids atmospheric leakage risks associated with gaseous refrigerants, has been cycled up to 300,000 times in testing, and operates at lower pressures than other solid‑state approaches, allowing use of conventional, lower‑cost components.
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Scientists have developed a synthetic cell that closely resembles living organisms. Researchers are now exploring potential applications and implications of this nearly alive cell technology. (nytimes.com)
Hertzon is an open-source software that functions as a 3D full-wave finite element method solver. It aims to provide advanced computational tools for electromagnetic simulations. (github.com)
The United Nations Environment Programme reports that the 1.5°C limit of the Paris Agreement is no longer achievable by 2100. Urgent emission reductions are necessary to prevent further climate damage. (unric.org)
Hilbert space provides the mathematical framework for quantum mechanics, allowing physicists to explore all possible futures of quantum objects. These possibilities are represented as vectors in an abstract space, revealing the fundamentally probabilistic nature of quantum phenomena. (quantamagazine.org)
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Cities worldwide are sinking due to excessive groundwater extraction, causing land subsidence and increased flood risk. Replenishing groundwater can reverse this process, especially in areas with faultlines that influence land uplift. (cleantechnica.com)
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