this post was submitted on 31 May 2026
83 points (98.8% liked)

science

27251 readers
685 users here now

A community to post scientific articles, news, and civil discussion.

dart board;; science bs

rule #1: be kind

lemmy.world rules

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
top 16 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 15 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

"that essentially eat carbon dioxide gas (CO2) and turn it into rock at an incredibly fast rate."

ETA to new construction method in 3-2-1...

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 6 points 7 hours ago

"Twenty years from now..."

[–] veeesix@lemmy.ca 8 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

I wonder if it could be feasible to take the CO2 emissions from incinerated landfill.

[–] Return_of_Chippy@lemmy.world 5 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

Empty the landfills, burn the waste, generate electricity and eat all the carbon emissions. No idea if it's feasible in the future but it sure would be an incredible advancement.

[–] xylogx@lemmy.world 29 points 13 hours ago (5 children)

So they take CO2 from the atmosphere and chemically transform it into solid materials that reduce greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere?

Congratulations you have invented plants.

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago

Plants eventually decompose, releasing the CO2. Rock generally doesn't have that problem

[–] prettybunnys@piefed.social 2 points 5 hours ago

If they could create a plant that fits on a truck and can remove a ton of carbon a day then they’d have another crazy invention on their hands, this just does it and creates rock … damn.

[–] Return_of_Chippy@lemmy.world 18 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

Weeks instead of years. Could be big for assisting in the fight against climate change.

[–] squaresinger@lemmy.world -1 points 3 hours ago

The downside of that kind of stuff is that you need a balance. Scrub too much CO2 and it's trouble again.

[–] heartSagan5@lemmy.zip 3 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

I had figured space flight. Either way, I guess.

[–] Return_of_Chippy@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago

Being able to teraform is huge on earth and abroad. Cool stuff either way.

[–] FreeBooteR69@lemmy.ca 22 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

I think microbes are probably a lot easier, faster, and more cost effective to produce compared to plants. It can survive in harsh conditions and create rock from the C02 at a fast rate according to the article.

[–] partofthevoice@lemmy.zip 10 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

Not only that, but they believe the active enzymes in the microbe can be optimized and engineered, then mixed into a liquid substrate. Becomes an enzyme-based CO2 filter with the byproduct of Calcium Carbonate, which can be used in concrete. The article talks about filling trucks with these and passing the emissions of coal-fired power plants through them.

[–] Return_of_Chippy@lemmy.world 6 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (1 children)

That would be an incredible innovation. You don't have to stop at coal either, it's just the dirtiest. Nat gas, trash, oil, wood and anything else burned on a huge scale could be curbed.

[–] bizarroland@lemmy.world 3 points 6 hours ago

Yep, you could even pepper the interstate highways of America with them and just let them passively eat the CO2 particles that cars are putting out.

[–] partofthevoice@lemmy.zip 1 points 8 hours ago

It reminds me of Prototaxites.