Energy | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/energy/RSS feed for EnergyenThu, 13 Aug 2026 17:38:44 +0000An Aerospace Startup Just Got Approval to Test Beaming Sunlight to Earth. Here's Why Experts Are Worried—and Petitioninghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-aerospace-startup-just-got-approval-to-test-beaming-sunlight-to-earth-heres-why-experts-are-worried-and-petitioning-180989323/By 2035, Reflect Orbital aims to launch up to 50,000 satellites equipped with mirrors to provide sunlight to Earth-based solar panels. Critics are concerned about impacts on wildlife, astronomy research and human healthThu, 13 Aug 2026 17:38:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-aerospace-startup-just-got-approval-to-test-beaming-sunlight-to-earth-heres-why-experts-are-worried-and-petitioning-180989323/A New Study Points to Two Origins of Life on Earth by Tracing Early Chemical Reactions in Single-Celled Organismshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-new-study-points-to-two-origins-of-life-on-earth-by-tracing-early-chemical-reactions-in-single-celled-organisms-180989260/The work challenges the assumption that all life descended from one free-living cell. Instead, it suggests that two microbial lineages, the bacteria and archaea, evolved independently from a primordial, nonliving ancestorWed, 05 Aug 2026 19:13:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-new-study-points-to-two-origins-of-life-on-earth-by-tracing-early-chemical-reactions-in-single-celled-organisms-180989260/