Next-gen batteries and 'dark oxygen'

Following a devastating fire at the world’s largest lithium-ion battery plant, Inside Science probes the present and future of a technology we rely on every day.

Lithium-ion batteries were a technological breakthrough, powering everything from mobile phones to electric vehicles, but as funding is poured into researching alternatives, are we on the verge of something safer, faster, and more efficient?

Also this week, we learn about the “dark oxygen” potentially being produced in the deep ocean and friend of Inside Science, Anjana Ahuja, brings us her favourite science stories of the week, including a new material described as ‘chainmail on steroids’ and contagious urination.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producers: Ella Hubber, Sophie Ormiston & Gerry Holt Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.