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Vox ·Future-gazing

The Surprisingly Hopeful Quest to Fix Concrete

by Sara Herschander

Published 2026-10-15 08:00:00-04:00

What happens when the concrete beneath a city starts pulling carbon from the air?

0:00 / 10:25 · Narrator Sulafat

Context

Every city block on Earth relies on concrete. It built the modern world, while quietly becoming one of the biggest drivers of climate change. A 15 October 2026 piece from Vox asks a surprising question about the gray sludge beneath our feet. Scientists are looking for ways to hack the material from the inside out. The challenge is figuring out if the planet's dirtiest building block can be redesigned to heal its own cracks and pull carbon right out of the sky.

Show notes

An examination of the environmental toll of modern concrete and the material science efforts underway to reinvent it. Researchers are testing new mixtures that mimic the self-healing chemistry of ancient Roman structures, absorb carbon dioxide, and store solar energy. These alternative materials offer a way to cut global emissions, though financial and industrial hurdles complicate their rollout.

Read on Vox →