Researchers Develop Battery That Runs on Renewable Organics
Swedish scientists have created a smart, eco-friendly battery that runs on alfalfa and pine resin. The recyclable power source provides about as much power as a regular lithium battery.
Despite their relative efficiency, modern lithium batteries come with a lot of environmental baggage. Scientists at Sweden's Uppsala University, seeking to develop a more eco-friendly alternative, have created a new smart battery made from organic materials that they say produces just as much power as its lithium counterpart. Plus, it's recyclable:
"Components of the battery are made of renewable organic biomaterials from alfalfa and pine resin, and can be recycled with a low energy input and non-hazardous chemicals, such as ethanol and water."
The recycling aspect is revolutionary as it allows for a simple process to extract materials from a drained battery in order to create a new one that works 99% as well as its predecessor. Previously, any leftover lithium remaining in a spent battery would end up in a landfill.
The scientists' study heralds the innovation as a major step forward for lithium-efficiency. Modern lithium batteries are wasteful, cannot be easily recycled, and rely on non-renewable resources. The smart battery exceeds its competitor in all three of those ways. Dr. Daniel Brandell, one of the lead researchers, also told Science Daily that a turn toward batteries made of renewable resources will also prove to be cost-effective in the long run.
Read more at Science Daily
Check out the study here
Photo credit: Radio82 / Shutterstock
LinkedIn meets Tinder in this mindful networking app
Swipe right to make the connections that could change your career.
Swipe right. Match. Meet over coffee or set up a call.
No, we aren't talking about Tinder. Introducing Shapr, a free app that helps people with synergistic professional goals and skill sets easily meet and collaborate.
Brain study finds circuits that may help you keep your cool
Research by neuroscientists at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory helps explain how the brain regulates arousal.
The big day has come: You are taking your road test to get your driver's license. As you start your mom's car with a stern-faced evaluator in the passenger seat, you know you'll need to be alert but not so excited that you make mistakes. Even if you are simultaneously sleep-deprived and full of nervous energy, you need your brain to moderate your level of arousal so that you do your best.
34 years ago, a KGB defector chillingly predicted modern America
A disturbing interview given by a KGB defector in 1984 describes America of today and outlines four stages of mass brainwashing used by the KGB.
- Bezmenov described this process as "a great brainwashing" which has four basic stages.
- The first stage is called "demoralization" which takes from 15 to 20 years to achieve.
- According to the former KGB agent, that is the minimum number of years it takes to re-educate one generation of students that is normally exposed to the ideology of its country.
How pharmaceutical companies game the patent system
When these companies compete, in the current system, the people lose.
- When a company reaches the top of the ladder, they typically kick it away so that others cannot climb up on it. The aim? So that another company can't compete.
- When this happens in the pharmaceutical world, certain companies stay at the top of the ladder, through broadly-protected patents, at the cost of everyday people benefitting from increased competition.
- Since companies have worked out how to legally game the system, Amin argues we need to get rid of this "one size fits all" system, which treats product innovation — "tweaks" — the same as product invention.
SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by The Big Think, Inc. All rights reserved.