Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: sustainability – Page 24

Lithium-metal batteries can charge in 12 minutes for an 800km drive

Korean researchers have ushered in a new era for electric vehicle (EV) battery technology by solving the long-standing dendrite problem in lithium-metal batteries. While conventional lithium-ion batteries are limited to a maximum range of 600 km, the new battery can achieve a range of 800 km on a single charge, a lifespan of over 300,000 km, and a super-fast charging time of just 12 minutes.

A research team from the Frontier Research Laboratory (FRL), a joint project between Professor Hee Tak Kim from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and LG Energy Solution, has developed a “cohesion-inhibiting new liquid electrolyte” original technology that can dramatically increase the performance of lithium-metal batteries. Their paper is published in Nature Energy.

Lithium-metal batteries replace the graphite anode, a key component of lithium-ion batteries, with lithium metal. However, lithium metal has a technical challenge known as dendrite, which makes it difficult to secure the battery’s lifespan and stability. Dendrites are tree-like lithium crystals that form on the anode surface during battery charging, negatively affecting battery performance and stability.

Culture is overtaking genetics in shaping human evolution, researchers argue

Researchers at the University of Maine are theorizing that human beings may be in the midst of a major evolutionary shift—driven not by genes, but by culture.

In a paper published in BioScience, Timothy M. Waring, an associate professor of economics and sustainability, and Zachary T. Wood, a researcher in ecology and environmental sciences, argue that culture is overtaking genetics as the main force shaping .

“Human evolution seems to be changing gears,” said Waring. “When we learn useful skills, institutions or technologies from each other, we are inheriting adaptive . On reviewing the evidence, we find that culture solves problems much more rapidly than genetic evolution. This suggests our species is in the middle of a great evolutionary transition.”

Tesla’s Momentum Can’t Be Stopped

Tesla continues to advance and solidify its momentum in the electric vehicle market through significant technological innovations, expansions, and achievements in autonomous driving, AI-powered technologies, and overall growth.

## Questions to inspire discussion.

Robo Taxi Service Expansion.

🚕 Q: How has Tesla’s robo taxi service in California expanded its operations? A: Tesla’s robo taxi service now operates until 2 a.m. with only 4 hours of downtime, indicating operational readiness and confidence in the system’s performance.

🌎 Q: What hiring moves suggest Tesla’s plans for global robo taxi expansion? A: Tesla is hiring a senior software engineer in Fremont to develop backend systems for real-time pricing and fees for robo taxi rides worldwide.

🌙 Q: How is Tesla preparing for expanded robo taxi coverage across the US? A: Tesla is hiring autopilot data collection supervisors for night and afternoon shifts in Arizona, Florida, Texas, and Nevada, indicating planned expansion of services.

Continue reading “Tesla’s Momentum Can’t Be Stopped” | >

US Energy Secretary’s INSANE Bet Against Elon Musk

Questions to inspire discussion.

Energy for AI and Infrastructure.

🤖 Q: How does AI development impact energy demands? A: AI development will drive massive demand for electricity, with solar and batteries being the only energy source with an unbounded upper limit to scale and meet these demands.

⛽ Q: Can solar energy support existing infrastructure? A: Solar energy can produce synthetic biofuels and oil and gas through chemical processes, enabling it to power existing infrastructure that runs on traditional fuels.

Expert Predictions.

🚗 Q: What does Elon Musk predict about future energy sources? A: Elon Musk predicts that solar and batteries will dominate the future energy landscape, citing China’s massive investment as a key factor in this prediction.

Continue reading “US Energy Secretary’s INSANE Bet Against Elon Musk” | >

Sustainable AI: Physical neural networks exploit light to train more efficiently

Artificial intelligence is now part of our daily lives, with the subsequent pressing need for larger, more complex models. However, the demand for ever-increasing power and computing capacity is rising faster than the performance traditional computers can provide.

To overcome these limitations, research is moving towards innovative technologies such as physical neural networks, analog circuits that directly exploit the laws of physics (properties of light beams, quantum phenomena) to process information. Their potential is at the heart of the study published in the journal Nature. It is the outcome of collaboration between several international institutes, including the Politecnico di Milano, the École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne, Stanford University, the University of Cambridge, and the Max Planck Institute.

The article entitled “Training of Physical Neural Networks” discusses the steps of research on training physical neural networks, carried out with the collaboration of Francesco Morichetti, professor at DEIB—Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, and head of the university’s Photonic Devices Lab.

Cracks in flexible electronics run deeper than expected: Study points to potential fix

From health monitors and smartwatches to foldable phones and portable solar panels, demand for flexible electronics is growing rapidly. But the durability of those devices—their ability to stand up to thousands of folds, flexes and rolls—is a significant concern.

New research by engineers from Brown University has revealed surprising details about how cracks form in multilayer flexible electronic devices. The team shows that small cracks in a device’s fragile electrode layer can drive deeper, more destructive cracks into the tougher polymer substrate layer on which the electrodes sit. The work overturns a long-held assumption that polymer substrates usually resist cracking.

“The substrate in is a bit like the foundation in your house,” said Nitin Padture, a professor of engineering at Brown and corresponding author of the study published in npj Flexible Electronics. “If it’s cracked, it compromises the mechanical integrity of the entire device. This is the first clear evidence of cracking in a device substrate caused by a brittle film on top of it.”

/* */