Ralph Bond’s Site
October 2021 show notes
Story 1: Tesla wants to build its own in-house capability to recycle 92% of a car’s battery cell material
Source: Electrek.com Story by Fred Lambert
Link: https://electrek.co/2021/08/09/tesla-battery-cell-material-recovery-new-recycling-process/
Tesla recently released details about its latest efforts to deploy large-scale battery recycling, and they claim they can recover about 92% of battery cell materials.
Tesla has worked for years with third-party battery recyclers to ensure their batteries do not end up in a landfill.
And now the company wants to add their own in-house recycling capability.
The goal is to recycle valuable battery materials [including nickel, copper and cobalt] back into their manufacturing process.
The company noted that large-scale battery material recovery and recycling will be far less expensive than purchasing new raw materials for cell manufacturing.
And last year the company says it recycled 1,300 tons of nickel, 400 tons of copper, and 80 tons of cobalt.
Story 2: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Wants to Bring Starlink Internet Service to Large Trucks, RVs, Boats, and Airplanes
Source: PC Magazine Story by Michael Kan
Link: https://www.pcmag.com/news/spacex-wants-to-bring-starlink-internet-to-cars-boats-and-airplanes
Last month, SpaceX filed an application with the FCC to get clearance to bring its satellite-based Starlink internet service to large trucks, RVs, boats, and aircraft to customers in the US.
The Starlink service is currently provides broadband speeds of at least 150 megabits pers second to people’s residences – using more than 1,600 satellites in low Earth orbit.
Starlink customers use a dish mounted on their home’s roof to receive high-speed broadband.
However, their internet access is restricted to their home and area immediately surrounding their residence.
SpaceX now wants permission to operate the same dish technology for moving vehicles, including large trucks, RVs, boats, and aircraft.
Time out – What about Tesla car owners?
In a recent Tweet, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk noted that the Starlink tech won’t be coming to Tesla passenger vehicles as the satellite dish is too big, but doable for aircraft, ships, large trucks & RVs.”
Story 3: Researchers in the UK say they’ve developed a way to power aircraft engines using hydrogen
Source: The Guardian Story by Gwyn Topham
First, a quick reminder – Today there are three approaches to create non-polluting aircraft:
First, creating greener fuels for large aircraft currently in service.
Second is all electric flight, which appears feasible for smaller aircraft and short-haul hops.
a third option is hydrogen.
Researchers at the Cranfield University Center for Propulsion Engineering in the UK are conducting tests to see if hydrogen could replace traditional fuels for global, large aircraft aviation.
The scientists created a small-scale test aircraft engine simulator and demonstrated successful ignition and safe combustion of pure hydrogen and air at high temperature and pressure – producing no carbon emissions, only heat and water as exhaust.
The research team believes hydrogen will become a viable part of global aviation between 2040 and 2050, as fossil fuels are increasingly taxed to discourage use.
Story 4: Fecal Transplants May Reverse Brain Aging in Mice
Source: Smithsonian Magazine Story by Corryn Wetzel
Link: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fecal-transplants-may-reverse-brain-aging-mice-180978416/
Scientists at the University College Cork in Ireland may have found a poop-based solution for reversing aging – well, at least in mice!
A new study published in the journal Nature Aging reveals that transplanting the microbiome found in the feces of younger mice into the gut of older mice can reverse cognitive declines associated with aging.
Time out, what is a microbiome? A microbiome is a colony of trillions of bacteria that live together in a particular habitat.
Scientists have known for decades that a healthy microbiome supports everything from digestive health to immune system function, but the link to aging was less clear.
The researchers wanted to see if transplanting the robust fecal microbiome of young mice into older mice could reverse brain aging.
They started by taking fecal samples from 3- to 4-month-old mice—young adult mice, by human standards—and fed the slurry to geriatric 20-month-old mice.
After eight weeks of fecal transplants, they discovered that this change in the gut microbiomes of the older mice caused the learning performance of the geriatric mice to resemble the learning capabilities of young mice.
The study is the first to suggest a link between gut health and age reversal in rodents.
Reality check – the researchers noted that there is no evidence that this fecal implant technique would work on humans.
But they say the results with the mice do suggest an important link between gut health and aging to be further researched.
Story 5: For the price of a luxury SUV, you could soon have your own personal aircraft without the need for a pilot’s license
Source: Yahoo News Story by Amber Nelson
Link: https://yhoo.it/3zLr0Jd
See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyWzO7ehRJQ&t=7s
Recently an all-electric, Vertical Take-off and Landing, single person aircraft made by an outfit called Opener, conducted four successful test flights at the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture 2021 event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Called the “BlackFly”, the aircraft’s frame looks like a capital letter “I” and consists of a cockpit with wings in front and back.
With four electrically powered propellers on each wing [for a total of eight propellers], the lightweight flying machine can lift off vertically like a helicopter, and once it’s in the air, the wings can be tilted at any angle to allow for more traditional airplane handling.
It has a range of 25 miles on a single charge.
And it can be operated at altitudes of 100 feet or less for recreational sport, and as a result, does not require a pilot’s license.
And here’s a really nifty feature – it can be completely controlled through its onboard computer system, including take-off and landing assist and cruise control.
It even has a return-to-home button in case the operator gets lost.
Pricing has not been disclosed yet, but the company says it will be about the cost of a luxury SUV – My guess at least $60,000.
Story 6: Virgin Hyperloop released a new video showcasing their concept for 670 mph passenger pods
Source: CNN Story by Jack Guy
Link: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/virgin-hyperloop-video-scli-intl/index.html
See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80hJfhWfjKY
Virgin Hyperloop recently released a new concept video showing its plans for an above ground transportation system comprised of passenger pods traveling within a network of near-vacuum tubes.
The near-vacuum environment within the tubes virtually eliminates aerodynamic drag allowing the battery-powered passenger pods to reach speeds of up to 670 miles-per-hour while using very little power.
In addition to near-vacuum tubes, Virgin’s vision for this futuristic transportation system includes magnetic levitation – a technology used in advanced high speed rail projects since the 1970s in countries such as Japan and Germany.
Magnetic levitation lifts a train car above a track, as the magnets’ poles push the train upward.
As shown in the video, the Virgin Hyperloop passenger pods will travel in convoys within a network of interconnecting tubes.
Passenger Pods can split off from a convoy and branch off into interconnecting tubes. Just like a car leaving a freeway on an off ramp to pursue multiple destinations.
The Virgin Hyperloop is more than just a dream.
In fact, after conducting hundreds of un-manned tests, the company completed its first test with passengers last November, according to a company press release announcing the new proof-of-concept video.
Story 7: The Navy Invented a Device to Prevent People from Talking
Source: Popular Mechanics Story by Kyle Mizokami
The U.S. Navy has invented a new handheld device to disable a target from being able to speak.
The handheld acoustic hailing and disruption device records a person’s speech and transmits it back to the speaker, disrupting their concentration.
Okay, here’s more on how it works:
A target’s speech is directed back to their ears twice, once immediately and once after a delay.
This delay creates a delayed auditory feedback experience, which alters the speaker’s normal perception of their own voice.
In normal speech, a speaker hears their own words with a slight delay, and our brains are accustomed to this feedback.
By introducing another audio feedback source with a sufficiently long delay, the speaker’s concentration is disrupted, and it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to continue speaking.
Story 8: Ford announces ‘Ion Park’ for electric vehicle battery production and research
Source: Teslarati.com Story by Joey Klender
Link: https://www.teslarati.com/ford-ion-park-battery-production/
Late last month, Ford Motor Company announced that it will establish an electric vehicle battery cell production and research and development facility in Romulus, Michigan, called Ford Ion Park.
The 270,000 square foot facility will include world-class equipment for electrode, cell, and array design research with the goal of advancing manufacturing engineering and promoting innovation.
In specific, Ford’s goal is to figure out the challenges behind battery cell constraints while exploring new technologies that could yield increased range, performance, and lifespan for Electric Vehicle battery cells.
In related news, Toyota Motor Corp recently announced it expects to spend more than $13.5 billion by 2030 to develop battery technology.
Without a doubt, the world’s auto industry is racing to bring us an all-electric future.
Story 9: World’s first artificial intelligence designed to detect gastric cancer recently announced
Source: Forbes Story by Laken Brooks
This is another great example of how artificial intelligence is impacting medicine.
Each year, one million patients around the globe are diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Recently, researchers at Tel Aviv-based Ibex Medical Analytics announced the world’s first artificial intelligence designed to detect gastric cancer.
Here’s how it works:
The Ibex Medical Analytics AI algorithms analyze images of biopsies.
Their AI solution then detects cancerous cells within the biopsy; and can pinpoint their location and grade the tumor.
Insights gained by the AI system are also used to help streamline pathology lab workflow processes by automating the ordering of additional diagnostic tests for a biopsy (which previously required review by pathologists).
According to the Ibex Medical Analytics team, pathologists who use their Artificial Intelligence algorithms during diagnosis enjoyed a significant 37% productivity gain (meaning they could review almost 40% more cases).
Story 10: New study proves that humans can develop a sixth sense
Source: Popular Mechanics Story by Sarah Wells
As animals go, our abilities to see, smell, hear, taste and touch are relatively
limited.
We can’t smell as well as dogs, see as many colors as mantis shrimp, or find our way home using the Earth’s magnetic poles as sea turtles do.
But, scientists now say we can learn a sixth sense – bat-like echolocation.
Researchers at the Center for Information and Neural Networks in Osaka, Japan recently published a paper documenting how humans can use echolocation—or the ability to locate objects through reflected sound—to identify the shape and rotation of various objects in complete darkness.
As bats swoop around objects, they send out high-pitched sound waves that then bounce back to them at different time intervals. This helps bats learn more about the geometry, texture, or movement of an object.
The new Japanese research suggests that if humans can similarly recognize these three-dimensional acoustic patterns, it could literally expand how we see the world, say the researchers.
The scientists hope that further developing this capability could one day help humans perceive their spatial surroundings in a different way; for example, helping totally blind or visually impaired users better sense the shape and features of objects around them.
Story 11: New report claims Green hydrogen could be cost-competitive in just a decade
Source: Axios Story by Andrew Freedman
Link: https://www.axios.com/green-hydrogen-costs-renewable-09ca9ff0-16bf-4684-aba0-fc40cf1fb94c.html
Engines that use Hydrogen fuel – which produce water vapor and heat as exhaust — may provide a climate friendly solution for difficult-to-decarbonize sectors of the economy, including heavy-duty trucking and large-scale industrial uses.
A new analysis by Virginia-based consulting firm ICF Climate Center shows that the cost of making zero-carbon, green hydrogen – which is generated using renewable energy like solar and wind power — could match the cost of today’s more greenhouse-gas intensive ways of making hydrogen fuel by the beginning of the next decade.
Most hydrogen fuel today is produced using a methane source – such as greenhouse-gas intensive methane produced by livestock.
To compete with greenhouse-gas intensive methane-based hydrogen fuel, the cost of making “green” hydrogen must come dramatically down.
The researchers at the ICF Climate Center report that the key to driving down the cost of “green” hydrogen will depend considerably on government incentives, such as a tax credit, to incentivize this technology.
Story 12: New wind turbine system for the city of Istanbul generates power from passing traffic
Source: Euronews.com Story by Shannon McDonagh
See video here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ6MxZYlBjn/
Researchers at the Istanbul Technical University worked with a tech startup firm Devecitech to create wind turbines that take advantage wind created by passing traffic to generate electricity.
Okay, there are many other electric generating solutions around the world based on harvesting the wind created by passing traffic, but I thought this latest example gives us an opportunity to highlight this nifty green way to generate power.
The new Instanbul turbines being tested now are vertical tower-like structures with rotating blades.
Each turbine follows a simple, compact design, making it easy to assemble and install on roadside edges or median strips.
On average, the new Instanbul traffic turbines’ upright blades are powerful enough to produce one kilowatt of energy an hour.
And a single turbine fitted with an additional solar panel on top can produce enough electricity to power two Turkish households for a day.
Story 13: Your next iPhone could be built with tools inspired by ant teeth
Source: C/Net Story by Monisha Ravisetti
Link: https://www.cnet.com/news/scientists-reveal-the-secrets-behind-ant-teeth-super-strength/
To keep consumer electronics shrinking in size, engineers need to build super small yet tremendously strong instruments to make constructing increasingly tiny gadgets possible.
Thinner than a strand of human hair, an ant’s miniature teeth can easily cut through sturdy leaves.
It all has to do with the teeth’s even arrangement of zinc atoms, which allow for equal distribution of force each time an ant bites through something.
Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richmond, Washington recently published a study on the composition of ant teeth in the journal Scientific Reports.
The team found that the zinc atoms in an ant’s tooth – which are responsible for
the super piercing capabilities — were distributed in a surprisingly uniform manner rather than in clumps.
Applying the concept of evenly spread atoms to make tools designed to construct tiny consumer electronics products would offer a twofold benefit.
The tools would be cheaper, because a smaller amount of costly, stronger components would be necessary.
And they’d also be more efficient as less force would be required during use.
Story 14: Scientists harness human protein to deliver molecular medicines to cells
Source: MIT News Press release by Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Link: https://news.mit.edu/2021/send-peg10-drug-delivery-0819
Researchers from MIT, the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have developed a new way to deliver molecular therapies to cells.
The system, called SEND, can be programmed to encapsulate and deliver
different RNA cargoes.
RNA [ribonucleic acid] is a nucleic acid present in all living cells. Its principal role is to act as a messenger carrying instructions from DNA for controlling the synthesis of proteins, although in some viruses RNA rather than DNA carries the genetic information.
SEND harnesses natural proteins in the body that form virus-like particles and bind RNA, and it may provoke less of an immune response than other delivery approaches.
The new delivery platform works efficiently in cell models, and, with further development, could open up a new class of delivery methods for a wide range of molecular medicines — including those for gene editing and gene replacement.
Existing delivery vehicles for these therapeutics can be inefficient and randomly integrate into the genome of cells, and some can stimulate unwanted immune reactions.
SEND has the promise to overcome these limitations, which could open up new opportunities to deploy molecular medicine.