New lithium ion battery is safer, tougher, and more powerful

 

The new battery is built from pumpkin-shaped molecules called cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6]) which are organized in a honeycomb-like structure. Credit: Image courtesy of Institute for Basic Science Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are a huge technological advancement from lead acid batteries which have existed since the late 1850's. Thanks to their low weight, high energy density and slower loss of charge when not in use, LIBs have become the preferred choice for consumer electronics. Lithium-ion cells with cobalt cathodes hold twice the energy of a nickel-based battery and four-times that of lead acid. Despite being a superior consumer battery, LIBs still have some drawbacks. Current manufacturing technology is reaching the theoretical energy density limit for LIBs and overheating leading to thermal runaway i.e. "venting with flame" is a serious concern. South Korean researchers at the Center for Self-assembly and Complexity, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Department of Chemistry and Division of Advanced Materials Science at Pohang University, have created a new LIB made from a porous solid which greatly improves its performance as well as reducing the risks due to overheating. Since 2002 there have been over 40 recalls in the US alone due to fire or explosion risk from LIBs used in consumer electronic devices. These types of batteries, in all of their different lithium-anode combinations, continue to be an essential part of modern consumer electronics despite their poor track record at high temperatures. The Korean team tried a totally new approach in making the batteries. According to Dr. Kimoon Kim at IBS, "we have already investigated high and highly anisotropic [directionally dependent] proton conducting behaviors in porous CB[6] for fuel cell electrolytes. It is possible for this lithium ion conduction following porous CB[6] to be safer than existing solid lithium electrolyte -based organic-molecular porous-materials utilizing the simple soaking method." Current LIB technology relies on intercalated lithium which functions well, but due to ever increasing demands from electronic devices to be lighter and more powerful, investigation of novel electrolytes is necessary in order. The new battery is built from pumpkin-shaped molecules called cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6]) which are organized in a honeycomb-like structure. The molecules have an incredibly thin 1D-channel, only averaging 7.5 Å [a single lithium ion is 0.76 Å, or .76 x 10-10 m] that runs through them. The physical structure of the porous CB[6] enables the lithium ions to battery to diffuse more freely than in conventional LIBs and exist without the separators found in other batteries. In tests, the porous CB[6] solid electrolytes showed impressive lithium ion conductivity. To compare this to existing battery electrolytes, the team used a measurement of the lithium transference number (tLi+) which was recorded at 0.7-0.8 compared to 0.2-0.5 of existing electrolytes. They also subjected the batteries to extreme temperatures of up to 373 K (99.85° C), well above the 80° C typical upper temperature window for exiting LIBs. In the tests, the batteries were cycled at temperatures between 298 K and 373 K ( 24.85° C and 99.85° C) for a duration of four days and after each cycle the results showed no thermal runaway and hardly any change in conductivity. Various conventional liquid electrolytes can incorporate in a porous CB[6] framework and converted to safer solid lithium electrolytes. Additionally, electrolyte usage is not limited to use only in LIBs, but a lithium air battery potentially feasible. What makes this new technique most exciting is that it is a new method of preparing a solid lithium electrolyte which starts as a liquid but no post-synthetic modification or chemical treatment is needed. Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Institute for Basic Science. The original item was written by Daniel Kopperud. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: Jun Heuk Park, Kyungwon Suh, Md. Rumum Rohman, Wooseup Hwang, Minyoung Yoon, Kimoon Kim. Solid lithium electrolytes based on an organic molecular porous solid. Chem. Commun., 2015; 51 (45): 9313 DOI: 10.1039/c5cc02581h

29 Fascinating Photos You’ve Probably Never Seen Before–republ-

 

The lava lake of the continuously active volcano Erta Ale, Ethiopia

Where the Great Wall of China ends

A geyser right before eruption

Bavarian town of Nordlingen built in a 14 million year old meteor impact crater

A huge dust storm that hit Western Australia in early 2013

A rare 360 degree rainbow captured from an airplane

Climbers going up Mount Everest in May 2013

Daytona Beach 1957

An aerial view of a scrap tire dump

Bagger 288, the largest land vehicle in the world

A cross-section of an undersea cable

Inside one of Google’s data centers

Einstein’s desk hours after his death

Michelangelo illustrated his grocery lists so that his illiterate servants would know what to buy him.

The inside of a FedEx Boeing 757 without any cargo

Overcrowded prison in El Salvador

Hitler’s office

Enormous statue of Genghis Khan in Mongolia

 

George Washington’s teeth

A watch belonging to Akito Kawagoe which stopped at 8:15, the exact time of the Hiroshima bombing in 1945

A microscopic image of a human tongue

Five pounds of fat compared to five pounds of muscle

Cancer cells under an electron microscope

X-rays before and after treatment for scoliosis

The clearest photo of Mercury ever taken

Mars in true color from the Curiosity Rover

The northern lights from space

7 Things You Didn't Know About Coffee (republishing)

 

Coffee is one of the world's favorite beverages and the second most valuable legally traded commodity in the world, second only to oil.  Experts estimate that 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day worldwide.  But, how much do you know about your favorite brew?  Keep reading to learn 7 buzz-worthy facts about your good old cup of joe. Tara Moore/Taxi/Getty Images The US People Drink More Coffee Than Anyone Else In the World About 83% of the adult people in the USA drink coffee, averaging three cups of coffee per person per day.  That's 587 million cups of joe every single day.  It's no wonder that the world's two largest coffee chains --- Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts --- are both based in the United States.  Starbucks has over 13,000 stand alone coffee shops in the United States, meaning that you can never get more than 130 miles away from a Frappucino. Hotel Finca Rosa Blanca. Akila McConnell, licensed to About.com   The Coffee Bean Isn't a Bean The coffee bean isn't a bean.  What we call the coffee bean is actually the seed of the coffee cherry, or the fruit of the coffee tree.  The coffee cherry is ripe when it turns bright red.  Then, it is picked, rinsed, and the pulp is removed from the seed/bean.  Most coffee berries have two coffee beans/seeds within but certain berries will only have one bean/seed, which are called peaberries.  Peaberries have a stronger flavor and are prized as premium coffee blends. Hop over to this slideshow to read about the entire process of how your coffee moves from seed to cup. More » 1850: A servant serves coffee to a group of Yemeni coffee merchants who have set up camp in the desert on their way to Mocha. Hulton Archive/Getty Images   The Word Coffee Owes Its Origin to Many Languages The word “coffee” has roots in several languages. In Yemen, which is where the coffee plant was discovered and one of the earliest cultivators of coffee, the bean was called qahwah, which was a truncated form of qawhat al-bun, meaning "wine of the bean."  The Muslim trade routes brought coffee to the Middle East where the Turks called the liquid kahveh.  The Dutch called the brew koffie and brought the liquid to England along their trade routes with Asia and Africa, which finally became coffee in English. More » Good quality coffee versus bad quality coffee. Akila McConnell, licensed to About.com Ice Water Will Tell You if Your Coffee Was Roasted Well If you're standing in the grocery store bewildered by the array of coffee --- ranging from $1 per pound to $12 per pound --- I've got one simple trick that will help you determine if the coffee you're purchasing is high quality roasted coffee.  Just put one tablespoonful of ground coffee on top of a glass of ice water.  If your coffee stays on top of the water and does not leach into the water after a few minutes, it's been roasted properly.  If it leaches, then it's either over-roasted or under-roasted. Keep reading this post to learn more about why this trick works.   1674, A 'women's petition' against the debilitating effects of drinking coffee, the stimulating hot beverage containing caffeine. Hulton Archive/Getty Images  17th Century Women Wanted to Ban Coffee In the 17th century, coffee became popular in England and continental Europe.  Many believed that coffee had intoxicating properties like alcohol, which led some clergy to ban it in their towns.  And, a (pretty hilarious) anonymous women's petition in 1675 proposed the ban of coffee because of the "grand inconvenience" when coffee "enfeebled" and "eunuch'd" their husbands. Jump over to this post to read more about the history of coffee. More » Latte art. Carlina Teteris/Moment You Can Get Barista Trained and Learn How to Make Latte Art At Espresso Academy in Florence, Italy, you can spend days perfecting the art of making coffee.  Learn how to become a barista in a two day course or take an advanced class on latte art.  If you can't make it over to Europe, Intelligentsia Coffee Shop offers public tasting and education classes at each of their retail locations in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.  For example, you can take a 3 hour Barista training class for $200 or a tour of their roasting works for $50. Jump over to this post to learn more about seven great coffee tours and experiences across the world. More » Coffee and coffee beans. Anthony Dawson/Moment   Coffee Might Just Be Good For Your Health Coffee might just be a superfood because its antioxidant properties combined with caffeine has been shown to: reduce mortality from heart disease reduce the risk of diabetes, dementia, colon cancer, cirrhosis, gallstones, and Parkinson's disease provide headache relief and asthma relief So, you can feel good about picking up your cup of coffee tomorrow morning.    Source : www.about.com

World's first zero-emission double-decker bus to arrive in London this year

 

In the long run, the new electric double-decker buses will have a significant impact on the environment London's public transport network is about to get a lot greener, with Mayor Boris Johnson announcing that the world's first purpose-built pure electric double-decker bus will hit the city's streets later this year. The announcement was made at the Clean Bus Summit, where 24 cities around the world committed to putting ultra-low emission buses on the road. Public transport in the UK's biggest city has been inching toward a greener future for years now, announcing its first hybrid buses back in 2009. There are now more than 1,300 of those on the streets of the capital, and it's time for the next big step. The new all-electric buses were produced in conjunction with BYD, which worked on the tricky problem of fitting enough batteries into the zero emissions vehicles to provide enough power. There's no mention of exactly how many all-electric buses are heading for London, but the first is due to arrive in October, which will enter service on route 16 in October, running between Victoria Station and Cricklewood. It's not just London that's revising its public transport infrastructure for the better. The move forms part of a wider effort, with 24 cities around the world planning to put 40,000 ultra-low emission buses on the road by 2020. Source: Mayor of London

Super Soft White Farmhouse Loaf

 

This is my go to loaf for.....well nearly everything. It really is perfect, light, fluffy and delicious. I can add fruit, tomatoes, onion, seeds, honey, whatever I fancy, or just keep it a simple white loaf which is equally tasty. It's taken me a long time to get this right, so I thought I'd share it with you so you don't have to go through the same pain :) So let's get to the nitty-gritty, here's what you'll need: Patience 500g Strong white flour (known in the US as bread flour and 1.1lb for my American cousins. You could use 1lb and drop the water to around 250ml) 4 heaped teaspoons dry milk powder (I use Tesco Value skimmed milk powder) 1.5 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking yeast 300ml luke-warm water A bread tin is really handy too - I'm using a 2lb one. You can knead it by hand, or using a mixer with a dough hook - I'm using a kitchenaid classic as my arthritic hands aren't quite as good as they once were for kneading. Let's begin....   Step 1: Prepare the yeast Grab a mixing jug and fill with 300ml warm water (luke warm) Measure out the 2 teaspoons of yeast into a mixing jug and give it a stir. Pop a very small pinch of sugar in with the mixture and 1 last stir around. Cover with a clean tea towel or similar. While we're waiting for the yeast mixture, proceed to the next step. After around 10 minutes, the mixture should have a frothy head on it like a good beer (like pic 2). It's ready to use.   source: http://www.instructables.com

26 Creatives Super Foods Recipes

 

Superfood Recipes

Ctrl One smart glasses auto tint to suit lighting conditions

 

The Ctrl One smart glasses can toggle between transparent and sunglasses mode, manually or autonomously at an illumination threshold set by the user Image Gallery (6 images) A Dutch subsidiary of liquid crystal specialist AlphaMicron is turning to Indiegogo to fund the development of Ctrl One, a pair of glasses mostly targeted to cyclists and runners that can change tint from dark to transparent in a fraction of a second, automatically adapting to surrounding lighting conditions. Photochromic lenses, which have been around for decades, can change their tint to dynamically fit the surrounding lighting conditions, but they usually take minutes to do so. More recently, scientists have been developing ways of changing the tint nearly instantaneously in both glass lenses and windows, using a small electric current as the trigger. Ohio-based company AlphaMicron developed such a technology (which is dubbed "e-Tint") in a way that lets the lens tint switch from transparent to sunglasses mode in just one tenth of a second. Originally commissioned by the US military, the technology has already been adapted for use in third-party consumer products and found its way to motorcycle helmets. Now, through its Dutch subsidiary Ctrl, the company has come up with the design for a pair of glasses that makes use of the same e-Tint technology. While the Ctrl Ones don't sport LiDAR and twin HUDs, the glasses boast a decent battery life, and are rain and sweat resistant. Users can toggle the lens tint with the press of a button on the temple/arm or, in automatic mode, have the integrated sensor detect the lighting conditions and switch on their own. The idea behind the automatic mode is to make cycling (or driving) safer by removing the need for you to take your hands off the handlebar (or wheel). The glasses are also fitted with ballistic lenses (meaning they offer a higher level of protection against debris like pebbles – not that they stop bullets). The creators do warn, though, that the Ctrl One glasses should be handled with care, and are not as robust as standard, non-electronic glasses. For an extra US$10, a special lens holder that fits inside the adjustable nose pad allows you to equip the glasses with prescription lenses. Ctrl One is being made available in five frame colors with either neutral, orange or blue lenses. The glasses reportedly weigh just 1.8 oz (50 g) and run on a 50 mAh lithium-ion battery that charges in one hour via microUSB and reportedly lasts for 50 hours of operational time. A second version of the glasses is in the works and is set to include GPS technology to detect altitude and average speed. The company says that the updated version, which will also reportedly include the ability to switch between more than two tint shades, should be ready within the next 12-18 months. Three days into its Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, the Ctrl One glasses have already surpassed the initial funding goal of US$20,000. At the time of writing, you can pledge $125 for an early bird pair. The glasses will come with a 6-month warranty and, if all goes to plan, are set to be delivered by November.   Source: CTRL Eyewear

Is Medibank HQ the world's healthiest building to work in?

 

Medibank Place is described as being "hard-wired for health" (Credit: Hassell) Image Gallery (8 images) Australia’s largest health insurer, Medibank, recently moved into a new HQ that is claimed to be one of the healthiest workplaces in the world. Medibank Place is located in the Docklands area of Melbourne. It is aimed at embodying what the company says are its preventative health and wellbeing principles. Conceived by design firm Hassell, the building is said to place the mental and physical health of people at its heart. It is described as being "hard-wired for health." To begin, employees are able to choose how and where they work. They are kitted out with laptops and mobile phones for mobility – this allows them to move between the 26 different types of work settings on offer at Medbanks Place. These range from indoor quiet spaces and collaborative hubs to Wi-Fi-enabled balconies and places to stand whilst working. Not only does this sort of choice empower employees and afford them the opportunity of working in more healthy ways (such as standing), but it encourages them to move about more. With this in mind, the building's stairs are designed to be the easiest way to move between floors, again encouraging a more health-centric workplace lifestyle. Other facilities aimed at contributing to a healthier lifestyle include special lighting in certain areas that helps to support peoples' circadian rhythms, and a multipurpose sports court for workouts. There is also an edible garden and a demonstration kitchen used to promote healthy eating. The building's more perfunctory features have additionally been considered from a health perspective. A ramp spirals upwards from the main entrance on the street to provide easy access to bike storage, and thus encourage employees to cycle to work. Elsewhere, there are 2,300 plants inside the building, 520 plants in modular planter boxes on the building's façade and two 25-m (82-ft)-high green walls facing the street. All this greenery is designed to help relieve stress, improve internal air quality and provide more pleasant views. Hassell says the building's approach to health and well-being is already proving its worth. In the four months after Medibank moved in, 79 percent of employees are said to have reported that they are working more collaboratively with colleagues, 70 percent that they are healthier working at the new HQ and 66 that they are more productive. Medibank's call center is also said to have seen a 5 percent reduction in absenteeism. Medibank Place was completed in June 2014 and the company moved into the building at the end of 2014. Source: Hassell

As “complicações da vida”

 

A vida com “complicações”, ótimamente balanceada com “soluções” ainda vai demorar um bom tempo. Por enquanto podemos dizer que as nossas “complicações ou dificuldades” rotineiras é o que nos motiva para alcançar melhorias e para aprender a evitá-las no futuro.  Se de repente tudo acontecesse sem nenhum problema, isso seria um grande problema. (Pelo menos, atualmente) Uma vez que a Ciência e Tecnologia atinjam níveis ideais (num plano GLOBAL), o tal “balanceamento” a que me referi acima nos permitirá vivermos num ambiente muito mais saudável e prazeiroso, mesmo que subsistam dificuldades, pois elas são o que nos motivam para a luta e para um desenvolvimento pessoal e social cada vez melhor. O mundo nos tempos atuais não está muito melhor do que na Idade Média ou qualquer outra era. Claro que existem diferenças, é evidente que existem melhorias, mas ainda enfrentamos muitos desafios. Se na Idade Média a peste bubônica dizimou dezenas de milhões de pessoas, hoje no lugar dela temos uma diversidade bem maior de doenças, sem contar que também enfrentamos questões sociais dos mais variados gêneros. Então temos que pensar não em amaldiçoar as dificuldades do dia-a-dia, mas sim em controlá-las, gerenciá-las, minimizá-las e até aprender com elas. Aliás, a tônica nos dias atuais é justamente o aprendizado, que se tornou importantíssimo com o crescente número de computadores. Aprendemos a cuidar melhor da saúde,  conhecer o que nos prejudica. Realmente podemos aprender muita coisa, e repassar tudo isso a quem ainda não tem computadores.  Isso é gratificante.  Estamos aprendendo que a maior riqueza que um ser humano pode pretender é a Saúde. (Vale mais uma choupana, um casebre, onde se vive naturalmente com saúde, onde se ri à vontade, do que um palácio onde se chora) . Não se preocupe com o “amanhã” pois ele terá as suas próprias preocupações. Essas “preocupações” são no bom sentido, são aquelas válidas. Preocupações inúteis são as que nos prejudicam de verdade. Livre-se delas e comece a viver. Um abraço, Seja Feliz. JSMelo

Volvo child seat concept puts kids' safety up front

 

Volvo's Excellence Child Seat Concept puts the baby face-to-face with the rear passenger (Credit: Volvo) Back in April, Volvo showed off its Lounge Console at the Shanghai International Auto Show. The concept replaced the usually-unoccupied front passenger seat of a chauffeur-driven vehicle with a multi-purpose luxury footrest for use by the rear-seat passenger. Building on that idea, the Swedish automaker has now unveiled the Excellence Child Seat Concept, which replaces the front seat with a baby seat. The thinking behind the concept is that it will make access to the infant easier, plus it should also provided added safety and storage space. In current setups, the child seat is usually mounted in the back seat facing forward. This means that no passengers can directly face the baby, without either twisting around from the front or leaning in from the side. What's more, according to Volvo, infants face a greater risk of car accident-related injuries when facing forward, as they lack neck strength and their heads are disproportionally large compared to their bodies. By contrast, in the Excellence concept, the back-seat passenger and the baby face one another – and the baby is facing rearwards. Even if just the driver and the infant are in the car, it's still easier for the driver to see the little one's face while driving. The child seat can also be unlocked and rotated on its pedestal toward the front passenger door, allowing for easier loading and unloading of its precious cargo. Additionally, storage spaces beside and beneath that seat can be used for items such as diapers, bottles or blankets. There's currently no word on when – or if – the Excellence Child Seat might make its way into a production vehicle. Source: Volvo

"Hippocampal neurons"

 

"Hippocampal neurons," by Robert Clark, University of California, San Diego. As one of the most prominent structures in the brain, the hippocampus plays an important role in acquiring memory for certain everyday facts--semantic memory--and in holding onto autobiographical memories--episodic memory. It also looks a lot like a seahorse. (Hippocampus means "horse sea-monster" in Greek.) Neuroscientist Robert Clark played up the resemblance in this image. Clark digitally added images of real hippocampal neurons to a pair of gold seahorses. The seahorses are oriented as they would be in the human brain. The image won expert's choice (first place) in the posters & graphics category of the 2015 Visualization Challenge, now called The Vizzies, a long-running, annual competition co-sponsored by the National Science Foundation and Popular Science. [The competition was formerly named the International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge (SciVis) and was previously co-sponsored with AAAS' journal Science.] The competition aims to recognize some of the most beautiful visualizations from the worlds of science and engineering and awards prizes in five categories: photography, video, illustration, posters & graphics and interactives. To learn more about the competition and view all the winning entries past and present, see the NSF Special Report:  The VIZZIES: Visualization Challenge.   source: nsf.com