SCIENCE/SPACE/TIME - a meeting of the minds!

[Hazard]

Nano wires..... Interesting read

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0211141745.htm

[NACH3]

Haz did you hear about what Einstein predicted over 100 yes ago physicists are now able to hear and feel(gravity waves - I just heard this in the am) they had s recording - I'll try checking to make sure what the real name is....

Didn't know this thread existed first timr I saw this - cool stuff

[Hazard]

Haz did you hear about what Einstein predicted over 100 yes ago physicists are now able to hear and feel(gravity waves - I just heard this in the am) they had s recording - I'll try checking to make sure what the real name is.... Didn't know this thread existed first timr I saw this - cool stuff

Yea check two posts back...... Posted the link.

He believed they existed but would never be proven due to their insanely small size. That's why physicists are scared..... They look for flaws in every theory. So far..... Einstein hasn't had any.

[Euroholic]

Got a semi chub reading this

http://www.huffpost.com/us/entry/ear...tion=australia

[Euroholic]

^^^^^^^^ that link fails to work

Earth Is Actually TWO Planets, Study Finds

[bartman314]

for what it's worth, i'm actually a scientist. phd and everything. i used to work on superconductors, which are really cool materials (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superconductivity). now i work on batteries for electric vehicles. it's a lot of fun to be a scientist these days... we're learning so much so fast.

[Hazard]

for what it's worth, i'm actually a scientist. phd and everything. i used to work on superconductors, which are really cool materials (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superconductivity). now i work on batteries for electric vehicles. it's a lot of fun to be a scientist these days... we're learning so much so fast.

That's awesome man. Any new advances that may be on the way that most people don't know about yet?

[lovbyts]

That's awesome man. Any new advances that may be on the way that most people don't know about yet?

Yeah, something big like how do I make my cell phone last longer? Lol

[lovbyts]

In all seriousness I would like to know about or if there is technology or a battery you can actually use and store energy from solar cells to use later that does not have to be replaced every few years. Also solar cells that are a LOT more efficient than commercial grade and of course cheaper. It would be nice to be able to do solar efficiently and cost effectively. Not something that after 10, 15, 20 years you MIGHT recuperate your investment.

[bartman314]

i have a one-liner i use all the time - "everyone needs a better battery!" the funny thing is it's true.

my particular expertise is in Li-ion batteries, yep, the ones in your cell phones. i'll try to make this short... the same technology that sony launched Li-ion with in the early 90's is basically the same as what's use today in tesla's car. i won't get into the details unless pressed, but the development of Li-ion enabled the whole era of portable electronics that we all take for granted today. about 10 years ago, the capability of the technology had improved enough to make application to cars and larger storage units - for solar for example - feasible and the issue since then has been economic - for example, when would electric cars be cheap enough to be able to compete on cost with conventional cars. if you follow the press now, we are starting to enter that zone where electric cars can compete (the tesla model 3, the chevy bolt, for example, each of which should have a range greater than 200 miles).

with specific respect to solar, the issue has been threefold, the ability of the battery to last long enough, the cost of the battery, and believe it or not, the implementation of a regulatory policy that allowed someone to actually make money by investing in energy storage for the grid. each of these are being resolved and some demonstration projects are in place, which should open the market up in the next 5 or so years.

it's a very exciting time in the industry.

scientifically, or technologically, batteries are amazing little devices. each battery is a chemical-electromechanical device. when a battery charges, electrons and ions need to move continuously, with low impedance in various regions inside the cell. and for rechargeable batteries this operation needs to happen safely and reliably for thousands of cycles across a relatively broad temperature range. to hazards question, in terms of tech that has been used to improve batteries, at various times nanotechnology, conductive polymers (plastics that conduct electricity), phase change materials, etc, etc, have all been used. the hot areas today, and the ones i think will lead to significant performance improvements and/or cost reduction are related to changing the active materials on the cathode (scientists are working on new materials that work at higher voltages - up to 5 volts, today's only work at 4 volts) and the anode (Li metal stores more than 10x the amount of Li per unit mass that today's anode materials [carbon]) so more Li ions can be stored per unit mass/volume and the development of a solid state electrolyte (polymers and ceramics are being explored) - solid materials within which Li moves across from the anode to the cathode or vice versa (today all li-ion cells have a flammable liquid electrolyte).

lovbyts got the basic challenge right now though - it's all about the cost and roi... it's happening, and i think it is inevitable at this point that there will be a broad shift to renewables (solar/wind) coupled with storage. for example, there were more renewables installed last year in the us that fossil fuel based generation. because solar and wind are intermittent, storage is needed to balance the system. the real question for me is the rate of the transition and which detailed technologies will win the race.

[bsh]

Hey bartman, u don't happen to know Ted Lewis at the Naval postgraduate school do you? If not google him he has some really cool concepts

[lovbyts]

Yeah it's about cost. There was just a new report this weekend showing how people in my area are being charged an excess of $200 BECAUSE they have solar when they should be getting a credit. Others who could even show/prove their meter had $0.84 cents also got over $40 in fees alone.

The last couple of years they started adding on a few couple hundred dollars extra to tabs for electronic cars instead of tax breaks. It's such a sad state we are in when we are charged extra when we try to do the right thing. Thats why I'm not jumping on the band wagon because it will help the environment or it's the clean/right thing to do. I will do it when it becomes actually cost effective.

Yeah I know about the flammability. Boeing 777, hover boards, cell phone fires... Scary fast hot fires. I did hear/read something about ceramics, that's interesting. Hopefully there will be some real breakthrough in the next few years.

[Armykid93]

I say that all the time! Let capitalism do its job and EVERYBODY will go green. There are cars out there now that won't use a drop of gas if your commute is less than 45 miles and they only add about a buck a day to the electric bill. I probably will get one of those for my third car just to cut down on gas consumption.

[lovbyts]

I want a 10 second quarter mile electric car that will go indefinitely using solar and 500 miles on a full charge that looks like a newer concept exotic car and cost less than a Kia 10 years ago.

[Times Roman]

I want a 10 second quarter mile electric car that will go indefinitely using solar and 500 miles on a full charge that looks like a newer concept exotic car and cost less than a Kia 10 years ago.

That's all?

Hell, you may as well wish for a date with Sandra Bullock, both seem to have about the same chance of happening.

(You may get a better response if you fantasize about Justin Beiber while rubbing one out - he seems more likely than anything else)

OK, I'm outta here. it's gym time!

---Roman

[lovbyts]

That's all?

Hell, you may as well wish for a date with Sandra Bullock, both seem to have about the same chance of happening.

(You may get a better response if you fantasize about Justin Beiber while rubbing one out - he seems more likely than anything else)

OK, I'm outta here. it's gym time!

---Roman

Damn talk about a buzz kill. Both those are also no interest to me. Sandra is too old and the Justice the wrong sex, although his ex is right up my alley.

Actually they have an electric Mustang the does do around 10 second quarter mile but that's about all the distance you get out of it also.

[Times Roman]

Damn talk about a buzz kill. Both those are also no interest to me. Sandra is too old and the Justice the wrong sex, although his ex is right up my alley.

Actually they have an electric Mustang the does do around 10 second quarter mile but that's about all the distance you get out of it also.

Sandra is too old? I'll bet you a buck that 9 out of 10 hounds here wouldn't think twice, and the 1 out of 10 would be Shol'va.....

............so there you have it! It's unanimous (well, almost)

But I think we're supposed to discuss science and astronomy in this thread?

Now I get to say 9 out of 10 mutts here would not mind flying their rockets into her space?

[Hazard]

Not sure if this has been posted up yet but it's made headlines everywhere.....

Stephen Hawking has passed away.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn...ead/index.html

[MuscleScience]

Not sure if this has been posted up yet but it's made headlines everywhere.....

Stephen Hawking has passed away.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn...ead/index.html

Yep saw that today, he has not been well for a couple years. Relative to his ALS that is.

[Lemonada8]

Sad that he passed away... Although it is ironic and yet fitting that he passed away on pi day... 3-14.