I read a story about batteries, Chinese batteries of course, - ‘Chinese researchers develop high-energy-density aqueous battery’, that China is researched aqueous batteries, that use water for better safety.
“Traditional non-aqueous lithium-ion batteries have a high energy density, but their safety is compromised due to the flammable organic electrolytes they utilize. Aqueous batteries use water as the solvent for electrolytes, significantly enhancing battery safety.”
I think safer batteries are needed, as there are many stories of growing concern over the risk of battery fires on e-bikes.
Then I read a story that China is also developing ‘fibre’ batteries - ‘China makes breakthrough with wearable batteries that can charge cellphone’, that embed these fibre batteries into leather and canvas bags, and that these fiber batteries could store energy and power personal electronic devices such as smartphones and watches.
“This fiber battery shows promise for applications in firefighting, disaster relief, polar expeditions and aerospace”,
and also could be used in heated suits that could be used in winter - here in Canada!
And I read a story that China is developing a better car battery - ‘CATL launches battery with maximum range 1,000 km’, that can last for 600 kms, and can charge in only 10 minutes. I hope that when the Canadian government finally allows Chinese vehicles to be sold in Canada, that they will have this longer range battery.
And then, I read a story about a new nuclear reactor, the Vogtle #4, that is coming on-line in the United States - ‘Nuclear Marathons’, and about the enormous hurdles and obstacles that had to be overcome to accomplish it. The Vogtle #4, along with the Vogtle #3 that came on-line last year, it seems, are the only new reactors to be built in the United States in many decades.
I’m not sure that two reactors represents a nuclear renaissance, but it is at least a tenuous start. Plus, we’re probably not allowed to buy Chinese reactors either, even if they’re better and cheaper.
But then I read a very interesting story about what causes cancer - ‘Startling Discovery: Cancer Can Arise Without Genetic Mutations’, that
“A new study reveals that cancer can develop purely from epigenetic changes, challenging the conventional belief that genetic mutations are necessary for the disease.”
Perhaps, this can get us out of today’s reductionist narrative that it’s the genetic coding that causes everything, and instead, we start to look at the developmental processes of growth.
The good news could mean that all the Malthusian, anti-growth, small-is-beautiful indoctrination that was forced down the throats of the baby-boomer generation (usually with the assistance of hallucinogens), is itself not genetic, or hereditary. And so this new generation could naturally free itself from this imposed nonsense, and perhaps join the growing world-wide Anti-Malthusian League.