EDITOR'S CHOICE

Physicists Look To Power Batteries With Micro Black Holes

11 May 2024 | Synopsis

"While the concept is mind-bending, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility...However, manipulating these microscopic phenomena for energy storage remains purely hypothetical.

"The true value of this exploration lies in highlighting the vast potential for future battery technology...a single kilogram of a micro black hole battery could theoretically power a family for generations, offering 470 million times the energy of our most efficient 200-kilogram lithium batteries."

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How '15-minute Cities' Could Save Time, Reduce Emissions, And Build Community

11 May 2024 | Synopsis

"...average American lost nearly an hour a week to traffic congestion in 2022. Drivers lose an additional 17 hours per year hunting for parking...

"Instead of expecting residents to get in their cars and drive long distances to work, run errands, and take part in social activities, cities should instead be designed to provide those kinds of opportunities in close proximity to where people live, reducing overdependence on cars..."

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Their Batteries Hurt The Environment, But EVs Still Beat Gas Cars. Here's Why

11 May 2024 | Synopsis

"...building an electric vehicle does more damage to the climate than building a gas car does.

"If you look at the climate impact of building and using a vehicle - something called a "lifecycle analysis" - study after study has found a clear benefit to EVs.

"A traditional car needs mining every day, needs mining every time it's used. It needs the whole extraction complex of fossil fuels in order to power it..."

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Despite Charging And Range Anxiety, EV Owners Won't Give Up Their Cars

10 May 2024 | Synopsis

"...a new study found that range anxiety is a complicated, multi-faceted issue and that a new fear surrounding charging has emerged for most owners of electric vehicles...Only 9% of EV owners said that they experience range anxiety very often, while 29% of owners said that they sometimes felt range anxiety, and 44% said that they rarely felt range anxiety.

"A staggering 91% of current EV owners, including 95% of Tesla (TSLA) owners and 86% of other brands say that their next car will be an EV."

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AI-Powered EV Batteries: The Next Welcome Change

10 May 2024 | Synopsis

Chemix, an AI-powered EV battery developer, has completed a USD 20 million Series A funding round...Using AI, developers can cut down the time and expense of battery design by iterating faster and more efficiently...early-prediction model helped reduce the time it took to identify fast-charging techniques from over 500 days to 16 days...Chemix helped a client develop a novel electrolyte...that could extend the battery's cycle life by 400% within two months."

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This Genius 'Vampire Drone' Is Designed To Fly Forever

10 May 2024 | Synopsis

"Thanks to a docking mechanism, its sensors, and artificial intelligence system, the drone can recognize a power line every time it needs to recharge its batteries...To achieve complete autonomy, the drones needed to easily charge without human intervention.

"When the drone batteries are full, a circuit cuts the current, the magnet stops working, and the grip opens freeing up the drone to fly again."

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Will Better Superconductors Transform the World?

10 May 2024 | Synopsis

"When electrons travel through the metal, they fight their way through other electrons and other defects and so on, and lose energy as they move forward. And that loss is what we pay for.

"...the ramifications of superconductivity being available in ambient conditions are going to be transformative for all things around us...Here we are talking about energy efficiencies, which are going to transform how we travel, how we communicate."

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How People Get Around in America, Europe, and Asia

10 May 2024 | Synopsis

"Data for this article and visualization is sourced from 'The ABC of Mobility'...gathered their modal share data through travel surveys, which focused on the primary mode of transportation a person employs for each weekday trip.

"North America's share of public transport and active mobility (walking and biking) is the lowest amongst all surveyed regions by a significant amount...On the other hand, public transport reigns supreme in South and Central America as well as Southern and Eastern Asia."

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How 1.5M New Electric Vehicles In Massachusetts Will Affect The Power Grid Through 2033

08 May 2024 | Synopsis

"..the region's power grid operator predicted a steady increase in electricity consumption in New England from now through 2033, to the tune of 17%, driven primarily by building and transportation electrification.

"...overall electricity use in New England is expected to increase from 119,179 gigawatt-hours to 140,001 gigawatt-hours...grid operator predicts that energy efficiency programs, such as Mass Save, participating in the region's wholesale electricity markets will reduce electricity use by 11,210 gigawatt-hours in 2033."

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Tesla News Looks Grim. But The Bigger Picture For EVs Is A Bright One.

08 May 2024 | Synopsis

"The reality is that EV sales are growing rapidly, the technology is evolving briskly, and everyone from policymakers to auto executives to consumers is putting EVs at the center of long-term planning.

"The trajectory is clear,' says...a climate economist at Columbia Business School. "None of this is 'if'; it is 'when.'" More than 40% of Chinese car purchases in 2024 will be electric, according to the IEA...[US] number is 11%, and it's 25% in Europe."

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