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Sorry to be skeptical, but I can't help but think: Number of "battery breakthrough" news I heard in the last 15 years: >100, Actual battery breakthroughs: 0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-ion_battery#Modern_batt...
There have also been breakthroughs in the last five years to allow for massively faster charging:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-ion_polymer_battery#Tec...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
To add weight to your skepticism the article states, "Eventually (in another 10 years or so), li-ion batteries could be replaced with li-air batteries." !0 years is a long time-frame.
Exactly. 10 years is way past the Technological Event Horizon, which is about 2 years. Which means that unlike, for example, memristors, lithium air batteries most likely won't happen, and if they do happen, their happening will be a consequence of other research. (Which is an argument why most research should be fundamental and open-ended, i.e. not directed towards specific outcomes.)
Does that mean that as the battery charge is depleted (=it runs out of free lithium ions, I guess), it's mass increases due to all the newly bound oxygen being stored in there? That's counter-intuitive enough to just be awesome!
Also, a large-scale battery whose charge level is directly related to its mass (albeit inversely so, from my intuition) and supports recharging is almost a bit like magic. I hope they pull this off, so I can learn to weigh my car before going on long trips, in the future. :)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
To add weight to your skepticism the article states, "Eventually (in another 10 years or so), li-ion batteries could be replaced with li-air batteries." !0 years is a long time-frame.
Exactly. 10 years is way past the Technological Event Horizon, which is about 2 years. Which means that unlike, for example, memristors, lithium air batteries most likely won't happen, and if they do happen, their happening will be a consequence of other research. (Which is an argument why most research should be fundamental and open-ended, i.e. not directed towards specific outcomes.)
So ... As the battery is used, bonds are formed between oxygen molecules in the air, and the lithium ions on the battery's electrodes. Weight is saved by "borrowing" those O2s from the air, as compared to carrying them around fixed in an oxide. Fine. Does that mean that as the battery charge is depleted (=it runs out of free lithium ions, I guess), it's mass increases due to all the newly bound oxygen being stored in…
This is slightly off topic but simply stated I just love IBM these days. There aren't many corporations that dedicate as much focus on research and yet, for a large corp. they also keep their nose surprisingly clean (these days). While we watch the swirling tech scandals ebb and flow they just quietly sit off to the side and keep changing the world.
This is slightly off topic but simply stated I just love IBM these days. There aren't many corporations that dedicate as much focus on research and yet, for a large corp. they also keep their nose surprisingly clean (these days). While we watch the swirling tech scandals ebb and flow they just quietly sit off to the side and keep changing the world.
I think Paul Graham's goal to prevent Eternal September on Hacker News can be officially declared a failure.
Sorry to be skeptical, but I can't help but think: Number of "battery breakthrough" news I heard in the last 15 years: >100, Actual battery breakthroughs: 0
So improvements are being made and we're seeing them. It's just slow going.
This is slightly off topic but simply stated I just love IBM these days. There aren't many corporations that dedicate as much focus on research and yet, for a large corp. they also keep their nose surprisingly clean (these days). While we watch the swirling tech scandals ebb and flow they just quietly sit off to the side and keep changing the world.