Tesla to possibly start lithium mining

Plus: New anti-aging research enables human cells to "time jump" 30 years, Molten-salt storage can enhance EVs with 12-week battery life. Apr 09, 2022 [View in browser]( Mining lithium is an extremely difficult process that led to a global lithium crisis and caused lithium prices to skyrocket more than 480% in the last year alone. As such Elon Musk recently signaled that Tesla may start mining lithium. In a tweet he shared yesterday, Musk said “Price of lithium has gone to insane levels! Tesla might actually have to get into the mining & refining directly at scale, unless costs improve.” Time will tell how this initiative will turn out. Before we discuss this issue in more detail below, let's have a look at why faster-than-light travel leads to time paradoxes. Good morning. I’m Mert, an editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s bend time. [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Here’s why faster-than-light travel leads to maddening time paradoxes]( Inevitably, it also implies time travel. [Here’s why faster-than-light travel leads to maddening time paradoxes]( INNOVATION [Elon Musk says Tesla may forge into a new industry: lithium mining]( [Elon Musk on the left and Rockwood lithium mine on the right.]( Ever the entrepreneur, Tesla CEO [Elon Musk tweeted]( Friday that his firm may [get into the lithium mining]( and refining business directly because the cost of lithium, a crucial component in the manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries, has become "insane." - “Price of lithium has gone to insane levels,” Musk tweeted. “There is no shortage of the element itself, as lithium is almost everywhere on Earth, but the pace of extraction/refinement is slow.” An increase of more than 480% in the last year. The message was written in response to a tweet showcasing the average price of lithium per tonne per year in the last twenty years. According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, lithium has gone up more than 480% in the last year alone. This is not the first time Musk has considered the idea of Tesla mining its own lithium. In 2020, Fortune sited “people familiar with the matter" and revealed that Tesla acquired its own rights to mine lithium in Nevada after a deal to buy a lithium mining company called Cypress Development Corp. did not work out. The question now becomes whether developing his own lithium mining business will really help Musk or whether he will have to invest more than he gets out of it. [Read More]( SCIENCE [New anti-aging research enables human cells to "time jump" 30 years]( [Fibroblasts]( [A team of researchers at the Babraham]( Institute has made [a breakthrough in regenerative medicine.]( - Just published in the journal eLife, the team shows how they managed to turn back the clock 30 years for human skin cells. What's more, the new treatment was able to be completed without the cells losing any of their specialized functions. While the research is still very much in its early stages, the results so far are extraordinary. A revolutionary technique for medicine. This new technique is not just interesting in and of itself, it has several important potential applications. For example, the regenerated cells not only appear younger but actually function like young cells too. A potential game-changer. In the future, the treatment could be used to treat other age-related diseases and disorders. For example, the APBA2 gene (associated with Alzheimer's disease), and the MAF gene (with a role in the development of cataracts) could be targeted resulting in changes toward youthful levels of transcription. [Read More]( INNOVATION [Molten-salt storage can enhance EVs with 12-week battery life]( [Molten-salt storage]( - A r[ecent study has just been published]( by U.S. scientists who have managed to develop an[aluminum-nickel molten salt battery]( that can retain over 90% of its initial capacity over a period of up to 12 weeks. Having an energy density of 260 W/hour per kg, the new battery was built with an aluminum anode and a nickel cathode, immersed in a molten-salt electrolyte. The breakthrough was developed by scientists a the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and has been described by its developers as a small prototype "freeze-thaw battery". This battery is able to break off its self-charging functions when it is idling. - The new battery can be charged by heating it to around 356 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius), allowing ions to flow through its liquid electrolyte. It can then be restored to room temperature and the electrolyte becomes solid, thus trapping the ions that transport the stored energy, effectively halting the charge cycle. The battery can be heated again, as the ions restart flowing through the electrolyte when energy is needed. To help increase the battery's storage capacity, sulfur was added to the electrolyte too. A ceramic separator was embedded between the anode and the cathode to avoid breakage during the freeze-thaw cycle. [Read More]( THINGS WE LOVE - Have all your apple devices within reach with [the most budget-friendly Apple ecosystem]( you can assemble in 2022. - Who wins the infinite war, [Apple iPad Air 5 or Apple iPad Pro 11?]( MAIL & MUSINGS A lot of new developments continue to seek to meet the fuel needs of electric vehicles more effectively. Which type of battery do you think is the most efficient? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [Lithium-Ion batteries]( [Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries]( [Lead Acid batteries]( [Ultracapacitor batteries]( Yesterday’s Results We live in the age of conspiracy theories. We asked what conspiracy theory fascinates you the most. While 46% find the Illuminati intriguing, it is the suspicions about the accuracy of climate change that are the most interesting for 24% of the participants. The Illuminati controls the world. 46% Climate change isn’t real. 24% The moon landing never happened. 20% Dinosaurs never existed. 10% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ When intelligent machines are constructed, we should not be surprised to find them as confused and as stubborn as men in their convictions about mind-matter, consciousness, free will, and the like. ” Marvin Minsky in “Matter, Mind, and Models” AND ANOTHER THING... - Antimatter has a dangerous reputation, but it is fascinating indeed. Here’s [all you need to know about antimatter.]( - The NFT marketplace [OpenSea is ‘sitting on a ticking bomb’]( as lawsuits pile up over stolen apes. (Vice) - A new Netflix documentary reveals the [stunning story behind SpaceX’s Demo-2.]( - [Russian soldiers at Chernobyl]( spent a month sleeping in a radioactive forest, exposed themselves to potentially dangerous levels of radiation, and ignored their own nuclear experts. (Business Insider) - [Honey might become a crucial feature]( to build brain-like computer chips. - [VR role-play therapy helps people]( with agoraphobia, finds study (The Guardian) - Can [mushrooms communicate with each other]( A study says a mushroom's vocabulary may contain around 50 words. Prepared by Loukia Papadopoulos and Mert Erdemir Enjoy reading? Don't forget to forward to a friend! Was this email forwarded to you? [Subscribe]( [About Us]( | [Advertise]( | [Contact Us]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe [here.]( © Copyright 2021 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 201 Spear Street, Suite 1100 San Francisco, CA 94105 | All Rights Reserved [Interesting Engineering]