Researchers engineer batteries that work well in extreme cold and heat

Plus: Microplastics found in meat, milk, and blood of farm animals Jul 10, 2022 [Blueprint]( We all know batteries don’t do well in extreme temperatures until now. Engineers have developed new lithium-ion batteries that work well in extreme cold and heat The new batteries could now enable electric vehicles to travel further on a single charge in cold climates while also alleviating the need for cooling systems to keep the vehicles’ battery packs from overheating in hot climates. But before we examine how they made these batteries, let’s take a look at this video of the Helihomes from the 1970s. You read that right. I’m Loukia, an editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let's get right to it. If you haven’t already, check out our new [IE+ subscription]( launching July 14, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, premium features, and more. Claim your [free one-month trial here](. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Here is what happened to the flying campers we were promised in the 1970s]( [Helihomes]( Whatever happened to the Helihomes produced in the 1970s for travel both in the air and sea? [Must Read]MUST READ [Engineers develop lithium-ion batteries that work well in extreme cold and heat]( [batteries]( [batteries]( UC SanDiego When it comes to battery developments, there's no shortage of news. From a battery design that could last up to 100 years to a water-based battery that's produced at half the cost of lithium-ion ones, it seems there is always something new and exciting happening in the field. Now, engineers at the University of California, San Diego, [have engineered]( novel energy-packed lithium-ion batteries that perform optimally at freezing cold and scorching hot temperatures, “You need high-temperature operation in areas where the ambient temperature can reach the triple digits and the roads get even hotter. In electric vehicles, the battery packs are typically under the floor, close to these hot roads,” explained Zheng Chen, a professor of nanoengineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and senior author of the study. “Also, batteries warm up just from having a current run through during operation. If the batteries cannot tolerate this warmup at high temperature, their performance will quickly degrade.” Chen's team ran tests with the prototype batteries and found that they retained 87.5% and 115.9% of their energy capacity at -40 and 122 F (-40 and 50 C ), respectively. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Linkedin]( [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [Scientists find microplastics in meat, milk, and blood of farm animals]( Scientists have [found microplastics]( in the meat, milk, and blood of farm animals, possibly explaining how the material ended up in our bodies. What is even more worrisome is that the particles may travel around the body and lodge in organs. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Science - New solar cell innovation [provides 1,000 times]( more power. - This portable lantern [can be charged]( by salt water or urine. - Meet [the 'Ghost']( the boat that sails htrough bubbles. [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [The world's most sensitive dark matter detector just delivered 'significant results']( Physicists at the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment [announced the results]( from their dark matter detector's first scientific run. The LZ detector is the world's most sensitive dark matter detector and the team announced the experiment is working as intended, and has released "significant results.” [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Science - Physicists [create microchip]( 100 times faster than conventional ones. - New plasma thruster concept [could make]( space missions 10x faster. - No more transistors: the [end of Moore’s law](. [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS Innovations in battery developments are constantly on the horizon. Are we close to making the kind of batteries that can make electric vehicles(EVs) truly viable in all kinds of weather conditions? [Yes! We got this.]( [No, all the developments made are minor.]( [Aren’t EVs already running fine?]( [A battery revolution is here.]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Yesterday, we asked if you believed Twitter would really go forward with suing Elon Musk for backing out of his acquisition deal. 45% of you said you were tired of the Elon Musk/Twitter drama while 22% believed the platform should sue the billionaire. 45% I am tired of the Elon Musk/Twitter drama. 22% Yes and they should 22% No, it’s just empty threats. 12% Musk may change his mind again. [QUOTE OF THE DAY]QUOTE OF THE DAY "The scientific method, as far as it is a method, is nothing more than doing one's damnedest with one's mind, no holds barred." Percy Williams Bridgeman 1882–1961 American physicist: Reflections of a Physicist (1955) [THINGS WE LOVE]THINGS WE LOVE [image]( [Audio-Technica USB Condenser Microphone]( [image]( [Swarovski EL Binoculars]( [image]( [CZUR Shine 800 Book Scanner]( [image]( [Alpicool C15 Portable Freezer]( [AND ANOTHER THING]AND ANOTHER THING - Starlink: Here are [6 of SpaceX's biggest rivals]( for satellite internet dominance. - The exercise that [can protect]( against adolescent stress. (Scientific American) - Watch Ukrainian soldiers [use motorcycle sidecars]( for missile launches. - Cancer [probably killed]( the world's first known pregnant mummy. (IFLScience) - Iconic Rotterdam Bridge [won't be dismantled]( to let Jeff Bezos' superyacht pass. - 'The [ghost of the forest]( 'and other animals living in a land of extremes. (CNN) - High-altitude hot air balloons [are the newest US weapon]( against Russia and China. Prepared by Loukia Papadopoulos Enjoy Reading? Forward this email to a friend. 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