Air Fueled Battery could last up to 10 times longer

Another article that stirred my interest. A ground breaking technology for every electric cars. It is an air fueled battery. This battery could last 10 times longer than the ordinary battery used by todays electric and hybrid cars. This step-change in capacity will pave the way for a new generation of electric cars, mobile phones and laptops.

It started as a research work; which then is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences research Council. The researchers were from the Universtiy of Andrews with partners at Stratchlyde and Newcastle.

The air fueled battery enables a constant electrical output from natural sources such as wind and solar. However, the electrical output will not be generated once the weather changes or when night falls. This new design has the potential to improve the performance of any portable electronic products.


Oxygen from the air is used as a re-agent rather than carrying the necessary chemicals around inside the battery. The oxygen will be drawn in through the surface of the battery exposed to the air. The oxygen then reacts within the pores of the carbon to discharge the battery.
The oxygen, which will be drawn in through a surface of the battery exposed to air and reacts within the pores of the carbon to discharge the battery.


This is done due to the improved capacity of the addition of a component in the battery that uses oxygen drawn from the air during discharge. Since the chemicals in the battery is not needed, the battery in turn will offer more energy for the same size of the battery used today. Thus size and the weight of the battery is reduced with the neccessary charge capacity. However, reducing the size and weight of the battery has been a long-running battle for developers of electric cars.


This process of the air fueled battery is cheaper, since carbon component is much cheaper than current technology. On the contrary, researchers have been working and improving the chemical reaction of the battery. So that small applications such as mobile phones or MP3 players can be used.

Jellyfish Fight Terrorists

Just today, I read an interesting article about scientist creating a biosensors to detect any dangerous biological agents. Mostly targeted at transport and government buildings. The biosensors used jellyfish DNA and mouse to detect this lethal agents.

Engineers invented a device to bring air samples into contact with genetically engineered biosensors in the effort to detect dangerous biological agents. The technology uses multiple collections of altered cell antibodies, each collection designed to respond to a specific pathogen by releasing photons of a unique wavelength upon finding it. Detectors measure the photons' wavelengths and interpret the pathogens. The PANTHER sensor uses a cell-based sensor technology known as CANARY, and can pick up a positive reading with only a few dozen particles per liter of air. The device could be used in buildings, subways and other public areas, and can currently detect 24 pathogens, including anthrax, plague, smallpox, tularemia and E. coli.

The CANARY Sensor was developed by Todd Rider. Using jellyfish DNA and a high-voltage electrical charge. It all happen when Todd Rider was in his lab with a electric creator. He had mouse cells and some jellyfish DNA. So he went and mixed these compounds toghether while pushing buttons and begging to give life and soon enough the jellyfish DNA went inside the cells, and the resulting in glowing mouse cells.The glowing cells reveal the presence of a targeted pathogen.

However, scientists still had no way to test air samples for pathogens. Only until another scientist called Harper created the PANTHER.

According to scientists, operating the PANTHER is as simple as loading your DVD player. Disks containing sixteen chambers are loaded into the PANTHER. The machine pulls air through the disk to collect and test any pathogen that might be in the air.The disk containing the cells are the key to the canary technology. Cells are then released into the collected particles and look for resuling light. If a dangerous pathogen is detected, the sensor goes off; alerting anyone who could be in harm's way.

This is a solution to reduce the number of passengers or the community to be infected.

Chemical Weapons

Since the very first war during the roman times. Chemical weapons have already been used to eliminate the allies to conquer the enemies land at a very fast and effective way. Soon after WW1 and WW2, countries over the world have been trying to develop a chemical weapon to prove to their allies that they are the most powerful country.

Chemical weapons is the use of toxic properties of chemical substances rather than the explosive properties found in C4, to produce physical and mentally effects on the enemy. The first chemical weapons were used in the Peloponnesian War, where the spartans ignited pitch and sulphur together creating a toxic fume. Soon many wars after WW1 and WW2, chemical weapons have been developed, tested and used. All resulting in a catastrophic massacre.

Known chemical agents are nerve gas, mustard gas, blister gas, and any other chemical agents producing a burning and suffocation feeling that will cause death.

The only two major countries known to still improve and develop chemical weapons under the secret of the nation government is the United States of America and Russia.

In mordern warfare, chemical weapons would be most likely to be used like the first nuclear bomb. Producing a world with ghouls, zombies and mutants walking on earth surface leading mankind to extinction or hiding in caves.

Homemade Biodiesel

Ever since the auto industries have develop and produce more than a million cars a year. More and more of the fossil fuel have to be drilled and sucked from the shallow sea bed to the deepest sea bed in the world. Fossil fuel tends to be extinct. Thus, scientist have done a lot of research to use a different source of fuel; that is Biodiesel.

Biodiesel can be created anywhere, from your own house kitchen to industrial laboratories. The ingredients for Biodiesel are vegetable oil, lye and methanol. To produce diesel, you first have to collect some waste vegetable oil (usually available in fast food restaurant) and filter it of any debris. Then it is then titrated to convert the vegetable oil to biodiesel. A simple chemical test that determines the amount of lye and methanol required to convert the vegetable oil to biodiesel. Adding the sufficient amount of lye is critical. Adding more lye than the required amount; the mixing tank could end up filled with gel-type soap. If lye is too little, only part of the cooking oil will convert into biodiesel, with a large layer of glycerin settling to the bottom of the mixing tank.

One true fact is that, the glycerin that is seperated from the oil can be use as soap. The final product of the process is Biodiesel. If the fuel drops it is not harmful to the plants.

Also if you smell the exhaust of the car, it will give a sweet, tantalizing and succulent smell of roasted chicken depending where the vegetable oil is obtained.

If any global economic crisis do occur like the recent event (2008-2009). No fuel = Use Biodiesel.

Why do ice float?

The other day, while relaxing in Starbucks Cafe with some old friends. I sat looking at my cold drink and wondering why ice float no matter how small or big the size of it. So i ask my friends, just to strike a conversation. Many interesting answers were given. But the most common answer related to chemistry is due to Hydrogen Bonding.

So then we discuss the different defination of hydrogen bonding. As it is a type of intermolecular force between molecules having a H atom bonded to a small highly electronegative atom with lone pairs like N, O and F. With saying that we continue to talk that ice can be also be tough and rigid due to its bonding. To compare the rigidity of the ice, the incident on Titanic came into play.

Soon, we then opened a joke to make the topic livelier.
One of the joke was read on the internet and passed aroung. It was : A student comes into his lab class right at the end of the hour. Fearing he'll get an "F", he asks a fellow student what she's been doing. "We've been observing water under the microscope. We're suppose to write up what we see." The page of her notebook is filled with little figures resembling circles and ellipses with hair on them. The panic-stricken student hears the bell go off, opens his notebook and writes, "During this laboratory, I examined water under the microscope and I saw twice as many H's as O's."

Later, we calm ourselves and continue a cold caramel macchiato.

Coke and Mentos Phenomenon

A mixture of mentos and a two litre bottle containing Diet Coke resulting in an eruption of gasous foam soaring into the air. Is this a fact or a prank. Well it is a fact. I myself have tried this experiment in my front garden. First few tries was a failure, some led to disaster but eventually succeed.

The cause of this reaction is due to the contents in the diet coke and the mentos. Which are Caffeine, Potassium Benzoate, Aspartame, and CO2 gas contained in the Diet Coke and the gelatin and gum arabic ingredients of the Mentos all contribute to the jet effect. When the two reactants react with each other, the resulting product leads to a spewing foam into the air about 2 metres high.

This is because the surface of the mentos have been concluded to be litered with holes allowing CO2 gas bubbles to filled the holes forming the eruption. Thus both chemical and physical reaction takes place.