Tobacco Virus Could Boost Li Batteries 161
siliconbits alerts us to the possible use of one of the world's most destructive naturally occurring scourges, the tobacco mosaic virus, to boost the capacity of lithium ion batteries by 10 times. It seems the virus can be made to attach itself to the electrodes in a lithium cell perpendicularly, increasing the surface area of the electrode and greatly improving the battery's capacity to store energy. PhysOrg has some more detail on virus-enhanced batteries. Four years ago we discussed the use of the tobacco mosaic virus to enable fast-switching transistors.
Where are the fast transistors? (Score:5, Insightful)
Four years ago we discussed the use of the tobacco mosaic virus to enable fast-switching transistors.
So where are the fast switching transistors? Does ANYTHING every come to fruition?
Re:Where are the fast transistors? (Score:5, Insightful)
No, nothing ever does. Which is sad because if it did then we could talk to each other over great distance using some sort of boxes.
Re:Scourge? (Score:2, Insightful)
Even I, a non-smoker, get angry when people try to impose things on smokers, because an attack on someone's freedom to do something that doesn't harm others is an attack on my freedom to do the same. And no, I'm not talking about restrictions on smoking in public spaces where the smoke affects others; I'm talking about restrictions/taxes on smoking on private property where the smoke doesn't drift on to neighboring property and the property owner is OK with smoking.
How about the increase in the cost of my healthcare due to people with tobacco induced illnesses who can't pay their medical bills?
It's really quite simple. There are people who create and sell an addictive product which kills people. They know it, we know it, the idiots who kill themselves with the product know it, and at least in the US, we subsidize the process with tax breaks for the industry and 'free' emergency room care for the idiots. The manufacturers and sellers of tobacco, and the politicians who accept their campaign bribes, are murderers and thieves.
I'll accept the 'personal freedom' argument when smokers grow their own tobacco without tax subsidies, and are turned away from emergency rooms and allowed to die on their own terms. When that happens, go ahead, knock yourself out. Literally.
(Yes, I just signed up for next year's health insurance plan, which costs more than my mortgage.)
Re:Scourge? (Score:2, Insightful)
and then when that guy smoking a private property comes down with lung cancer, we have to pay for his treatment
and he won't have health insurance, because according to him, to be forced to get health insurance is evil socialism, an affront on his freedom
of course, he'll take the healthcare he can't afford without insurance, to save his ignorant ass, anyway, because his "ideology" is worth shit: its just an excuse to freeload off responsible people, by not carrying insurance, but expecting treatment he can't afford when he gets sick. this lack of responsibility and foresight is apparantly called "freedom". yeah, freedom from accountability and taking care of yourself, apparently
when you don't have insurance and you need to go to the hospital, you are a believer in socialist medicine
when you have insurance and you don't have to go to the hospital, socialist medicine is an evil affront on our freedoms
that's the kind of depth and intelligence we are dealing with with some freeloading assholes when they whine about socialism and freedom