Blog #4

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2009/12/08-02.html
This article talks about a new scientific discovery that can lead to a new, cheap, and flexible source of power. The discovery is the use of nanotubes on photocopy paper in batteries and other energy-storing devices. What’s important in the setup is the way the materials are organized for paper to polarize and become highly conductive. Paper batteries can store up to 7.5 Watt-hours per kilogram, which is a formidable number, considering how cheap and flexible this type of battery would be.
The idea of using a new material for batteries (that would make them lightweight, flexible, and cheap at the same time) is not totally new and has previously been explored and closely analyzed by researchers. However previous research was done with cellulose (the same starting material used to make paper) and plastic which both proved to be inefficient for the needs of the battery. Even though these materials have a sturdy structure, they could easily split apart if flexed which would then destroy the whole concept of the battery. Researchers then realized that paper had the perfect structure (sturdy and flexible).
This concept is totally innovative. Now that researchers found out that nanotubes and paper-fibers hold tight and can be used for batteries “enables engineers to make batteries in almost any shape”. This would tremendously help towards the future, because we could adapt batteries size, and shape depending on the machine or object we need it for.
In a more general sense, I really enjoyed reading over this article. I had the feeling that everything I was reading was important and would eventually be a positive contribution towards modern scientific society. I make strong emphasis in this, because most of the times I feel that research papers investigate topics that are not relevant for society and that not vital for envisioning and working towards the future. Researches tend to ramble and explain in very close detail things that are unnecessary. Unlike other research papers, I strongly felt (as I said before) that this paper makes very strong and positive contributions to how technology will change because it improves one of the most important topics in our modern world, sources of energy.