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Tobacco Virus Could Boost Li Batteries

Posted by kdawson on from the no-smoking dept.

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.

6 of 161 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Scourge? by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 4, Funny

    It affects all nightshades, including tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.

    I hate eggplant even more than I hate lunh cancer!

    So the virus is still 2/4 in my book. Still not a scourge.

  2. Re:Scourge? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Sorry, I don't consider a virus that primarily damages tobacco plants to be a scourge.

    Cancer, heart disease, and emphasema, now those are scourges. But a virus that kills their primary pathogen? Nope.

    You seem to be implying that these diseases are caused by tobacco, and that tobacco is a pathogen. I strongly disagree with that idea. Tobacco without corporate tampering by spraying with additives really isn't the worst thing out there. Certainly something that is consumed almost exclusively voluntarily is not a scourge.

    My grandfather smoked 20 unfiltered Camel cigarettes a day until he was 92yo. He died of "natural" causes, mainly being 92 fucking years old. Some people have shitty DNA that likes to get defective and turn into cancer. Some people don't. I like having the freedom to smoke cigarettes, and cry baby nanny-staters like DoofusOfDeath make me angry.

  3. Re:Where are the fast transistors? by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does ANYTHING every come to fruition?

    Not in this case, tobacco is a vegetable.

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  4. Get off my lawn.. by formfeed · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cell phone users aren't welcome around my pepper plants.

  5. Confused... by noidentity · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm confused, is this a bug or a feature? Could it be both at the same time?!?

  6. Re:Scourge? by camperdave · · Score: 3, Funny

    I used to hate eggplants too bacause I always was served goopy overbaked eggplant. But then I discovered that they are best prepared sliced, battered and fried. Delicious.

    So what does that prove. *EVERYTHING* is best prepared sliced, battered, and fried: Cheese, Mars Bars, cardboard, you name it.

    --
    When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!