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Tobacco Virus Could Boost Li Batteries

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.

14 of 161 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Scourge? by benjamindees · · Score: 5, Informative

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

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

    --
    "I assumed blithely that there were no elves out there in the darkness"
  2. The scourge of mankind by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    When you say "one of the world's most destructive naturally occurring scourges," are you referring to tobacco or the virus?

    Signed,
    to lazy to log in.

  3. 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.

  4. Re:Scourge? by Anarki2004 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As an e-cig enthusiast, I will attest that it just isn't the same. With the e-cig, I get the satisfaction of inhaling something and seeing the resulting cloud. I also get my nicotine fix. Sure, nicotine is a poison, but at least all I'm inhaling is nicotine and propylene glycol (or food grade vegetable glycerin); there is no burning or 4000+ chemicals as found in a traditional cigarette. The gum just doesn't do it for most people.

    --
    The teachers will crack any minute, purple monkey dishwasher.
  5. Where are the fast transistors? by wealthychef · · Score: 4, 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?

    --
    Currently hooked on AMP
    1. 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. . . .
    2. Re:Where are the fast transistors? by geekoid · · 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.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  6. Re:Scourge? by Nadaka · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

  7. Get off my lawn.. by formfeed · · Score: 4, Funny

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

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

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

  9. Re:Scourge? by metamechanical · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Balderdash! The key to preparing eggplant is the following two steps:

    1) Slice the eggplant into ~ 1.5 cm - 2 cm slices. Salt one side of each slice. Reassemble eggplant, wrapping with cling wrap to hold it together. Let it rest for ~30 minutes until all the bitter juices leech out, and then wipe each slice dry.

    2) Roast or grill eggplant for a couple minutes, until it looks like it has started cooking.

    Then, do whatever you want with it.

    Also, it helps to know that the eggplant has "male" and "female" fruit, and that the female fruit has a more bitter flavor.

    --
    If I had a nickel for every time I had a nickel, I'd be richcursive!
  10. 10-fold increase? by bored_engineer · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Gasoline has an energy density of about 34 MJ/L, while current Li-ion batteries have an energy density of around 0.7 MJ/L. If this comes to fruition, we'll have batteries with about 1/5th of the energy density of gasoline. That's quite amazing, in my opinion.

    What if that battery is pierced, though? I know that the Tesla rig uses a slew of small cells. Do other electric cars like the Volt or the Leaf do the same thing? It seems to me that a number of small cells might present less of a problem, though that would drive the energy density of a battery pack down.

    1. Re:10-fold increase? by greenskyx · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It's especially good because electric vehicles are around 4x as efficient as internal combustion engines. The Leaf uses larger flat sheets of batteries to increase their ability to release excess heat.

  11. 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!