4.02.2005

Nanotechnology = a $2,000 Annual Raise for everybody

I'm piecing together this entry in my spare time. I'll factcheck/edit it in the near future...

Nano-technology is like artificial intelligence, a hollow buzzword that never seems to materialize. Things are starting to change. Toshiba has just figured out a way to make an extremely practical nano-battery that will affect just about everybody and potentially the future of the planet.

Toshiba's new battery is unique in that it can take an 80% charge in one minute. It's also smaller and lighter than the batteries of old so it can be used in cars.
"The efficiencies of good modern Otto-cycle engines range between 20 and 25 percent (in other words, only this percentage of the heat energy of the fuel is transformed into mechanical energy). "
75 to 80 percent of the gasoline we buy is wasted due to the inefficiencies of the internal combustion engine. The heat energy generated by our brakes is also wasted. If our cars could use that brake energy we could cut our gas consumption dramatically, especially in city driving(this is why hybrids get better mileage in cities). The only energy loss would be from rolling resistance from our tires and from wind resistance.

If this battery actually makes it to market in 2006 it could mean the end of gas stations as we know them. If it becomes possible to rapidly charge your car with an extension cord plugged into a standard outlet then we won't need gasoline.
"Electricity ranges from about 5 - 10 cents per kW, so a gallon of gas (more than $2) has as much energy as $1.65 - $3.30 of electricity."
At first glance it looks like gas power and wall power are the same price but gas engines are only 20% efficient so using a plug from the side of your house would be 5 times cheaper. Double that because the cars with these batteries will be able to use the engine for braking which at the same time recharges the engine. In other words your gas bill will soon be 10% of what it once was.

If we assume that the average American spends $25 a week or $1,300 a year then we will have an average disposable income increase of $1170 per driver. Thats like giving the majority of Americans a pretax raise of $2,000. Not to mention the reduction of pollution, noise or otherwise. This will be an even bigger boon in high tax countries like Europe because spending less, as opposed to getting cash in the mail, is tax free.

"for every $10/bbl rise in price overall GDP would be trimmed by 0.3%-0.5% over a year" So we can also expect the equivalent of a 90% or $40 drop in the price of a barrel of oil. That means GDP will grow by 1.2%-2.0% worldwide in a few short years. Inflation will decrease pretty dramatically and interest rates may remain low.

Article ToDo:
Do an inflation calculation
What percentage of oil is used for gasoline?
Oil price will drop if gas is a big portion of oil is used for gas. Lowering prices for oil needed for power plants.
Find efficiency of power plants.
Nuclear Power
Gas in Europe is $6.50/US gallon

4.01.2005

Beisbol is Coming

Baseball is back. Devoid of roids, vacant warning tracks abound. The name Randy Johnson still makes me laugh. Last year I had great field level seats at the new Petco Park, right above the opponent's dugout. My friend and I heckeled Randy for nine beer-filled innings, chants of "Raaaaannnnndaaalllllllllllllllll" seemed only to intensify his awkwardly disproportionate lust for victory. After nine innings of shutout pitching he relinquished the mound, pausing magestically, like an engorged giraffe after a meal of seemingly unreachable saplings, proud of the unusual name bestowed by his forebearers.

As he neared his congradulatory commrades in the duguout he lobbed the ball to an enraged Padre fan picture here. She quickly devoured the ball. Cubs fans have nothing on us.

The picture is from a best of 2004 photo gallery.