Solid State Battery Breakthrough, Predicting Earthquakes and Elephants call each other names
June 20
This week we examine a new solid state battery breakthrough which provides energy density of 100 times similar products. We investigate a new study of earthquake data that may lead us to being able to predict oncoming earthquakes. We discover that the inner core of the earth is slowing. Finally we learn that elephants have names for each other and that they respond to their own name.
Small Solid State Battery Breakthrough
Japanese company TDK (of cassette tape fame for those old enough) have developed a new solid state battery with an energy density 100 times greater than their current products. TDK is a big supplier to Apple and most of the consumer electronics industry. TDK supplies about 1/3rd of the batteries used in mobile phones. This new battery will be used in headphones and other small electronics.
The battery holds 1,000 watt-hours per liter (wh/l, the measure for the amount of power in a given amount of space). Some competitors have recently developed solid state batteries with up to 50 wh/l and rechargeable coin batteries using liquid electrolytes offer up to 400 wh/l. TDK’s current solid state battery only holds 10 wh/l.
The battery will be made of an all ceramic material with an oxide based solid electrolyte and lithium alloy anodes. The greater electrical density will allow for smaller devices or for longer operating times. Solid state batteries are safer, lighter, longer performing and cheaper than batteries with liquid electrolytes however up until now not as energy dense.
The material used for this battery is extremely fragile, it is not currently suitable for larger sized batteries such as those used in mobile phones and electric cars. TDK plans to start shipping prototypes of the new battery to consumer electronics companies in early 2025 and hopes to move into mass production shortly after.
Satellite Data Possibly Predicted an Earthquake 19 days before it happened
Researchers at the University of Tehran assessed a wide variety of satellite data from the run up to and the aftermath of the 6 February 2023 earthquake near the border between Turkey and Syria. Data came from the European Space Agency and the Chinese seismo-elecctromagnetic satellite.
Anomalies in land surface temperature from the earthquake region was noticed as early as 12 to 19 days before the earthquakes and anomalies in atmospherics parameters between 5 to 10 days before the earthquake. Measures of water vapor, methane levels, ozone and carbon monoxide were used. Anomalies in the ionosphere, including electron density and electron temperature appears 1 to 5 days before the earthquakes.
Earthquakes may give us an early warning of their impending arrival via a variety of anomalies on the ground, atmosphere and ionosphere that can all be detected using satellites and monitored via an AI looking for signals. Researchers are also looking for patterns of red flags amongst the complex of precursor interactions. It is likely these patterns vary with geographical regions.
As satellite technology improves along with our ability to identify the patterns that lead to earthquakes, early warning systems should be able to be developed and deployed.
The Earth’s Core has slowed down
Researchers at University of Southern California have proven that the Earth’s inner core is slowing down in relation to the planet’s surface. Scientists have debated about changes in the inner core for several decades. This study has shown that the inner core began to reduce its speed around 2010.
The inner core is a solid iron-nickel sphere surrounded by the liquid iron-nickel outer core. Roughly the size of the moon, the inner core is almost 5,000 kilometers beneath the surface. We understand the movement of the inner core via the study of the seismic waves from earthquakes.
Repeating earthquakes allow us to compare seismic data over time. In conjunction with the Chinese Academy of Sciences the team compared 121 repeating earthquakes from around the South Sandwich Islands that occurred between 1991 and 2023. Data from Soviet, French and American nuclear testing was also studied.
The slowing of the inner core is likely caused by the churning of the liquid iron in the outer core. The outer core generates the Earth’s magnetic field. We can only guess what impact this will have on the Earth’s surface. It may alter the length of a day but only by a thousandth of a second. Hardly noticeable. Future research will concentrate on charting the trajectory of the inner core to reveal exactly why it is shifting.
Elephant Names
A team at Cornell University in New York have used a machine learning program to analyze recordings of wild female African elephants and their offspring in several national parks in Kenya. Elephants use extensive vocal communication and have rich social relationships. The researchers had a hunch that elephants may have names for each other.
The recordings from between 1986 and 2022 captures 469 rumbles. The machine learning model was able to identify which elephant was being addressed 27.5% of the time. This is much higher than when the model was fed with random audio as a control. This suggests that rumbles contain information only intended for a specific elephant.
The team also played recordings of the calls to 17 elephants and compared their reactions. The elephants became more vocal and moved quickly towards the speaker when they heard their name compared to when they heard rumbles directed at other elephants.
The next step is to work out how elephants encode information into their calls. This may allow us to find out if elephants name places or maybe even talk about each other behind their back.
Paying it Forward
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Till next week.