WSU Researchers Use High Pressures to Create Super Battery | Hacker News Reader

WSU Researchers Use High Pressures to Create Super Battery

wsunews.wsu.edu

35 pointsscotty797 comments

which already has some discussion.

"future applications include creating a new class of energetic materials or fuels, an energy storage device, super-oxidizing materials for destroying chemical and biological agents, and high-temperature superconductors."

Other applications of the material include curing cancer, solving the problem of world hunger, and getting fat research grants from the NSF.

Why do they keep comparing it to nuclear energy, though? I have 2 questions. First, how would this energy be liberated, and would that be more energy than it takes to run a diamond anvil cell? Second, isn't this similar to making a gun that shoots bullets faster than ever before, and calling that "second only to light-speed?"

There's a lot more discussion at the earlier submission of this story ...

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1487982

> First, how would this energy be liberated, and would that be more energy than it takes to run a diamond anvil cell?

Are you asking if they've violated conservation of energy?

Does the nuclear bomb release less energy than was put into it by humans during the manufacturing process?

EDIT: done being a troll :)

> First, how would this energy be liberated,

Hopefully some other way than just by taking it out of diamond anvil. If not than this is much less interesting although at least of some interest.

> and would that be more energy than it takes to run a diamond anvil cell?

Do you want to get more energy than you put in? Did you thought this through?

> Second, isn't this similar to making a gun that shoots bullets faster than ever before, and calling that "second only to light-speed?"

I think if this material can hold more chemical energy per unit mass than any known conventional explosive material then it's something worth noticing.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com