Episodes
Sunday Apr 23, 2023
Hydrogen Powder is redefining the industry
Sunday Apr 23, 2023
Sunday Apr 23, 2023
Safety, transport, and storage, are the most common challenges when it comes to scaling up hydrogen production and distribution.
Whatever method used to make hydrogen, the final output is gas. Because of its low boiling point, minus 252 °C, and low melting point, minus 259 °C, it is complicated to transport and store hydrogen, in its liquid or solid state.
Not to mention the risks involved because hydrogen is highly flammable.
Regarding transport, engineers are working on repurposing the existing gas pipelines, but storage remains in high-pressure cylinders.
In this episode, we’ll be talking about an Israeli startup called “Electriq,” which came up with a solution, that may solve the shipping and safekeeping issues.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/clean-energy-based-on-hydrogen-powder/
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Friday Apr 14, 2023
Scientists discover enzyme that makes electricity from air
Friday Apr 14, 2023
Friday Apr 14, 2023
Researchers at the Monash University Biomedicine Discovery Institute in Melbourne, Australia, have discovered an enzyme that transforms air into electricity.
Dr Rhys Grinter (team leader), Professor Chris Greening, and Ph.D. student Ashleigh Kropp published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Nature, where they revealed that this enzyme uses the little hydrogen present in the atmosphere to generate an electrical current.
Literally making energy from thin air.
The enzyme behind this master stroke is a hydrogen-consuming enzyme that comes from a common soil bacterium.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/a-new-source-of-energy-coming-from-the-air/
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Wednesday Apr 12, 2023
Repurposing gas pipelines for hydrogen distribution
Wednesday Apr 12, 2023
Wednesday Apr 12, 2023
Recent studies have shown that adapting existing natural gas networks for hydrogen transport is four times more cost-effective than building new ones.
Repurposing natural gas pipelines addresses technical concerns, including hydrogen embrittlement of steel and welds, as well as permeation and leakage.
Hydrogen embrittlement is a process in which tiny hydrogen molecules permeate the material in pipes, dissociate on metal surfaces, and dissolve into the metal lattice, changing the mechanical response of the alloy. This can lead to fatigue, fractures, and leaks.
To prevent this, coating, sleeves, and casing of materials with the right resistance to hydrogen embrittlement are crucial.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/repurposing-gas-pipelines-for-hydrogen/
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Sunday Apr 09, 2023
Oxygen-ion batteries as an alternative to Li-ion
Sunday Apr 09, 2023
Sunday Apr 09, 2023
We find lithium-ion batteries everywhere. In our smartphones, remotes, and even our cars. And we might think they are the best because they are ubiquitous. But the main issue with Li-ion batteries is their durability.
Scientists at the Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien) in Austria have developed a new battery that is made of incombustible and common materials, is able to regenerate, and has an unrivalled long life service.
Welcome to the world of oxygen-ion batteries.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/oxygen-ion-batteries-to-substitute-lithium-ion-batteries/
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Saturday Apr 08, 2023
Lithium-air batteries with 4x energy density unveiled
Saturday Apr 08, 2023
Saturday Apr 08, 2023
The Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have devised a lithium-air battery that they claim has four times the density of current batteries.
Scientists behind this project said this lithium-air battery would have enough power for long-haul trucks and domestic flights (with over 1,600 kilometres of range) and would mean a seismic shift for the whole transport industry.
At the same time, researchers affirm this fresh type of battery, apart from holding more energy, is way more reliable and reduces the risk of fire.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/lithium-air-batteries-with-4x-energy-density/
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Saturday Apr 08, 2023
Saturday Apr 08, 2023
Scientists at Texas A&M University have been focusing on metal-free, water-based battery electrodes, which have shown an energy storage capacity of as much as 1,000%.
Apart from reducing the dependence on lithium and other minerals, researchers also point out that these batteries put an end to battery fires.
How do water-based batteries work?
The university’s research, published on 27 March, explains that water-based, or aqueous, batteries are made up of an electrolyte, a cathode (the negatively charged electrode), and an anode (the positively charged electrode).
While traditional batteries have the same components, the contrast with the new batteries lies in the materials used.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/new-water-powered-batteries-with-10x-more-energy-safer-option-than-lithium-ion/
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Friday Mar 31, 2023
New way to produce hydrogen straight from seawater
Friday Mar 31, 2023
Friday Mar 31, 2023
Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia have developed a new, cheaper, and more efficient method to produce hydrogen directly from seawater.
In the process, scientists successfully split seawater into hydrogen and oxygen with no prior desalination, resulting in less power consumption and carbon emissions.
Dr Nasir Mahmood, Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow at RMIT, explained that their method of producing hydrogen straight from seawater is simple, scalable, and far more cost-effective than any green hydrogen approach on the market.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/new-way-to-produce-hydrogen-from-seawater/
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Friday Mar 31, 2023
Friday Mar 31, 2023
Professor Erwin Reisner and his team from the University of Cambridge have developed a process that can transform plastics and CO2 into two chemical products using the same method.
What makes this process unique is that sunlight is the only source of power. The method works by integrating catalysts into a light absorber and operates at room temperature and room pressure.
This new technology transforms CO2 and plastics into ‘syngas’, a key component of clean fuels such as hydrogen. Over 600 million metric tonnes are produced every year, mainly from oil and gas.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/solar-driven-technology-transforms-plastic-waste-into-clean-energy/
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Friday Mar 24, 2023
“Firefly” - Adobe’s new AI image generator
Friday Mar 24, 2023
Friday Mar 24, 2023
Adobe recently introduced its own artificial intelligence family called “Firefly,” focused on image generation and text effects. This is good news for genuine artists since Adobe has been in the creative market for years and has created some of the best artistic tools.
The company described it as a “family of creative generative AI models.”
On its website, Adobe showed an image created by the new tool, which was generated after receiving a short text command.
The prompt was something along the lines of “make a 3D version of a paper dragon in studio style photography.”
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Thursday Mar 23, 2023
FDA says lab-grown chicken is safe to eat
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed that cultured chicken is safe for consumers and approved GOOD Meat’s cultured chicken cell material in a move to clear its way to the US stores.
GOOD Meat is not the only company to get the green light from the FDA. In November 2022, UPSIDE Foods became the first company to receive regulatory approval to sell its cultured chicken in the United States.
Both UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat use cells from chickens to make their products.
What is cultured meat, and how is it made?
Cultivated meat, also cultured meat or lab-grown meat, is the alternative to regular meat. It is made in labs from animal cells and grown in factories.
Its production is more sustainable than livestock farming and slaughtering, and of course, eco-friendly.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/fda-says-lab-grown-chicken-is-safe-to-eat/
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Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Final Warning on Climate Crisis: act now or it’s too late
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the scientific body of the United Nations, issued a “final warning” on the climate crisis.
In its Sixth Assessment Report, prepared by hundreds of scientists, eight years of research and thousands of pages, the UN panel summarised its findings in one message: act now or it will be too late.
The IPCC study detailed how extreme weather has destroyed vast swathes of the world and led to deaths, wrecked homes, floods, droughts, hunger, and the loss of vital ecosystems.
The point of no return for the climate’s damage is if the thermometer reaches over 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial levels, so this IPCC report could be the last one if we don’t step up in limiting global temperatures.
Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary General, said that the report is “a clarion call to massively fast-track climate efforts by every country, every sector, and on every timeframe.”
“Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once.”
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/final-warning-on-climate-crisis-act-now-or-its-too-late/
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Tuesday Mar 21, 2023
You cannot copyright AI-generated images / US Copyright Office
Tuesday Mar 21, 2023
Tuesday Mar 21, 2023
The United States Copyright Office informed that any images produced by writing a prompt to any artificial intelligence model, such as Midjourney or Stable Diffusion, cannot be copyrighted in the US.
USCO said it is the same when a buyer gives instructions to a commissioned artist.
The new guidance, published in the Federal Register, states that AI models identify what the prompter wishes to have depicted, but the machine determines how those directions are implemented in its output.
It also wrote: “When a technology receives solely a prompt from a human and produces complex written, visual, or musical works in response, the ‘traditional elements of authorship’ are determined and executed by the technology, not the human user.”
To grant copyright protection, a considerable level of human creativity must be involved. So, AI cannot produce copyrighted work.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/copyright-ai-generated-images/
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Sunday Mar 19, 2023
The Middle East’s green energy ambitions
Sunday Mar 19, 2023
Sunday Mar 19, 2023
The Middle East is shifting to green energy, with Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE investing in cutting-edge solar and hydrogen technologies to secure their position in the clean energy market.
The Middle East is well-suited for the production of green energies like hydrogen. The constant exposure to high solar irradiation and the persistent winds make the region ideal for developing zero-emission solutions.
But this is not something they want to begin in a few decades; they are currently working on it and have big plans in that regard.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/the-middle-east-green-energy-production/
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Saturday Mar 18, 2023
Pollution rampant - Only 13 countries with healthy air in the world
Saturday Mar 18, 2023
Saturday Mar 18, 2023
Air pollution skyrocketed to mind-blowing levels in 2022 in approximately 90% of the countries, with only 13 being in the healthy air-quality zone.
Every year, about 7 million people die from air pollution, while billions suffer from the effects of the poor air quality they breathe. Inhaling venomous air, whether it comes from the combustion of fossil fuels or wildfires, is linked to diseases from lung cancer and strokes to asthma.
In parallel, the economic cost of the financial system is enormous, estimated at $8tn.
Today’s episode is about a report published by IQAir, a Swiss company that specialises in air purification products and services but also monitors air quality worldwide, providing real-time data and alerts for free.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/pollution-crisis-only-13-countries-with-healthy-air/
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Monday Mar 13, 2023
Monday Mar 13, 2023
Mutual Funds, Index Funds, and ETFs are all great investment options; but it's important to understand the differences between them.
Mutual Funds were the first on the scene and offer the benefit of pooled investing, but with high fees.
Index Funds arrived later but carry lower fees and automatic reinvestment.
Finally, ETFs act like stocks and provide the same as Index Funds, except automatic reinvestment.
Before putting money in anything, be it stocks, real estate, or funds, we must research as much as possible since all the options available have their own advantages and disadvantages.
The important point here is to invest, because having cash in a bank only decreases the value of our labour’s fruit.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/difference-between-mutual-funds-index-funds-and-exchange-traded-funds/
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Saturday Mar 11, 2023
The Top 10 Hydrogen Companies in the World
Saturday Mar 11, 2023
Saturday Mar 11, 2023
Hydrogen has been present in the industrial sector for decades, for instance, to produce ammonia, which is a part of fertilisers; in the production of methanol, used as a solvent; in the food industry to hydrogenate vegetable oils; to make silicon and other semiconductor materials; in the welding field, etc.
But since hydrogen has proven to be a clean and renewable energy source, albeit still expensive, companies leading the sector are investing in huge facilities to meet the growing demand. This is because many businesses and factories need to slash their carbon emissions and reach net-zero by 2050.
Today, we’ll look at the top leading hydrogen generation companies and how they are working on producing more to respond to the market.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/the-top-10-hydrogen-companies-clean-energy-demand/
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Thursday Mar 09, 2023
How to lose weight by just walking a few minutes a day
Thursday Mar 09, 2023
Thursday Mar 09, 2023
We all walk every day. When we wake up and go to the bathroom to brush our teeth, then to the kitchen, climb the stairs, and finally work or study.
Some of us even walk to buy our groceries instead of using the car. Apart from saving money, it’s a positive behaviour that offers many advantages.
And that is the focus of today’s article: the benefits of walking to lose weight and stay healthy.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/how-to-lose-weight-by-just-walking-a-few-minutes-a-day/
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Tuesday Mar 07, 2023
Managing Debt: How I paid off my loans and credit cards
Tuesday Mar 07, 2023
Tuesday Mar 07, 2023
For many of us, debt is a reality that can impact our financial stability and, needless to say, our wellbeing. Whether it is a student or car loan, credit card, or mortgage, dealing with debt is daunting and overwhelming.
While credits are useful for financing big purchases, high levels of indebtedness increase stress, limit our ability to save and create our emergency fund, and, of course, endanger our future.
However, with the right strategies, we can shatter the chains of debt, even if the water has reached our necks.
I’m not an expert in the field, but I want to share how I got rid of almost 90% of my financial obligations, from assessing and prioritising debt to planning and staying on track.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/how-to-get-rid-of-all-my-debts/
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Sunday Mar 05, 2023
History of Everyday Objects
Sunday Mar 05, 2023
Sunday Mar 05, 2023
We often take for granted the objects that make up our everyday lives. From toothbrushes to pencils, from gas stoves to toilets, from silverware to toothpaste, many of the things we use daily have a rich and fascinating past.
Several of these items were developed over centuries of trial and error, while others evolved from primitive versions to their contemporary counterparts.
For example, toothpaste has been around since the early Egyptians, while pencils and pens date back to the 16th century. Toilets, on the other hand, started in the 17th century and have since been improved with modern mechanisms.
This episode takes a trip through the past of these everyday things, giving interesting insights into human history and how technology has evolved over time.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/a-journey-through-the-history-of-everyday-objects/
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Saturday Mar 04, 2023
What is digital real estate? Is it worth investing in it?
Saturday Mar 04, 2023
Saturday Mar 04, 2023
Digital real estate is a subgroup of what is known as digital assets. At the same time, a digital asset is anything that has value and exists online, including domain names, social media accounts, famous websites, or apps.
For instance, if you register an easy-to-remember popular domain name focused on a specific target, such a URL is considered a “blue chip” and has a price.
Other examples are sites or social media apps since they have tonnes of data attached to billions of users; that information is super valuable as it’s connected to different businesses.
Nevertheless, digital assets are not limited to only online addresses, social media accounts, or apps.
With the surge of the Metaverse, you could own digital plots of land in the virtual world and transform them into sources of income.
https://todaysfocusofattention.com/what-is-digital-real-estate-is-it-worth-investing-in-it/
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