Paper battery offers future power

Flexible paper batteries could meet the energy demands of the next generation of gadgets, says a team of researchers. They have produced a sample slightly larger than a postage stamp that can store enough energy to illuminate a small light bulb. But the ambition is to produce reams of paper that could one day power a car. Professor Robert Linhardt, of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, said the paper battery was a glimpse into the future of power storage. The team behind the versatile paper, which stores energy like a conventional battery, says it can also double as a capacitor capable of releasing sudden energy bursts for high-power applications. While a conventional battery contains a number of separate components, the paper battery integrates all of the battery components in a single structure, making it more energy efficient. Integrated devices The research appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). "Think of all the disadvantages of an old TV set with tubes," said Professor Linhardt, from the New York-based institute, who co-authored a report into the technology. "The warm up time, power loss, component malfunction; you don't get those problems with integrated devices. When you transfer power from one component to another you lose energy. But you lose less energy in an integrated device." The battery contains carbon nanotubes, each about one millionth of a centimetre thick, which act as an electrode. The nanotubes are embedded in a sheet of paper soaked in ionic liquid electrolytes, which conduct the electricity. The flexible battery can function even if it is rolled up, folded or cut. Although the power output is currently modest, Professor Linhardt said that increasing the output should be easy. "If we stack 500 sheets together in a ream, that's 500 times the voltage. If we rip the paper in half we cut power by 50%. So we can control the power and voltage issue." Because the battery consists mainly of paper and carbon, it could be used to power pacemakers within the body where conventional batteries pose a toxic threat. "I wouldn't want the ionic liquid electrolytes in my body, but it works without them," said Professor Linhardt. "You can implant a piece of paper in the body and blood would serve as an electrolyte." But Professor Daniel Sperling at University of California, Davis, an expert on alternative power sources for transport, is unconvinced. 'More difficult' "Batteries and capacitors are being steadily improved, but electricity storage is much more difficult and expensive than liquid fuels and probably will be so forever," he said. "The world is not going to change as a result of this new invention any time soon." Professor Linhardt admitted that the new battery is still some way from the commercial market. "The devices we're making are only a few inches across. We would have to scale up to sheets of newspaper size to make it commercially viable," he said. But at that scale, the voltage could be large enough to power a car, he said. However, carbon nanotubes are very expensive, and batteries large enough to power a car are unlikely to be cost effective. "I'm a strong enthusiast of electric vehicles, but it is going to take time to bring the costs down," said Professor Sperling. But Professor Linhardt said integrated devices, like the paper battery, were the direction the world was moving. "They are ultimately easier to manufacture, more environmentally friendly and usable in a wide range of devices," he said. The ambition is to produce the paper battery using a newspaper-type roller printer. "You can implant a piece of paper in the body and blood would serve as an"- Professor Robert Linhardtelectrolyte

Girl drowned 'as father kissed'

The married father of a toddler who drowned when her pushchair fell into the sea had let go of her buggy to kiss his girlfriend, an inquest has heard. Rebecca Hopper, two, from Chatham, was in a double buggy with her baby brother when they fell into the water at Warren Apron near Folkestone on 15 February. Andrew Hopper told the hearing at Ashford Magistrates' Court he had let go of the buggy "momentarily". The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death. Pathologist Dr Irene Scheimberg told the inquest Rebecca had drowned and suffered several cardiac arrests during resuscitation attempts. Accident 'avoidable' At the time of the incident Mr Hopper and his wife Sarah lived together in Chatham. Mrs Hopper, who now lives in Dymchurch, was not with them at the time and said after the inquest that the accident could "easily have been avoided". Rebecca was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, but died the same day. Her eight-month-old brother Lewis survived Mr Hopper, of Rochester, had taken his children to the coast with his girlfriend, Paula Anderson. A statement from Mr Hopper's interview with Kent Police was read out by coroner Rachel Redman during the inquest. The software engineer said: "We stopped. I said 'come here', or something like that and we kissed. "Momentarily I let go of the buggy and seconds into that kiss we heard a plop - it was like someone throwing a stone into the water. "We broke from that kiss and thought, 'what was that?' We both looked and saw the buggy had gone." 'Not strapped in' He said they jumped into the water with Mrs Anderson helping Rebecca while he went to the aid of Lewis. Passers-by then threw a rubber ring into the water. Mr Hopper said the children had not been properly strapped in and the buggy was floating on its side. Mrs Anderson told the inquest: "The event is very strange in my head. We struggled in the water, it was very cold and very deep." Asked by the coroner if the buggy's brake had been on, Mrs Anderson said as far as she knew, "no". A file containing information on the incident had been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, but it found no criminal offences to be prosecuted, the inquest heard. Following the hearing, a statement was read on behalf of Mrs Hopper, who chose not to attend the hearing. It said: "Rebecca was my beautiful baby girl and her brothers and I miss her every second of every day. "While today's decision will help us take the next step in our recovery, the accident which took my little girl's life could so easily have been avoided." "The inquest heard the buggy's brake was probably not on"(my view)---Yea think! derrrrrrrr! "A file containing information on the incident had been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, but it found no criminal offences to be prosecuted, the inquest heard-WTF......of course offences were made.....for 1 he took his hands off the pram...that was next to the sea.....drrrrrr! unfit parents and they don't sound to UPSET do they??? hence........their killers

A 15-year-old student at a special needs school get beaten up by a cop-for no reason

A 15-year-old student at a special needs school got a lesson in police brutality. Marshawn Pitts, who attends the Academy for Learning in the south suburb of Dolton, was slammed into a locker and thrown to the ground by an unidentified police officer as he was taking Pitts to the principals office for an untucked shirt. A security camera installed in one of the schools halls caught the entire confrontation, which ended with a broken nose for Pitts, who lay motionless while the officer sat on him. The fight allegedly broke out after the officer asked the student to tuck his shirt in, a policy enforced in the school. The boys attorney, Ed Manzke, says the video will help Pitts cause. Were fortunate that it [the beating] was caught on videotape, he told the Chicago Tribune. There is nothing [the officer] can say that could justify [the beating]. The video shows the police officer and the student walking down a hall. After saying something to a woman standing there, Pitts is violently pushed against the lockers by the officer, who then proceeds to pin the student to the floor. As the fight starts, students in adjacent classrooms try to walk out of class, but are blocked by other teachers. Once the student is on the floor, two other men run up to the officer, but its unclear if they were trying to block or help him.

Woman, 106, loses care home fight

--Louisa Watts, pictured with son Derek, has lived in the home for four years-- The family of a 106-year-old woman has lost its campaign to keep her in a Wolverhampton care home, which the council wanted to close to save money. Louisa Watts's family had been fighting to keep Underhill House open and took out an injunction against Wolverhampton City Council to prevent its closure. She moved into the home four years ago and previously said she was happy there and would be very upset to leave. The injunction was overturned earlier by the Court of Appeal. 'No harm' The council said work would resume immediately to close the home and it was working with the remaining nine residents to help them make alternative arrangements. Mrs Watts's son Derek said he was "angry" and "disappointed". When his mother first moved in she socialised with other residents and went to bingo and fish and chip suppers, but had increasingly become more infirm and deaf, he said. In passing judgement Lord Justice Sedley said provided the move from Bushbury, Wolverhampton, was properly managed it should "not do her any appreciable harm." He added: "If there were any firm findings that moving Mrs Watts would shorten her life the decision would be quite different." He told the family's solicitor Yvonne Hossack there were no grounds for an appeal, although he recognised that Mrs Watts was "entitled to the full benefit of every day that still remains to her." 'Doing well' Mrs Watts, a retired hospital cleaner and widow, moved to the home when her daughter Jean Bolas died aged 78. The council took the decision in April to close the 40-year-old home, which it said required £2m investment to help it meet current care standards. It said the uncertainty caused by the legal action had been "unsettling" for residents and staff and it hoped the Court Of Appeal's decision would help everyone move forward. Sarah Norman, Wolverhampton City Council's director for adults and community said: "We have already helped nine residents to move out of Underhill House and they are doing well in their new accommodation." If there were any firm findings that moving Mrs Watts would shorten her life the decision would be quite different.(my view)-I thought the government couldn't sink any lower(yes the government own council's) this is how they care for the elderly....you sick fucks......you have no souls you pathetic bastards......you all NEED destroying....they want to save money yet they steal everyones,pay themselves bonuses for "work" which they are un-capable of doing....and much more

Towel Head

Talk about post-traumatic stress,i just finished a 3 year tour of duty of Afghanistan,on the bus ride home i was reading my last letter again of my wife saying she is planing a"night of hot steamy sex",i got home and went upstairs and my wife got out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her head and i accidentally shot her