DIY: build your own battery

Environmentally compatible organic solar cells (in development), Physics.org

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Home installation of solar panels is growing fast:

A new solar-power system is now installed on an American roof every three or four minutes, often through leasing deals that require no money down and lock in lower electric bills for years. Wall Street behemoths like Bank of America and Goldman Sachs are pouring cash into rooftop solar, as are giant corporations like Walmart and Google, while a range of new financing mechanisms are making solar investments even more attractive. The installer SolarCity has begun to bundle customer leases into solar-backed securities, which could be as transformative (though hopefully not as dangerous) as mortgage-backed securities. And while the panels are now amazingly cheap–down from more than $75 per watt 40 years ago to less than 75¢ per watt today–the solar industry is just starting to drive dramatic reductions in “soft costs” like permitting, marketing and installation. (The Green Revolution Is Here, Michael Grunwald, Time Magazine)

But, unless you want to use environmentally unfriendly batteries that must be replaced and require maintenance, such as the ones sold by Wholesale Solar, you have to connect to the grid. If you decide to build or purchase a battery bank, be aware that there is a risk of explosion and the bank must be scaled to your system.

The push is on to build a better battery and a promising concept is a water-based organic one being developed by a team of scientists at the University of Southern California (USC).

In the meantime here are some batteries you can build yourself.  Check out the aluminum can, saltwater and charcoal battery made by egbertfitzwilly with charcoal from the backyard barbecue. To demonstrate battery basics here are 3 ways to make a homemade battery from WikiHow.

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Hand-Powered Battery, WikiHow

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Similar and related projects are a gummy battery holder by Andrea and a USB travel charger from Electro-Labs.

Who knows?  Maybe you can beat the USC team to the goal of a better, rechargeable, scalable battery.

-- Marge

Cartoons: Boehner and fellow Republicans

A recent poll, sponsored by NBC and the Wall Street Journal, places House Speaker "John Boehner's Favorability Rating Just Above George Zimmerman's, Edward Snowden's" according to a report by Ariel Edwards-Levy in the Huffington Post.  According to NBC New's First Read the poll shows "Faith in DC hits a low; 83 percent disapprove of Congress."

According to Michael Grunwald, writing for Time Magazine, Republicans have become the "The Party of No."

Since it's hard to take such childishness seriously (even though what's done in the Capitol can be serious business), let's have a laugh on it.  What else is there to do?

From the Times-Tribune by John Cole, "Adult Supervision:"
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From Stuart Carlson's website, "On Immigration:"
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From The Week/cartoons by Mike Keefe, "John Boehner's Sob Story:"
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Also from The Week by Mike Luckovich, "A Grand Old Accusation:"
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Found in the Boston Globe archives by Mike Luckovich, "Herding Cats:"
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One last note: on July 17 the Washington Post reported "House to vote, yet again, on repealing Obamacare."  This will be the 38th vote.

-- Marge