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Greetings!
In the middle of winter, without a lot of sunshine,
some of us start to feel more lethargic than normal. Even coffee may
not help too much. It is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and
a panel of lights are often prescribed for such individuals to compensate
for the lack of outdoor light. An additional set of therapies that I
swear by are (1) “Power Yoga by Andye Kitt” that we split into two
half-hour sessions for the week, which we videotaped and uploaded to
YouTube; and (2) Wim Hof introductory breathing
exercise (three sets) also on YouTube. Wim Hof is “The Ice Man”
famous for swimming in cold water and recommending at least 30
seconds of cold showering at the end of a hot shower. Not
surprisingly, doctors have confirmed multiple benefits from both the
short cold showering but also from the particular rapid deep
breathing sessions with breath holds at the end of each one. The
first session makes one feel light-headed but push past that into the
next two and it really awakens those brain cells for hours
afterwards .
Guided Wim Hof Method Breathing https://youtu.be/tybOi4hjZFQ for
which I created an easy to remember link: www.tinyurl.com/WimHofIntro.
Story #1 is an exciting startup fusion invention that
the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab has been working on. It uses strong
permanent magnets to direct charged particles around a spiral to
confine a superheated plasma. For less than $1 million, this tabletop
helical magnetic field machine called a stellarator has many similar
models around the world. Besides Japan, Germany, and the University
of Wisconsin, Bill Gates also has a “Type One Energy” stellarator
which is the most well funded around $80 million, with hopes for a
Helios fusion power plant.
Story #2 from Northwestern University offers a
recycling application for thousands of tons of an industrial waste
that includes:
· First Use of Waste in Batteries:
Researchers repurpose industrial waste (TPPO) for redox flow battery
research.
·
Long-Lasting Performance: Battery retains storage capacity
after 350 charge cycles.
·
Closer to Commercial Use: Organic redox flow batteries near
grid-scale viability.
A 10-minute explanation of the exciting development of
redox flow batteries is available https://youtu.be/YyzQsVzKylE
Story #3 is a new study in the bioenergetics realm
just published last month. Many of us use creatine powder
or capsules for restoring and building muscles. This has been
recommended especially for seniors who normally lose 1% of muscle
mass every year after age 50. It is a tasteless powder one can add to
liquids on a daily basis. Now the new study from the University of
Oxford found that the daily dose will also significantly help to
relieve depression symptoms as well, along with cognitive behavioral
therapy (CBT).
Story #4 is a great new idea for those who may not
have a lot of land space to devote to the usually horizontal or
slightly tilted solar panels. Now the Next2Sun solar park in Germany
has found that “double-facing” vertically mounted solar panels work
very well. “Placing panels vertically leaves maximum field space
clear for farming, while allowing solar generation during the morning
and evening if the panels face east and west. This orientation also
avoids shading the plants when the sun is at its highest.” It was a
44kW system with a 50 cm gap above the ground and rose to 3 meters in
height that also reduced wind speed by 50%.
Story #5 published a few days ago finds that “New
Zealand researchers aim to combine plasma thrusters and
superconducting magnets.” To be tested on the ISS in June, the high
speed ion thrusters use a strong half-Tesla magnetic field like an
MRI but in a very small area. To see other applications such as with
CubeSats, a Related Article describes a 3D-printed electric
thruster: https://spectrum.ieee.org/3dprint-thruster
Sincerely,
Thomas Valone, PhD,
Editor
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