Battery Breakthrough Exxon Mobil

The batteries used in hybrid cars have been the bottleneck in the further development of these efficient cars.  Maybe the breakthrough announced by Exxon Mobil will solve the problem of weight and heat.  The film they have developed with their Japanese partner, Tonen Chemical, solves some very real problems with the current battery technology.  The current batteries are very heavy and also have limitations due to the heat build up when the batteries are in use.  The film these two chemical companies have developed separates the negative and positive elements of the batteries, while only being hair thin in thickness.   This reduces weight and lets the battery operate safely at higher temperatures.  This breakthrough could mean less battery weight in electric cars and also more power available to be used without the heat problems.

Battery technology has been an ongoing area of interest by many world-class corporations and consortiums.  This announcement may be just the tip of the iceberg in this push to get these electric cars in the mix and help to reduce the use of gasoline.  If these new batteries will reduce the 900 lbs. these current batteries weigh and also the ability to safely operate at higher temperatures this could bring online new batteries to power the more efficient electric cars.  With this one major change in the batteries for these cars, this could help to make these newer versions of hybrids reach their very real potential in sales and their consequent reduction of gasoline usage due to their higher mileage.

This also could have a very positive effect on all of the high tech equipment we use that are battery operated.  This includes cell phones, computers and portable radio, TV and music players.  In fact the battery as we know it could drastically be improved and thereby have more power and last longer.

The big change could be the cars we drive and the way they are powered.  This change could have a huge impact on the economies of the world.  This change could reduce dependence on oil and gas.   This change could lead to far more efficient cars as to the cost of the way they are powered and operated.  This economic change would help developing countries around the world and lower the fierce demand for more oil and gasoline.  This is the type of major change to the way the world operates that was last seen when we began to fly and the horse was replaced by the gas powered car or truck.  This is the type of drastic change that came about with the advent of radio or TV.

As with all breakthroughs, the first one out gets the publicity and the follow-ups and better ideas that follow can end up with the business.  In this case the company with very real financial clout has a possible lead in this area.   It will be an interesting area to watch in the coming months and years to see how this develops in the future.  In any event we may see the beginning of a way to get away from our oil-controlled world.

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Blue Springs

Man has been awed by it for centuries

 
Blue Springs located 5 miles west of Eureka Springs, AR; was considered a sacred place by indian tribes that lived in the area.  This mutual feeling, for this breath taking beautiful setting, was so strong that the tribes agreed to leave all weapons some distance from the springs.

This special feeling for the springs is still felt today by the many tourists when they visit this remarkable place of beauty.  The spring pumps 38 million gallons of cold water into the pool daily.  The cool water is home to trout that are over two feet in length.  The trout are easily seen through the crystal clear water.  The only man made disturbance of the spring itself is the tile walkway around its border and the spillway to the stream it feeds.

The spring is the obvious jewel of this Arkansas attraction, but there are many other reasons to visit.  It is accessible to all visitors as there is a wood walkway ramp throughout the natural growth of trees and plants.  The walkway winds its way down to the spring, but along the way there are, well marked, plants and trees to see.  Nature is on display and labeled so the viewer knows what they are looking at.  The exquisite scene is a camera buff’s delight.

There is a little known oddity to Blue Springs.  This oddity concerns the water.  It does not match any of the other water sources in the area.  The water is not the same as the White River or any of the lakes, which surround the spring.  This oddity is the possible connection between the springs and Mount St Helens in the state of Washington.  In 1980 the Mount St Helens volcano erupted and spewed ash and lava over a huge area surrounding the eruption.  A few days later the water in the spring became very murky.  There was nothing else happening at the time that could have caused the loss of clarity.  The distance between these two natural phenomena is over 1400 miles.  If this did not cause it, what caused the water to turn murky?  It stayed clear before and after this event.

Another reason to come to Blue Springs is the old town part of Eureka, Springs.  This city was a tourist destination in the 1880s, when the only way to get there was by horseback or by railway.  The downtown shops remind many of a little mountain town in Switzerland.  Due to its large art community it also brings to mind San Francisco.  This feeling is enhanced due to the steep hills and the trolley car routes that travel throughout the city.

There are also many quality restaurants in which to enjoy a great dinner.  The outstanding dinner houses are due to the numerous chefs that have decided to live here and give up the rat race in large American cities.

The creative arts are represented by the many painters, writers and sculptors that make this mountain town their home.  The art galleries are filled with their work.  Some of the artists are nationally known.  Some are only locally known.  But their work matches any they might be compared with.

All in all, this Ozark mountain town is well worth the visit.  There are other places to see, like the haunted old hotels or the bed and breakfast houses that were built over 120 years ago.  There is just to much to see and do in this magical little city surrounded by lakes and a river.