- 5 days ago
Giant concrete batteries; AI in restaurants; artificial muscles to suppress tremors. Oxygen in far-flung galaxies; and preparing for alien life forms!
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00:00How can we store energy in batteries for a start?
00:12Another option, pumping water up a mountainside.
00:15When it flows back down, it spins a turbine,
00:18turning stored energy into electricity.
00:23Then there's hydrogen storage.
00:26But we're going to take a look at something completely new.
00:29All this and more on DW Science Show.
00:35Welcome to Tomorrow Today.
00:42So now we'll bake the cake.
00:45The mixture Franz Josef Ulm and his team are about to create
00:48in this basement at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
00:52looks set to make a significant contribution to the energy transition
00:56and making it is almost a piece of cake.
01:02Can you imagine being able to store energy in concrete?
01:05That's exactly what we're trying to do here,
01:07by doping concrete with carbon black.
01:12We're combining nanotechnology with one of the oldest materials in the world,
01:16cement and water, so that we can store energy in concrete.
01:26This relatively simple mixture is the doped concrete.
01:33Once hardened, it can be used as a building material,
01:37one with a hidden power.
01:40The carbon black turns the concrete into a super-capacitor.
01:45This is exactly the same technology used to build quality super-capacitors
01:53for cars, electric cars, or to create an energy buffer in industrial installations.
01:59With one difference, the materials we're using are accessible to everyone.
02:05You can't tell by looking at them, but the blocks from the mixer
02:09can do the same thing as the small capacitor components
02:12found in cell phones, laptops, and other tech devices.
02:16They absorb energy very quickly, store it, and then release it again.
02:21Capacitors are composed of two conductive plates with opposite charges,
02:26separated by an insulating material.
02:30The larger the plates, the more energy they can store and release.
02:35Super-capacitors increase the surface area of the plates
02:39by using chemically modified materials with a large internal surface area
02:45and a liquid electrolyte as an insulator.
02:49Experiments have been conducted with graphene and titanium.
02:54Franz Josef Ulm and his team at MIT, however, have opted for cement
02:59and highly conductive carbon black.
03:02The result is what's called a carbon cement super-capacitor.
03:07The way it works is pure chemistry.
03:13We have cement, and cement, as everyone knows, loves water.
03:17That's why we use cement to make concrete.
03:19But then we also have carbon black, and carbon black hates water, it's hydrophobic.
03:27If you mix the two together, a voluminous wire structure develops through the concrete block,
03:34which can conduct electricity.
03:38This gives the material a brilliant new function.
03:42It's also relatively cheap and widely available.
03:44Could the climate-killer concrete actually become a storage facility for clean energy
03:51and therefore contribute to the energy transition?
03:54So far, tests have been small-scale.
03:5724 concrete blocks from the MIT basement stacked up store 12 volts.
04:03Easy to integrate into a building.
04:04You could have a round support stacked vertically that you fill so high.
04:11With 36 blocks instead of 24, you'd have 18 volts.
04:15And if I have 480, then I have 240 volts.
04:19In other words, you can stack them up according to how much you want.
04:22Now it's charged.
04:23That means I'm going to remove it from the power source and then I'm going to use it.
04:26Let's start with this Game Boy.
04:29It turns on, which means you can also charge an iPhone here too.
04:34An iPhone only needs 5.5 volts.
04:37A wall that doubles up as a phone charger or that heats the room.
04:42By making the walls and foundations of a house out of concrete supercapacitors,
04:47the whole building could turn into an energy storage unit.
04:51Ideally, of course, the power would come from solar panels.
04:54According to Ohln's calculations, around 45 cubic meters of the special concrete mix
05:01would be enough to cover an average family's daily power needs.
05:05Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries can do the same, but there are some important differences.
05:10In rechargeable batteries, a chemical reaction takes place.
05:14Supercapacitors, meanwhile, merely shift the charge.
05:18This means they're faster at charging and discharging.
05:21They also have a longer service life.
05:24On the other hand, they have a smaller capacity than batteries.
05:28So in order to store the same amount of energy, they have to be much larger.
05:32Which is why it makes sense to install them in homes or streets.
05:36There, they can happily be many cubic meters in size.
05:46They have another key advantage, says Franz Josef Ulm.
05:49As fantastic as battery technology is, it's not scalable.
05:56So you can't expand it any further without considering the damage that will actually be caused by lithium and cobalt in the future.
06:03It's not possible to imagine that our current lithium and cobalt deposits will allow us to build an endless number of batteries, to the extent needed to enable the whole planet to shift to renewable energy sources.
06:17It will be some time before carbon, cement supercapacitors are incorporated into family homes.
06:31It's just around the corner, like heatable paving slabs.
06:35That's a project we're doing at the moment for our partners in Japan.
06:40It's for the city of Sapporo.
06:42Sapporo spends millions of dollars a year removing snow.
06:46And so our first project is using this material to improve Sapporo's sidewalks.
06:58Heatable walkways.
07:00Ulm estimates that the doped concrete with around 4-10% carbon black will cost around 50% more than standard concrete.
07:09The exact ratio of ingredients will be project specific.
07:12Franz Josef Ulm and his team are now planning a competition in which scientists and engineers from around the world can develop new uses for the superpowered concrete.
07:25Robots have been a common sight in Asian restaurants for years.
07:32While in Europe, it still tends to be humans who take the orders and carry out the plates.
07:39But the restaurant trade here is beginning to embrace artificial intelligence.
07:46AI systems promise to increase efficiency and sustainability in kitchens.
07:52And they can even cut food waste.
07:54Restaurant work is non-stop action.
08:02There's little time to ask what's on tomorrow.
08:06Or does the buffet need refilling?
08:09And how does the weather look over the coming days?
08:12In other words, forecasting how many guests to expect.
08:15What's not easy for people, however, is a doddle for AI.
08:22Fed with data about previous years, an AI tool can predict how things will look over the next few hours and days.
08:29The system uses historical and future data, so weather, holidays, rail strikes, to predict what and how much will be sold over what timeframe.
08:43Initial trials have recorded 30% less food waste and an 11% rise in sales.
08:49The tool can be used in bakeries and supermarkets, too.
08:54And there are plenty of startups with similar innovative ideas.
08:58There are 20,000 AI startups in Europe, over 1,000 in Germany alone.
09:05We need to work with them, and we need to see how we can bring these startups together with small and medium-sized companies.
09:12Take these autonomous-serving robots.
09:16They're designed to ease the shortage of skilled workers in the gastronomy sector.
09:21The technology comes from China, but the robots are installed and tailored to a restaurant's needs here in Germany.
09:29The display shows the restaurant's tables.
09:32The kitchen staff can select one of them, and this robot will head over there.
09:36It does so autonomously.
09:42If, like here, there's another robot already at the selected table, it will find the best way to get there and then stop and wait.
09:52They can even ask to get past.
09:55The robot waiters are already being employed in parts of Germany.
09:59Their batteries run for eight hours, and the larger versions can carry 80 kilos at a time.
10:08The aim is to allow human waiting staff to prioritize customer interaction.
10:14If they have less footwork, staff can really focus on the guests, what the delivery sector calls the last mile.
10:22They can take the tray from the robot and serve the food, and then, while the robot delivers another meal, they can make suggestions or offer the dessert menu.
10:33They have much more time to engage with customers.
10:38And when it comes to making suggestions, this is how a modern menu looks.
10:48The chef plans the dishes, AI creates the text and suggests the price, and a short video then advertises what's on offer.
10:56Meanwhile, an AI drinks expert provides tailored suggestions.
11:07People hardly read anymore.
11:10They watch videos on social media channels.
11:13We provide digital advice on what to order, so guests can explore the menu interactively and try out new products.
11:20The digital menu is already being used in a number of eateries.
11:26It's available in ten different AI-generated languages.
11:33Normally, the chef remains invisible to customers.
11:37With this digital menu, they get to see him or her.
11:40It allows a chef to advertise their dishes directly, along with wine and beer.
11:45There are even self-service robots for cocktails, too.
11:52And how about this?
11:54Thanks to a cocoa printer, you can have your portrait on the top of your coffee.
11:59When it comes to restaurants, AI is here to stay.
12:05AI is becoming increasingly important in healthcare, too.
12:08Intelligent care robots can provide support to people with disabilities, and help make everyday life easier as we age.
12:18Surgeons now use specialized robots to perform complex operations with greater precision.
12:23And robotics experts are now working on cutting-edge ways to suppress involuntary tremors.
12:29They're a typical symptom of neurological disorders, like Parkinson's disease.
12:34These artificial muscles weigh just a few grams.
12:40Their task is to suppress the robotic arm's trembling movements, with the aim of doing the same in patients suffering from tremors.
12:49Doctors at Tübingen University's Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research measured tremors in a large group of patients.
12:57Robotics researchers at the Max Planck Institute and the University of Stuttgart then incorporated that data into this new robotic arm to investigate the potential of artificial muscles.
13:10Let's switch it on again and see if it stabilizes.
13:15This type of project is very helpful because it allows us to immediately test our technology on people, or rather on human-like movements.
13:28So it really accelerates our research.
13:31There's no need to conduct lengthy clinical trials.
13:36With the help of the robotic arm, researchers can immediately see whether the artificial muscles strapped to the sides of it are strong and fast enough to suppress trembling movements.
13:49The muscles are made of thin, lightweight slivers of plastic filled with oil.
13:55With this technology, we have an artificial muscle, which weighs just 15 grams, and is both powerful and fast enough to be able to suppress the movements that happen during a tremor.
14:09Like noise-canceling headphones, it does this in real time.
14:12We think that these muscles are actually good candidates for being implemented into a sleeve or any other garment that a user or a patient could wear.
14:27And they will be inside so no one can see them.
14:31They are not embarrassing to wear, not encumbering the hand, not disturbing the day-to-day tasks of the patients.
14:39The artificial muscles can make difficult tasks possible again.
14:44There are endless potential applications for them.
14:47The next step would be to take these muscles and incorporate them into a sweater so that they disappear directly into the clothing.
14:56They wouldn't be on the surface of it, they would be woven into the fabric.
15:00And in real time, they would then suppress shaking movements like those in the robotic arm, so that patients can drink their coffee without spilling it.
15:09We're looking into other versions too. Some stroke patients, for example, can't lift the tips of their toes.
15:16So you could build something like this into their trousers.
15:20These robotic pants would assist them in daily life and make walking easier.
15:25The artificial muscles are called hazels.
15:29They could offer an alternative to medication or complex surgery.
15:33With continuing research, they have the potential to greatly improve the lives of tremor patients.
15:38It's fantastic because we can now show on this prototype with the mechanical patient that these hazel actuators are fast enough and powerful enough to effectively suppress the wrist tremors.
15:53This is the first time we've been able to show that.
15:55Nonetheless, it will likely take several years before the artificial muscles will be properly available to patients.
16:04Until then, the research team at Stuttgart's Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems is focusing on making them even more efficient.
16:11This system here can lift several kilos. It's three or four layers, each weigh just 10 or 15 grams. So it's really light and powerful.
16:26The muscles are electrostatic. That's what makes them so fast.
16:30The team is developing ever stronger plastic films to build them from.
16:34The use of such inexpensive materials means that researchers can repeatedly test different artificial muscles on the robotic arm,
16:42allowing them to speed up their research into solutions for those with tremors.
16:49It's time to head into space.
16:51Astronomers have detected oxygen in the galaxy furthest away from Earth.
16:57And that has a big impact on our current understanding about how soon the first galaxies were formed.
17:05Jade's GS Z14-0, known simply as Jade's, is the most distant and therefore also the earliest known galaxy.
17:13That's because the light we see from it took just under 13.5 billion years to reach us.
17:19When we look at this galaxy, we see it as it was when the universe was a mere 300 million years old.
17:26Data captured by the James Webb Space Telescope and the ALMA Radio Telescope has now revealed something surprising.
17:33It seems that when the universe was just 300 million years old, there was a lot more oxygen around than we assumed.
17:48Astronomers were amazed to record a clear sign of oxygen emissions in the galaxy's electromagnetic spectrum.
17:53That was unexpected because shortly after the Big Bang, the then infant universe was composed almost entirely of helium and hydrogen.
18:04It wasn't until the first stars evolved that heavier elements like oxygen formed.
18:08When these stars exploded, they released oxygen.
18:13If oxygen has now been detected in the very earliest galaxies, it means there must have already been stars shining back then.
18:21That's far earlier than prevailing theories suggest.
18:25Scientists had thought that the first stars formed later, which would have meant a later release of oxygen.
18:31So is Jade's the only galaxy to have oxygen at such a young age? Or are there others? This is just the start.
18:40How many are there? And why are there so many, or so few of them? There's a lot to find out.
18:49New discoveries continue to challenge our assumptions, while deepening our understanding of the universe.
19:00What if life from a far-off galaxy came to Earth?
19:07Few ideas spark our imagination more than the thought that we're not alone in the universe.
19:13Somewhere among those countless celestial bodies, there may be other forms of life.
19:22Scientists certainly think so. Not because of proof, but simply because it seems plausible.
19:27It seems plausible.
19:36Is there anyone out there?
19:39And if so, how do they live, these aliens?
19:45What do they look like?
19:46I would like to hope it's something relatively humanoid or maybe more akin to how we look at animal evolution, but it probably won't be.
19:59We don't even know what life is yet.
20:03The only forms of life we know are the forms of life we find here on Earth.
20:14Why are we so special?
20:16I think we've stopped thinking that we're at the centre of the universe by now.
20:19What if aliens were to come here? Or if they sent us a message?
20:32These are questions members of a research group at the University of St Andrews have been pondering for some time.
20:39St Andrews is Scotland's oldest university.
20:42John Elliott heads the research group. He says their work is garnering interest.
20:49It's definite interest from the UK Space Directorate to engage with us, the hub, and to support us in some way.
20:59Students and staff from a variety of disciplines are developing guidelines for action should extraterrestrial life be discovered,
21:07including considering international legal agreements.
21:09Whatever discovery, whatever new thing we find, we want to be able to get the message out there clearly and trusted.
21:19So whoever receives it can understand it from their viewpoint.
21:23And so that means we've got to understand all the different aspects and cultures that comprise humanity.
21:31Without binding agreements, researchers fear chaos and tension could develop between beings of different planets.
21:40Humanity needs to be prepared.
21:44The optimistic one where I think kind of these global bodies like the UN could act and have some kind of like, almost like an ambassador role,
21:51where that would hopefully be elected upon and there would be someone acting like that.
21:56The more pessimist of me believes it would kind of succumb to the great power competitions we see today,
22:03where if post detection was to occur and it was maybe from a Chinese satellite or, you know, it was Chinese-led,
22:10they would probably take control or vice versa. If it was America, it would be America.
22:14Is anyone out there? And if so, how far out? Are they close enough to visit us here on Earth?
22:26We reckon there's about six billion Earths in our own galaxy.
22:36And we're not the most habitable, by the way, so we really aren't that special.
22:41And why would people want to come here?
22:44For over 20 years, computer scientist John Elliott has been researching how to decode possible messages from outer space.
22:52He's looked at human languages and forms of animal communication, searching for a pattern.
22:59His aim is to apply his findings to any signals from extraterrestrials.
23:05Here at the Astronomy Club in Tullamore in Ireland, people are eager to find out more.
23:11How do they see a possible contact with aliens?
23:15Perhaps we're not ready to meet people from outside yet.
23:19You know, perhaps they're waiting for us to reach a level, a certain level, before we communicate.
23:27I mean, what could they learn from us anyway, you know?
23:30Humanity would show all of its worst side as we decide, you know, are they going to invade us?
23:35Should we invade them? Will we fight them? Will they fight us? All that kind of stuff.
23:39And then I don't think we would have a very good, kind of united answer to that,
23:42because we can't even unite ourselves over climate change or anything like that.
23:50Is there anyone out there?
23:53And if so, how do aliens communicate with each other?
23:57Do they have a language or something completely different?
24:00Imagine someone is coming from a distant solar system, and we don't have a shared cultural background.
24:14You have to acquire that before you can successfully and effectively communicate.
24:28Is that possible?
24:31That's what I wonder too.
24:32Here in St Andrews, Scotland, the researchers are still hoping for contact.
24:49I would love it.
24:51It would be the sort of culmination of what I've been doing for over a quarter of a century.
24:56I'm not fearful at all. If someone wanted to send me up into space,
25:03and for me to sort of experience that, it would be great.
25:08And enjoy that too.
25:10Is there anyone out there?
25:12If so, are they beings similar to us humans?
25:16Aliens or microbes?
25:19There are no limits to the human imagination.
25:22And the universe is infinite.
25:26What are stars made of?
25:30How many colors can butterflies see?
25:33Could robots have babies one day?
25:36Do you have a science question?
25:38Then send it to us as a video, text, or voice message.
25:42If we answer it in the show, then we'll send you a little gift as a thank you.
25:47So go on. Just ask.
25:51And that's all from us.
25:53Hope you enjoyed the show.
25:54See you next time.
25:57And until then, take care.
25:58See you next time.
25:59Take care.
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