Favorites December 30 2022

December 2022

Alex Grant @big_lithium

Is magnesium-ion the only alternative battery chemistry that can *really* challenge high performance lithium-based batteries? Fun fact: Li metal is $400/kg, Mg metal is $9/kg.

This graph of energy volumetric and gravimetric density was very useful to me. The only issue is that I'd like to see another axis showing density per dollar of raw inputs, on the assumption that mass manufacturing can bring anything down near that level. (Iron air batteries aren't even shown here because watt-hour per dollar is their only advantage)

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

Whig history ftw

Ethan Mollick @emollick

The link from Henry VIII to the Industrial Revolution. The monasteries dissolved in 1536 had no feudal lords, so the farmers that occupied them became the gentry who led to innovation & reform More monasteries in an area= more factories 3 centuries later. https://t.co/bxJoo26QJS https://t.co/4hEC2BXIpn

I'm telling you, land reform is how you get progress. Georgism is where it's at, whether in the 1500s or the 1900s.

Sander Wagner @sanderwagner

The socioeconomic gradient of alcohol consumption is fascinating news.gallup.com/poll/467507/pe…

Turns out drinking is a high socio-economic-status activity.

John Scalzi @scalzi

Just turned in the last work of mine that was due in 2022. I am professionally done with the year. I intend to spend the rest of 2022 eating cheese. (image: @findchaffy)

Threads

• Very long thread from a Financial Times columnist arguing that millennials are not getting conservative over time like previous generations did.