- Daily Upsider
- Posts
- 🌞 Sand Power
Wednesday, June 12th, 2024
Good Morning! 🌞
Make sure to check out today’s Wellness Wednesday feature. Some people love ASMR, some hate it. Which one are you?
Today’s Upside
Innovation
Sand Batteries
Credit: De an Sun
Sand batteries are emerging as an effective way to store energy from intermittent sources like solar and wind. The physical properties of sand, particularly its ability to store heat at high temperatures, make it ideal for energy retention. Technologies leveraging these properties aim to create a more stable and reliable energy supply, with sand efficiently accumulating and releasing heat as needed.
The science behind sand batteries involves heating sand to high temperatures using surplus energy from renewable sources. This stored heat can then be converted back into energy when required. This system uses the thermal properties of sand to create a natural battery, offering both heating and electricity generation.
Patrick Davenport from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) notes, “Sand and concrete silos with refractory insulation are very inexpensive materials that can lead to low-cost energy storage.”
Key players in this technology include Polar Night Energy in Finland, which has implemented a sand battery for residential and commercial heating, and EnergyNest in Norway, specializing in thermal energy storage. Sand's abundance, low cost, eco-friendliness, and long-term heat storage capabilities make it an attractive option for stabilizing renewable energy systems and providing a reliable energy supply during low sunlight or wind.
Sand battery technology is being tested and used in various projects worldwide, demonstrating its viability and potential scalability. Despite this potential, there are still challenges. Large-scale development and deployment of sand batteries require significant research and investment.
Culture
The Mythbusters of Old
Have you ever wondered what Mythbusters looked like before Mythbusters existed?
Well, I think I just found the answer.
US News
Astounding Lightening Strikes Active Volcano
Observers watching the eruption of Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala last month witnessed a spectacular event when lightning appeared to strike the active volcano. Videos of the scene have been circulating online this week, with one captioned: “What are the odds?”
Surprisingly, the odds are quite favorable. Any erupting volcano can produce its own lightning. When volcanoes erupt, they eject gases, lava, rocks, and ash into the air. The ash particles collide with each other, generating static electricity that can lead to lightning.
As the ash particles rub against one another, their atoms either shed or gain electrons, creating positively and negatively charged areas within the ash plume, according to the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. To maintain a neutral charge, the excess electrons in the negatively charged part of the plume jump across to the positively charged area, temporarily restoring balance and producing lightning.
The most severe lightening storm ever recorded was caused by the eruption of the Tonga volcano. At its peak, the storm produced 2,600 flashes per minute.
Volcanoes that produce lightning are sometimes referred to as “dirty thunderstorms.” Lightning can also be produced by intense wildfires, hurricanes, snowstorms, and surface nuclear detonations, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory.
Here are some videos of the breathtaking sight:
Volcán de Fuego putting on a show!! Guatemala is incredible
— Will Smith (@WillSmith2real)
5:35 PM • May 6, 2024
ASMR for Sleep
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) triggers a pleasurable, static-like sensation from the scalp down the spine in response to certain sensory stimuli. This feeling, often accompanied by deep relaxation and euphoria, can be induced by physical sensations, sounds, images, or interactions.
ASMR helps with sleep, anxiety, depression, and pain. Researchers have studied it due to its popularity on social media. The relaxation from ASMR promotes sleep by reducing stress and improving mood.
Triggers vary but often include sounds like whispering, tapping, or crinkling, and visual cues such as gentle hand movements or focused tasks. To use ASMR for sleep, identify what works for you, avoid stress at bedtime, establish a routine, gather necessary tools, limit blue light exposure, and create a conducive sleep environment.
Here’s a sample video, let us know what you think! I personally feel that my brain “quiet down” when I listen to ASMR, particularly tapping and water sounds.
Mind Stretchers
âť”
Sometimes narrow, sometimes wide, wind or rain, I stay outside. Even if there’s heat or snow, from house to house I will still go. What am I?
Yesterday’s Answer:
Double exposure — Chris Hostetler got this first 🌞
Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected]
From the Community
If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.
Reply