Donald Sadoway: the missing link to renewable energy

I think we can all agree that our current energy needs - and the needs predicted by our perpetually increasing demand - are untenable in the long run. Whether a scientist chooses to attack the problem from the supply end (more wind farms, increased nuclear production, clean coal, hydrofracking, gerbils on tiny wheels) or the demand end (fluorescent lights, home insulation, adjusting the thermostat, solar-powered laptops),he or she will find even their smallest success in quick and huge demand if they look to be afforadble, scaleable, and effective.

Here we see Donald Sadoway's TED talk on his development of a liquid metal battery (magnesium / molten salt / antimony) as well as his mentoring of and dependence on graduate students and post-doctoral students, choosing these intelligent but inexperienced folks rather than the more experienced battery experts whose thinking might be a little more regimented, a little less willing to experiment.

I have lots of questions about the chemistry here - how easily are the metals sourced, in the larger collections of batteries how does the heat dissipate or does it need to, what salt is in the center, how safe are the batteries, how quickly can the batteries deliver power and how quickly can they be recharged - but I am certainly intrigued.