TTT2019: Day 39--Batteries and Wagyu

Now what could possibly be the connection between batteries and Japanese wagyu beef?  Well, today, nothing.  Two disparate subjects that ended up being the foci of this posting.

Noticed in a recent Japan Times that Elon Musk is fighting Panasonic, supplier of all the lithium-ion batteries Tesla uses.  Why doesn't Musk just make his own batteries?  Well, Panasonic owns the major patents.

This tiff reminds me of the lawsuit Stanford Ovshinsky won over Panasonic, Matsushita and Toyota almost two decades ago regarding his nickel metal hydride battery.  Unfortunately, ECD never was able to significantly cash-in on the NMHi battery, possibly because the American auto industry, especially General Motors, dreaded the coming of battery vehicles, and essentially killed the technology

But Stanford and Iris lived quite a life in Troy, Michigan.  He passed away in 2012 at the age of 89.  More than a third of a century ago, his company wanted to ease him out and asked if he could fill a chair within the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute if they provided the supporting funds.  I tried, but having never even graduated from high school, that did not work out, for universities are so elitist.  We did, however, become close friends.  Stanford was a prolific inventor, with 350 American and International patents.  Iris had a PhD in biochemistry, and they formed a wonderful partnership.  

The one passion Iris and I shared was on our search for blue-colored flowers.  We both felt that the BLUE rose Suntory developed was not blue, but lavender.  Incidentally, it was announced that a blue tulip has been created.  I don't think so.

Incidentally, wonder what will be the next battery?  I'll tell you.  The lithium battery will be the final major version.  Why?  Its place in the chemical table.  There is no other element capable of replacing lithium.  You will read about nanotechnology, nanowires, graphene, liquid electrolytes, and super capacitors.  However, all of them still will use lithium.  Lithium itself cannot be re-cycled, but there should be enough for the next few decades.

However, watch out for the fuel cell, as Japanese motor companies are already investing a lot of time and effort for something that won't come until 2030 or later.  On the basis of size and weight, fuel cells will take a car at least twice as far  as batteries, and probably more.  That graph to the left shows that, on a specific energy basis, hydrogen beats lithium 236 to 1.  The problem is that hydrogen today is too expensive and the platinum electrodes are not ideal.  I still think that the direct methanol fuel cell is the next bridge to the hydrogen economy.  Read my HuffPo of a decade ago.

Well, that's enough education for now.  Today, we caught the bullet train from Morioka to Sendai.  A typical scene as our train whizzed by at almost 200 MPH.  A bit fuzzy, but consider the speed.

In Sendai, we decided to go back to the same wagyu beef restaurant, Iseya, we experienced three weeks ago:

Above, brothers Makoto and Hirotomo Matsuzaka, who run the place.  What a name, for Matsuzaka wagyu is right up there with Miyazaki, although you really couldn't really tell the difference with Sendai wagyu.  Our meal:

You ask, where is Mystery Lady?  Well, she had the same order, and we both agreed that this was the best lunch we had on this trip, although our two meals with those three Seoul Mystery Ladies certainly are up there with the best.

The night before we leave for Hawaii, Robuchon, located across the street from the Tokyo Westin, where we'll stay tomorrow.  Robuchon is a Michelin 3-Star restaurant.  Paris only has nine of them.  Tokyo now has 19 and 230 with at least one star.  

Seems extravagant for a retired person to eat so well, but the fact of the matter is that, if you don't count train bentos, I think I've only paid for six meals in almost forty days of travel.  How so?  The Starwood Hotels I've been staying in all had fabulous breakfast buffets and an executive club with free food and drinks.  Like the Sendai Westin:

That was my entire dinner?  Yes, with a Kir Royale.  You saw my lunch today.

-