Speaking of the Midwest, this map gives an idea of the expanse of our greatest natural resources - fresh water and salt. Hint — we've got both for days.

tags: midwest ohio michigan

postposted by matt in Saturday, May 4, 2024

Sodium-ion tech has received heightened interest in recent years as a more reliable, potentially cheaper energy storage medium. While its energy density lags behind lithium-ion, advantages such as faster cycling, longer lifespan and safer, non-flammable end use have made sodium-ion an attractive alternative, especially for stationary uses like data center and EV charger backup storage.

This is going to be interesting to watch over the next few years and decades. Battery technology is having a moment, for obvious reasons, and the Midwest stands to benefit if interest in sodium-ion technology continues to grow. There's a giant salt mine in Cleveland that extends beneath Lake Erie and another under Detroit.

tags: science ev ohio michigan midwest

posted by matt in Saturday, May 4, 2024

Michigan lost to Michigan State today. Certainly this is Harbaugh's best year, and it has felt like "Michigan is back" for the last several weeks. Today was a test of all of that, though, with the Wolverines playing the closely-ranked (Michigan is ranked 6th, Sparty 8th) and also undefeated (both 7-0 before the game) Spartans on the road. Most of the game felt like confirmation that, finally, Michigan is indeed back and relevant again — they lead by 16 in the third quarter. But, ultimately, the game delivered a confirmation of another sort — Harbaugh still can't win the big game.

tags: football collegefootball michigan bigten

postposted by matt in Saturday, October 30, 2021