The November and December newsletters had to be combined due to a few problems with my sources.

You next car may contain a black box similar to those on airplanes. Most cars with airbags have a recorder that records the forces that set of the airbag. Some higher end cars now have a unit that records speed, brake and throttle position, engine rpm and seatbelt usage.

The world's largest lead acid battery producer, Exide, has created a safer battery. Instead of having flat plates in the battery they use plates that have wound into a spiral. The plates start out 4 ft in length and end up small enough to fit 6 into a standard size car battery. The design also leaves no free flowing acid, so there is no change of leakage. There is also no gassing during charging. These two properties make it possible to ship the battery by conventional shipping methods.

A new battery design replaces the magnesium dioxide in alkaline batteries with ferrate. Ferrate is an unusual, stabilized form of iron combined with oxygen. Using this "super ion" makes batteries last 50% longer. The new batteries are also cheaper to make.

Sludge that result from making paper has to be disposed of, which is not cheap. A Massachusetts based company has found a way to turn the sledge into levulinic acid. The acid is used to make the fuel additive MTHF.

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