The Powerhouse - Inside the invention of a battery to save the world

Toward the end of the research, I found out--and Elon Musk hints at this--that the answer to getting to the goals of the super battery can be otherwise reached. That is, you might not have to make the big leap in the discovery lab--you might achieve at least the cost goals by getting a lot better at manufacturing batteries.

I am looking at that now--at entrepreneurs who are trying to reinvent how batteries are made.

Ah, John Goodenough.

Renaissance man and decent person besides.

I did have the sense that at least he thinks he is onto an answer to the anode side of the battery.

The most surprising aspect of batteries, in my opinion, is how careful we have to be about what we hear. It turns out that many or most of the "breakthroughs" that we read about are not quite what they are implying; there is an invisible "yes, but ... " embedded--or should be embedded--into these announcements. Some of them are simply narrow--one aspect of the battery is improved, but a host of complications are left unattended to. But others are outright whoppers--they are exaggerations or deceit. That was a surprise and a lesson I carry with me.

Hi Steve, thanks so much for doing this! I'm sure you had an exciting journey writing this, but if you had to pick a favorite quote or passage, what would it be and is there a hidden or more I depth story behind it?

Was it hard to "end" and come to the point where you went to publication? After 2 years, I would imagine it felt like you were leaving something/someone behind..