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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Scientists make key breakthrough that could solve major issue with EV batteries: 'The idea is to keep it simple'
Czech researchers have developed a new method for recycling rare earth minerals from electric vehicle batteries using just water and basic laboratory conditions, according to a recent report from Radio Prague International. The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry focused its research on neodymium magnets, the strongest permanent magnets known to man. These powerful components drive EVs, smartphones, and wind turbines — but their production creates massive environmental challenges. Traditional mining and refining processes require hundreds of reactors, generate radioactive waste, and produce enormous amounts of acids and toxic byproducts. "The idea is to keep it simple, something that doesn't require extremely difficult conditions that would be hard to reproduce on an industrial scale," IOCB researcher Kelsea Jones explained, per Radio Prague International. The team's method uses water as a solvent and operates at room temperature, eliminating the need for harsh chemicals or extreme conditions. The process employs chelating agents, or organic molecules that bond with metal ions. Scientists add these agents to dissolved magnets, creating compounds with individual rare earth elements that can then be filtered by weight. The team processed magnets through several separation cycles and obtained neodymium with 99.7% purity, more than enough to produce new magnets. Reusing battery materials will reduce the risk of toxins leaching into soil and groundwater, and it will decrease resource depletion — a problem that often creates unsafe mining operations. EVs already help to improve air quality in our cities and reduce pollution compared to gas-powered cars, and more accessible battery recycling could help to accelerate EV adoption by making them more cost-effective. The Czech researchers have secured patents for their EV battery recycling method and are seeking commercial partners to bring this technology to market. Their breakthrough is a great example of the innovation needed to build a cleaner, more sustainable future — one that benefits both people and the planet. For those looking to make their next car an EV, this new recycling technology could also mean that even more affordable options are ahead. Should America invest more in EV battery tech? Absolutely No way Only if it brings down prices Only if it helps us compete with China Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Star
12-08-2025
- General
- The Star
QuickCheck: Did beavers help a government save money?
BEAVERS are known to build dams in rivers as shelters, causing problems to the population living nearby, including flooding, tree destruction, and damage to roads and infrastructure. But these dams are built for their survival and to help shape the environment they are in. With this knowledge in mind, is it true that these rodents help a government to save money? Verdict: TRUE In January this year, a family of eight beavers built dams in the Klabava River in the Czech Republic, helping the country save about 30mil Czech Koruna (or about RM6.07mil) in addressing water issues. Originally, the Czech Republic government had come up with a building project in 2018 to protect the river as well as its critically endangered crayfish population. The aim was to build a dam to prevent sediment and acidic water from two nearby ponds from spilling over. However, despite securing funding for the project, it was delayed for about seven years due to negotiations over land use and issues related to acquiring the necessary building permits. But all this changed earlier this year, when these creatures came to the river to build the dam! Not only did these rodents complete the work faster than the humans had intended, but it was reported that they also doubled the size of the wetland area that was initially planned. "Beavers always know best," said Jaroslav Obermajer - the head of the Central Bohemian office of the Czech Nature and Landscape Protection Agency, told Radio Prague International, which first reported the story. Meanwhile, Bohumil Fiser from the Czech Nature Conservation Agency told AFP: "They (the beavers) built a wetland with pools and canals. The area is roughly twice larger than planned." Fiser continued: "It's full service: beavers are absolutely fantastic and when they are in an area where they can't cause damage, they do a brilliant job." So, the next time if you wonder whether the government can get a job done, remember that beavers can get it done - and it's done (dam) well. References: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
Gold Coins Worth $341,000 Found Hidden in an Overgrown Field During a Rural Hike
Two hikers walking in an overgrown field in the Czech Republic discovered over $341,000 worth of hidden treasure in a man-made wall The treasure was found in two separate containers and included gold coins, jewelry and cigarette cases The discovery was handed over to a local museum, and experts believe the treasure was likely hidden during the Second World War Two tourists discovered a treasure trove of gold coins and bracelets while hiking in the Czech Republic. The hikers found the treasure in two containers hidden in a man-made wall in an overgrown field in February, according to an official Facebook post from the Museum of East Bohemia. Upon opening the containers, they discovered gold coins, bracelets, and cigarette cases weighing a total of 15 lbs. The museum — which is currently in possession of the treasure — said that the hikers began investigating the wall when they spotted an aluminum can sticking out above the surface of a shaft. The jar contained 598 gold coins 'divided into 11 columns and wrapped in black fabric.' The bracelets and other objects were then located in a metal box stored about 3 ft. away. Related: Couple Finds Rare Coins While Renovating Kitchen Floors — and They Recently Sold for Over $800,000 Miroslav Novák, the Head of the Archaeological Department at the museum, noted that while hiding precious objects in the ground has been a common practice since 'prehistoric times,' it is unique to find such a large amount of precious metal hidden from a relatively recent time period, per the musuem's Facebook post. Many of the coins found were dated between 1808 and 1915, while several were minted during the twenties and thirties, which helped the museum to better determine when the coins may have been placed in the wall. They noted that the coins originated from a variety of places, including France, Austria-Hungary, Belgium and the Ottoman Empire. Local news outlet Radio Prague International reported that the coins alone were valued at about $341,000. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Related: Girl Finds 1,000-Year-Old Viking Coins in Denmark with Metal Detector: 'This Is Very Rare' While no one currently knows who hid the treasure, Novák told the outlet that it was likely hidden due to larger world events happening in the region at the time — most specifically, the Second World War. 'The list of potential reasons for which it was likely buried is fairly clear,' he explained. 'It was the beginning of the war, the deportation of the Czech and Jewish populations, then the deportation of the Germans after the war — so there are several possibilities. There was also a monetary reform, which could have also been a reason.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The museum's coin expert, Vojtěch Brádle, additionally told Radio Prague that the coins would not have been valuable for their numerical value, but rather because of the material from which they were made. 'It was clearly not about the nominal value of the coins, whether they were worth 5, 10, or 100 crowns. It's not about what the coins could buy — that's not what mattered. It was deliberately hidden because it was precious metal,' he said. Read the original article on People
Miami Herald
01-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Hikers find boxes under rocks in Czechia — and discover century-old treasures
In the foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains of the Czech Republic, two hikers worked their way across the southwest slopes of Zvičina Hill. It was February, and their hike led them to the edge of an overgrown field, now with tall grass and trees. Then they noticed a man-made stone embankment. Tucked under the stones was an aluminum can — with contents worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The can was filled with gold coins, according to an April 25 Facebook post from The Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové, and just part of a massive collection of treasures from the past century found stashed in the rocks. The coins were arranged in 11 stacks and were wrapped in a black fabric, archaeologists said after the treasures were turned over to the museum. There were a total of 598 coins, valued at about 7.5 million Czech koruna, or roughly $340,000, according to Radio Prague International. Just a few feet away from the aluminum can, the hikers found 16 metal snuffboxes, 10 bracelets, a fine wire mesh purse, a comb, a chain and key and a compact case, according to the museum. The coins date between 1808 and 1915, but some of the coins have small countermarks that were typically added after World War I, the museum said. They were stamped in the former Yugoslavia in the 1920s and 1930s, meaning the treasure was likely stashed after that period. 'The list of potential reasons for which it was likely buried is fairly clear. It was the beginning of the war, the deportation of the Czech and Jewish populations, then the deportation of the Germans after the war, so there are several possibilities. There was also a monetary reform, which could have also been a reason,' Miroslav Novák, head of archaeology at the Museum of Eastern Bohemia, told Radio Prague International. Archaeologists believe the treasure was stashed with the intention of the hider coming back for their goods, but why they never returned will remain a mystery, according to the outlet. The coins, at least, were likely stashed not for their monetary value as currency, but because of their monetary value as precious metals, the museum said. Numismatists, or coin experts, saw coins in the collection came from France, Turkey, Belgium, Austro-Hungary, and even coins from the Ottoman Empire, according to the museum. The small marks on the coins show that they were not intended to remain in Czechia, but were instead meant for the former Yugoslavia, now Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina, museum numismatist Vojtěch Brádle told Radio Prague International. 'Sometime after 1921, they must have been restamped in local mints, and only later, under unknown circumstances, did they make their way from former Yugoslavia to our country,' Brádle told the outlet. 'What is certain, though, is that in 1921, at least part of these coins couldn't have been on our territory. They must have still been in the Balkans at the time.' The total treasure weighed nearly 15 pounds, but the other artifacts beside the coins are still being studied, the museum said. The treasure was found near the town of Trutnov, in the northern region of Czechia, or the Czech Republic, just south of Poland's southern border. Chat GPT, an AI chat bot, was used to translate the Facebook post from the The Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Officials surprised to find major public works project completed by wild animals: 'Better than when we design it on paper'
Nature stepped in after a crucial project in the Czech Republic stalled, surprising local authorities and saving them the equivalent of nearly $1.5 million. As reported by Radio Prague International, a beaver colony in the Brdy region became an overnight sensation when officials realized the creatures had built a dam exactly where they needed it. "Beavers always know best. The places where they build dams are always chosen just right — better than when we design it on paper," said Jaroslav Obermajer, head of the Central Bohemian office of the Czech Nature and Landscape Protection Agency, or AOPK. Despite the beavers' sudden fame, Gerhard Schwab, the Federal Nature Conservation Association's beaver manager for the southern part of Bavaria, told National Geographic he didn't buy the idea that the creatures completed the dam in one night. "I could as well believe that the pyramids were built in one week," he said, suggesting that the construction likely occurred over several weeks before people noticed. While beavers can sometimes create problems for humans — like when a Lanškroun-area dam ended up flooding fields and a railway line, as AOPK spokeswoman Karolína Šůlová pointed out to Radio Prague International — they can also help prevent flooding and create firebreaks, which protect property by stopping or slowing wildfires. And as opposed to human-built dams that frequently disrupt the protective natural balance of ecosystems, reducing water quality and biodiversity, the new no-cost Brdy dam is expected to support numerous wetland species, including frogs and the rare stone crayfish. Beaver-built dams can provide benefits beyond what may be initially apparent, too, according to science journalist Ben Goldfarb, who discussed the matter with National Geographic. "At this point, nothing that beavers do surprises me," said Goldfarb, who explained that an Oregon beaver dam filtered heavy metals and other toxic pollutants around two times better than a multimillion-dollar stormwater treatment facility. In Europe, native beavers were on the verge of extinction from hunting, but reintroduction efforts have helped them bounce back from the brink. Goldfarb gave local Czech authorities props for recognizing how the creatures' dam was a boon to the nearby community. Do you think governments should ban the production of gas-powered lawn equipment? Absolutely Yes — but not yet I don't know Heck no Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "Instead of saying, 'That wasn't what we planned originally,' they recognized that these animals are filling that ecological function very well and said, 'We're going to let them keep doing it,'" he said. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
