March 5, 2024

The Future of Battery Technology | Nick Kateris, Stanford University

Nick Kateris is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Stanford University, where his research is focused on new battery technology, and computer modeling to help develop new types of battery technology, as well as on detonation engines. (Recently, along with colleagues from Stanford and Dartmouth, Nick developed a new type of lithium-sulfur battery that performs much better than any lithium-sulfur batteries developed previously.) In this episode we talk about the future of new battery technology innovation and how it will change the world. Nick completed his PhD at Stanford University, and his bachelor's and master's degrees at Cambridge University in the UK. He is originally from Athens, Greece.

Next Unicorn podcast episode 6. The video version of this episode is available on the Next Unicorn YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nextunicorn

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🐦Twitter: @NickKateris

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Video Contents:
0:00:00 Introduction
0:00:41 The Most Exciting Areas of Battery Technology
0:01:25 How New Battery Technology Could Dramatically Reshape Our Economy
0:02:45 The Most Exciting Battery Technology Startups Today
0:03:55 Step Change in New Battery Technology
0:06:26 How Does a Battery Work?
0:09:38 Energy Density and Efficiency in Battery Technology
0:12:05 The Different Types of New Battery Technology
0:30:03 Will Future Electric Vehicles Have a Much Longer Range?
0:31:29 Will Airplanes Become Electric?
0:33:50 What Are Detonation Engines and Why Are They Useful?
0:37:39 Why Are Batteries So Important for Storing Energy for the Electric Grid?
0:48:50 Environmental Issues with Lithium-Ion Batteries
1:01:28 Use of Computer Modeling to Develop New Battery Technology
1:08:01 Why is Political Will Important For New Battery Technology?
1:15:16 What is a Quantum Battery?
1:16:26 What is a Super Battery?
1:18:12 Nick's Personal and Career Background
01:19:09 Nick's Lab Research
01:20:59 An Unexpected Turn in Nick's Career Path
01:23:14 Bonus Round

Our recording setup:
-Webcam used in this episode: https://amzn.to/3NZNOhH
-Cheaper version of the webcam (if you just want to level-up your Zoom calls): https://amzn.to/3Sb4QMe
-Microphone used in this episode: https://amzn.to/3Sf9o40

Credits:
Video/audio editor and engineer – Oleksii Kyrkach