Search for the Super Battery
A 2017 documentary on the quest for better batteries.
Search for the Super Battery is a 2017 American documentary film about energy storage and its potential to contribute to an environmentally friendly future. The film describes the basic mechanism of batteries, including lithium-ion types, and examines the benefits and limitations of various batteries. It discusses the quest for a safer, more powerful, longer-lasting, and less expensive battery, referred to as a 'super battery,' and explores the broad importance of energy storage devices in mobile phones, automobiles, and the overall electric grid system of the United States.
- type
- Documentary film
- year
- 2017
- country
- United States
- narrator
- Jay O. Sanders
- subject
- Energy storage and battery technology
- notable_content
- Safe battery made with saltwater electrolytes; safe battery made of plastics using lithium metal
Lore & Background
The documentary is narrated by Jay O. Sanders and features participants whose insights are summarized in media reports. According to David Templeton of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the program walks the viewer through the science of how batteries work, returning to that theme to explain design variations aimed at creating cheaper, safer, longer-lasting batteries and energy-storage systems. Notable discoveries featured include a safe battery made with saltwater electrolytes and a safe battery made of plastics that can use lithium metal rather than traditional lithium ion to produce longer-lasting, safe power.
Reader's Guide
Search for the Super Battery serves as a comprehensive overview of the state of battery technology in 2017, emphasizing the critical role of energy storage in enabling a green future. By explaining the basic mechanisms of batteries and the specific challenges of lithium-ion types—particularly safety risks from thermal runaway—the film contextualizes the ongoing research into safer alternatives. The documentary highlights two notable innovations: a battery using saltwater electrolytes and a plastic-based battery that employs lithium metal. These examples illustrate the range of approaches being pursued to overcome the limitations of current technology. The film's significance lies in its ability to communicate the importance of energy storage not only for consumer electronics and electric vehicles but also for stabilizing the U.S. electric grid. By presenting both the promise and the perils of battery development, it provides a balanced view of a field that is central to modern life and environmental sustainability. Its legacy is as a snapshot of the challenges and aspirations in battery research during a period of rapid innovation.
Did You Know?
- The documentary describes a safe battery made with saltwater electrolytes.
- Another featured innovation is a safe battery made of plastics that can use lithium metal instead of traditional lithium ion.
- Lithium-ion batteries can potentially burst into flames due to thermal runaway in cells using lithium cobalt oxide in their positive electrodes.
- The film examines the importance of energy storage for mobile phones, automobiles, and the U.S. electric grid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Search for the Super Battery?
It is a 2017 American documentary that aired on PBS's Nova series, focusing on the science of energy storage and the ongoing pursuit of a next-generation battery. The film covers everything from basic lithium-ion chemistry to the broader role batteries play in phones, cars, and the U.S. power grid.
Who narrates Search for the Super Battery?
Jay O. Sanders provides the narration for the documentary, guiding viewers through the various battery technologies and the researchers working to improve them.
What kinds of battery innovations does the documentary highlight?
Two standout examples are a safer battery that uses saltwater as its electrolyte and a plastic-based cell built around lithium metal. The film frames these as steps toward a 'super battery' that is safer, cheaper, longer-lasting, and more powerful than today's options.
Why do fans consider Search for the Super Battery important?
It makes the often-overlooked field of energy storage accessible by showing how battery design directly affects everyday devices and the national electric grid. Viewers appreciate that it balances the excitement of new chemistry with honest discussion of current limitations.
Is Search for the Super Battery a multi-episode series?
No, it is a single documentary film rather than a serialized run. It was produced as one standalone entry in Nova's catalog of science and technology programming.
More in Nova episodes 1-19
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