Ray Blanco:

These Light-Weight Power Cells Run on Nuclear Waste and Could Power Next-Gen Drones

How many missions could a drone or satellite fly with a battery pack that can last decades? And what if that battery could be fueled by nuclear waste?

That’s the future scientists are working toward in DARPA’s “Rads to Watts” program, which aims to create lightweight batteries with a high energy density. And a recent $3.37 million contract award aims to fund a viable proof-of-concept device that can produce more than 10 watts per kilogram with a yearslong shelf life.

“Solar cells directly convert sunlight into electricity…Ours directly convert radiation into electricity,” said Stafford Sheehan, CEO and founder of "Rads to Watts" participant Project Omega, which describes their radioisotope power sources as mini-generators that replace traditional batteries.

“We already have some of these small devices running; the ones that are specifically designed to meet the DARPA figure of merit are going to come out early next year," Sheehan continued. “There are over 100,000 metric tons of nuclear waste sitting in the 52 reactor sites around the country; so there's plenty of nuclear waste currently."

The award comes as the Pentagon grapples with increased demand and use of drone systems that have to be charged and the persistent need for more power generation on the battlefield.

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Greg Guenthner:

Strategy Sells $216 Million Worth Of Bitcoin

Strategy (MSTR) has dramatically increased its Bitcoin sales, offloading $216 million worth of the largest cryptocurrency over the past week.

Strategy, led by Chairman Michael Saylor, sold 3,588 Bitcoin for net proceeds of $216 million, reducing its holdings to 843,775 BTC acquired at an average purchase price of $75,476 per Bitcoin. The Bitcoin holdings of Strategy are under water with BTC's price currently at $61,800.

The company said proceeds from the Bitcoin sales will be used to fund dividend payments on its preferred stock (STRC) and replenish its U.S. dollar reserves. As of July 5, Strategy had $2.55 billion cash on hand.

The latest Bitcoin sales were executed at an average price of $60,000 per BTC and are dramatically higher than the 32 Bitcoin sold by the company at the end of May.

Strategy, which has long been a serial Bitcoin acquirer, recently changed its governance structure to allow it to sell more Bitcoin to fund its operations and dividend payments.

MSTR stock has declined 75% in the last 12 months to trade at around $100.77 per share.

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James Altucher:

Dr. David Sinclair: The First Human Trial of an Age-Reversal Therapy

When Harvard genetics professor David Sinclair first came on The James Altucher Show in 2019, he talked about the possibility of reversing cellular age using Yamanaka factors – genes that can reset the instructions cells use to function. At the time, nobody knew whether this could be done safely without causing cancer or making cells lose their identities.

Now, a therapy based on three of those factors has entered its first human clinical trial. The initial target is age-related damage to the optic nerve, including open-angle glaucoma and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. The trial is designed primarily to evaluate safety, but researchers will also measure visual function.

In this new episode, David explains how this technology worked in mice and nonhuman primates, why the eye was chosen as the first organ, and how the same approach might eventually be applied to the liver, lungs, joints, skin, and brain.

We also cover the practical questions people always ask him: testosterone, growth hormone, diet, fasting, sleep, exercise, and what David himself has started – or stopped – taking.

This is still experimental science. Nobody yet knows whether the animal results will translate into meaningful benefits for humans. But for the first time, researchers are beginning to test that question directly.

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