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nanoscale views
Personal blog · nanoscale.blogspot.comscience
nanoscale views is a personal blog at nanoscale.blogspot.com about science. Since 2010, 13 different Hacker News readers have linked it 21 times, most often “Diamond Batteries Unlikely”. It is still writing: the last post was on 2026-10-28, and you can follow it by feed.
Too few sampled comments (7) to say how often HN recommends it.?
Why HN links it
HN commenters cite Doug Natelson's Nanoscale Views for physicist commentary on nanoscience claims, such as room-temperature superconductivity, diamond batteries from nuclear waste, and quote verification.
Summarised by Claude from a sample of 7 HN comments that link here. Each comment is marked recommending, critical or neutral (citing without judging); how this works.
A blog about condensed matter and nanoscale physics. Why should high energy and astro folks have all the fun?
Most-linked posts?
- Diamond Batteries Unlikely2 people · 4 mentions · first linked 2020-09-05
What Hacker News says?
Doug Natelson at Nanoscale Views is a physicist who works with nano stuff, and I expected him to comment[1] on this. Basically he said it looks interesting but isn't really proof. Which fits with my viewpoint, where I discount anything reported in Technology Review or that starts with "MIT/Harvard Scientists". When it's real, it'll be in Nature. [1] http://nanoscale.blogspot.com/2012/09/room-temperature-super...
Comment linking /2012/09/room-temperature-superconductivity.html
on “Room Temperature Superconductivity Found in Graphite Grains”Submitted The Power of a Timely Collaboration as a story · 19 points
HN discussionIt was heavily discussed a few years ago, for example in https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13060159 They last for a log time, but the important detail is that they have very low power, like 1mW with the size factor of a normal battery, so you need like a dozen for a (old) wrist watch and s few hundred to turn on a led. More details in: http://nanoscale.blogspot.com/2020/08/diamond-batteries-unli... https://www.yo…
Comment linking /2020/08/diamond-batteries-unlikely.html
on “Turning nuclear waste into diamond batteries”Submitted Indirect costs and potential unintended consequences as a story · 2 points
HN discussionmost sources suggest that Schumacher said this quote, not Einstein. http://nanoscale.blogspot.com/2007/03/quote-verification.htm...
Comment linking /2007/03/quote-verification.html
on “Nassim Taleb on why IQ is baloney”Submitted Diamond Batteries Unlikely as a story · 2 points
HN discussionIt is not clear that they have a real working prototype. The current is very low, only 100uW, and there are similar batteries made with tritium. More info in a video by EEVblog eevblog had a good video about this product: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzV_uzSTCTM (it's old, but I can't find any evidence of improvements.) Also, there is a calculation of the low the maximal current per kilogram in http://nanoscale.b…
Comment linking /2020/08/diamond-batteries-unlikely.html
on “Diamond battery powered by nuclear waste runs for 28,000 years”Submitted People you should've heard about: John Bardeen as a story · 2 points
HN discussionIt is not clear that they have a real working prototype. The current is very low, only 100uW, and there are similar batteries made with tritium. More info in a video by EEVblog eevblog had a good video about this product: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzV_uzSTCTM Also, there is a calculation of the low the maximal current per kilogram in http://nanoscale.blogspot.com/2020/08/diamond-batteries-unli...
Comment linking /2020/08/diamond-batteries-unlikely.html
on “Scientists turn nuclear waste into diamond batteries”Submitted Bad to worse at NSF? (June 2026 edition) as a story · 1 points
HN discussionThe correct link is "Day 2", here: https://nanoscale.blogspot.com/2023/03/aps-march-meeting-202...
Comment linking /2023/03/aps-march-meeting-2023-day-2.html
on “Evidence of Near-Ambient Superconductivity”Submitted Thermometry at the MK Scale, Revisited as a story · 1 points
HN discussionCynical and interesting commentary from academics in the comments of this blog post: http://nanoscale.blogspot.com/2023/03/aps-march-meeting-day-...
Comment linking /2023/03/aps-march-meeting-day-3.html?m=1
on “Evidence of Near-Ambient Superconductivity”Submitted What is band theory? (2005) as a story · 1 points
HN discussionSubmitted Flat bands: Why you might care, and one way to get them (2022) as a story · 1 points
HN discussionSubmitted Generative AI and scientific images/diagrams as a story · 1 points
HN discussionSubmitted Condensed matter on the public stage, and not in a good way as a story · 1 points
HN discussionSubmitted A Paper and a Wager as a story · 1 points
HN discussionSubmitted Can you heat up your coffee by stirring? as a story · 1 points
HN discussionSubmitted Why twisting materials is interesting as a story · 1 points
HN discussionSubmitted Linking magnetic field and temperature as a story · 1 points
HN discussion
