Reading books: a beneficial habit

 

Reading books: a beneficial habit

 

 

Reading is beneficial to people. Reading books in particular. Repeatedly, research has shown that people who read books:

·           are better informed than people who do not read and are therefore better able to stand better in society

·           they are more aware of their environment, which enables them not to be able to judge 'from their own experience', but to imagine themselves more easily in other people's shoes

·           acquire a wide range of skills that also make them stand out in the workplace

·           are helped in their health because they are better informed about issues such as health risks, and because reading books has a positive effect on the brain

·           in any case, of course, they experience an extremely enjoyable activity, reading books, which increases happiness and a sense of well-being 

 

Numerous studies have been carried out over the years on the effects of reading books from various scientific fields. The combination of a large number of such studies together provides a clear overview of the effects of reading books. Analysis of the available data continues to reveal four key issues:

 

1. Integration into the society

It is important to society that people behave as good citizens and shoulder their fair share of the burden. Tolerant people, who allow others' opinions to be heard, make for a more harmonious and therefore happier society. The skills developed or enhanced by people who read benefit the way they understand the world around them and the way they themselves contribute to it.

 

2. Employment skills

The skills needed for the labour market are subject to change. For example, digitisation and related developments require innovative, competitive and flexible workers. These are skills that can be improved by reading. The more one reads, the more easily one understands information and is able to process it.

 

Basic skills acquired through reading books are physical:

·      the development of language skills

·      the development of cognitive skills

·      the development of higher general intelligence on average compared to people who read less

·      the development of a general world view

·      a positive effect on brain functions, as has been clinically demonstrated by research on less literate people

 

3. Health

Research has shown that people who read are more than 25% more likely to be healthy than those who do not read. This is due to the ability to process information relevant to the world of health and healthcare. In fact, the term "health literacy" is often used, which is nothing more than the ability to be able to find information about health and illness, process it and take action based on it.

 

There is also a lot of evidence that reading books:

·      especially for loners, leads to a significantly lower risk of mortality

·      as a cognitive stimulating activity, leads to a reduced risk of dementia

·      acts as a stimulus for the brain and a healthier brain contributes to longevity

 

4. Well-being

Perhaps the most important thing about reading: enjoyment. It adds something to our lives, in a pleasant and meaningful way.

 

Those who read usually speak of a journey into another world away from the worries and problems of everyday life.

 

Research has also shown that reading books has a positive effect on people's imaginative and empathic abilities, which in turn benefits their personal sense of well-being and happiness.

 

Reading leads to satisfaction in a very direct way: it provides positive experiences. Relaxation, the ability to manage emotions and stress, higher emotional intelligence and positive self-image are all elements that benefit personal well-being.

Energy Storage

 Energy Storage

 

The future of energy now lies almost exclusively in the progress to be made in increasing energy storage. Obviously, following such a desirable development, Renewable Energy Sources - e.g. solar energy via photovoltaic systems, etc. - will become advantageous to exploit.

There are many different ways of storing energy, each with its own pros and cons. Tab. 1 below focuses on technologies that can currently provide large storage capacities (at least 20 MW).

 

Large Capacity Energy Storage Technologies (LCEST)

 

	Max Power Rating (MW)	Discharge time	Max cycles or lifetime	Energy density (watt-hour per liter)	Efficiency
Pumped hydro	3,000	4h – 16h	30 – 60 years	0.2 – 2	70 – 85%
Compressed air	1,000	2h – 30h	20 – 40 years	2 – 6	40 – 70%
Molten salt (thermal)	150	hours	30 years	70 – 210	80 – 90%
Li-ion battery	100	1 min – 8h	1,000 – 10,000	200 – 400	85 – 95%
Lead-acid battery	100	1 min – 8h	6 – 40 years	50 – 80	80 – 90%
Flow battery	100	hours	12,000 – 14,000	20 – 70	60 – 85%
Hydrogen	100	mins – week	5 – 30 years	600 (at 200bar)	25 – 45%
Flywheel	20	secs - mins	20,000 – 100,000	20 – 80	70 – 95%

 

But let's look briefly at what each technology presented in Tab. 1 is:

  ·         Pumped storage hydropower

Pumped-storage hydro facilities (PSHF) are large-scale energy storage facilities that use gravity to generate electricity. Water is pumped to higher altitudes for storage during periods of low energy costs and periods of high renewable energy production. When electricity is needed, the water is released back into the lower reservoir, generating power through turbines.

 ·         Compressed air energy storage (CAES)

With compressed air storage, air is pumped into an underground hole, most likely a salt cave, during off-peak hours when electricity is cheaper. When power is needed, the air from the underground cave is released back into the facility, where it is heated and the resulting expansion triggers an electricity generator.

 ·         Thermal (including molten salt)

Thermal energy storage facilities use temperature to store energy. When energy needs to be stored, rocks, salts, water or other materials are heated and kept in insulated environments. When energy needs to be produced, thermal energy is released by pumping cold water over the hot rocks, salts or hot water to produce steam, which drives turbines.

 ·         Lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are by far the most popular battery storage option today and control more than 90% of the global grid battery storage market. Compared to other battery options, lithium-ion batteries have a high energy density and are lightweight. New innovations, such as replacing graphite with silicon to increase battery power capacity, seek to make lithium-ion batteries even more competitive for longer-term storage.

 ·         Lead-acid batteries

Lead-acid batteries were among the first battery technologies used in energy storage. However, they are not popular for grid storage due to their low energy density and short cycle and calendar life. They were commonly used for electric cars, but have recently been largely replaced by longer-life lithium-ion batteries.

·         Flow batteries

Flow batteries are an alternative to lithium-ion batteries. They have a relatively low energy density and a long life cycle, which makes them suitable for providing continuous power.

 ·         Solid state batteries

Solid-state batteries have multiple advantages over lithium-ion batteries for large-scale grid storage. Solid-state batteries contain solid electrolytes which have a higher energy density and are much less prone to fires than liquid electrolytes, such as those found in lithium-ion batteries. The smaller volume and higher safety make solid-state batteries suitable for large-scale grid applications.

 ·         Hydrogen

Hydrogen fuel cells, which produce electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen, have attractive features: they are reliable and quiet (no moving parts), have a small footprint and high energy density, and are emission-free (when running on pure hydrogen, the only by-product is water). The process can also be reversed, which makes it useful for energy storage: electrolysis of water produces oxygen and hydrogen. Fuel cell plants can therefore produce hydrogen when electricity is cheap, and later use this hydrogen to generate electricity when needed (in most cases, the hydrogen is produced at one site and used at another).

 ·         Flywheels

Flywheels are not suitable for long-term energy storage, but are very effective for equalization and load-shifting applications. Flywheels are known for their long life cycle, high energy density, low maintenance costs and fast response speeds.