In the ongoing battle between alternating and direct current, there may be a new player. Timothy J. Sommerer presented research at APS DAMOP 2014 on a more efficient way to marry alternating and direct currents. Using self-healing materials, Sommerer's new cathode would allow for greater and more effective conversion. In alternating current, the direction the current travels along the line reverses (or alternates). In the US, the current coming out of your wall reverses 60 times per second. Direct current is a high powered, constant, and direct flow of current. The American power grid runs off of alternating current, but how that came to be was a contentious battle. Thomas Edison (left), Nikola Tesla (middle), and George Westinghouse (right) were the three main figures in the War of Currents. Image Credits: Wikipedia The early days of power distribution used direct current (DC), developed by Thomas Edison. But direct current wasn't easily transmitted over long distan
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