Andrew Kerr

The UK’s actions and related support to its allies is solely focussed on ending the threat of air and missile attacks against regional allies unlawfully attacked by Iran and who have not been involved in hostilities from the outset. It does not signal the UK having any wider involvement in the broader ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.

HMG's legal position states that it takes action only in defence of countries not involved since the outset, which would exclude US and Israel.

Whether it is wise to trust the US to honour this is a different matter.

www.gov.uk/government/n...

The UK condemns in the strongest terms the Iranian regime’s reckless and ongoing indiscriminate attacks against countries in the region. Such actions demand a united response to restore peace and security and prevent further escalation of the conflict. As well as defending itself and its position in the region, the UK is acting in the collective self-defence of regional allies who have requested support. The UK and its allies are permitted under international law to use or support force in such circumstances where acting in self-defence is the only feasible means to deal with an ongoing armed attack and where the force used is necessary and proportionate. Accordingly, the UK has military assets flying in the region to intercept drones or missiles targeting countries not previously involved in the conflict. In addition, the UK has responded to a US request which will facilitate specific and limited defensive action against missile facilities in Iran which were involved in launching strikes at regional allies. The UK’s actions and related support to its allies is solely focussed on ending the threat of air and missile attacks against regional allies unlawfully attacked by Iran and who have not been involved in hostilities from the outset. It does not signal the UK having any wider involvement in the broader ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran. The UK remains of the view that a negotiated solution should be supported, and that further escalation into a wider regional conflict should be avoided. The Government will notify the United Nations Security Council of relevant actions taken under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

This is HMG's position:

Summary of the UK Government legal position: The legality of defensive action in respect of Iranian regional attacks

www.gov.uk/government/n...

Possibly the most cost-effective mobile way to destroy drones is APKWS-II from BAe US. A single rocket costs about the same as a Shahed. But it's not going to have a 100% hit rate, sortieing a jet isn't cheap, and they aren't (yet) integrated onto any RAF aircraft.

Starmer is in a difficult position.

Iran is lashing out at third parties, and given the cost and availability of its drones relative to interceptors, the most tactically viable way to stop them may be to cut them off at source in Iran.

But that has strategic implications.

This is so much more foolhardy than even the Iraq war.

Not only does Trump not even have a concept of a plan for nation building, Hegseth actively rejects the notion.

It's going to be a disaster - and as Dunt points out, Trump 45 torched the JCPOA when it was working.

Speculation that the Donut Lab battery is not real are diminishing as independent lab data shows 100° Celsius performance. Speculation that the battery may be lithium run into difficulty explaining how a battery can work at 100° Celsius. In the independent tests, the thin membrane surrounding the pouch breached. If the contents were a standard lithium-ion with liquid electrolyte, there would have been significant outgassing and the organic electrolyte would have caught fire. The Battery Is Real Attention is now focused on what it could be, and the speculation continues. Once again, there are so many different stories, and the quality of analysis on social media has a wide range. It is time to admit the truth. Donut Lab is not lying. It is not a liquid electrolyte. It is solid state. It is time to listen to what Donut Lab says.

This Clean Technica writer is impressed by the VTT tests on the Donut Lab cells.

An NMC li-ion cell could not have survived the 100 C test with a breached pouch, and one that could charge at 11C compromises energy density to do so.

cleantechnica.com/2026/03/05/d...

Pedro Sanchez doubles down on criticism of Iran war in televised address

"This is how humanity's great disasters start ... You cannot play Russian roulette with destiny of millions... The position of the Spanish ‌government can be summarised in four words: 'No to the war'"

A new study raises serious questions about propaganda on 'X'? A powerful new study demonstrates that 'X' pushes right-wing supporters even further right, but has this bias now reached the threshold of propaganda?

A new study published in Nature has shown that the X algorithm pushes those on the right further right.

Critically, it is the algorithm itself that causes this change.

In this weeks essay, I review the study & ask whether X classifies as a propaganda platform

open.substack.com/pub/dangoyal...

Nuclear power came up a couple of years ago, as the price of energy increased in the wake of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine. It may come up again now, with the US/Israel attack on Iran.

But with renewables plummeting in cost, and improved storage, it's one Cleggism that might age well.

Abstract Potassium (K)-based batteries are viewed as the most promising alternatives to lithium-based batteries, owing to their abundant potassium resource, lower redox potentials (−2.97 V vs. SHE), and low cost. Recently, significant achievements on electrode materials have boosted the development of potassium-based batteries. However, the poor interfacial compatibility between electrode and electrolyte hinders their practical. Hence, rational design of electrolyte/electrode interface by electrolytes is the key to develop K-based batteries. In this review, the principles for formulating organic electrolytes are comprehensively summarized. Then, recent progress of various liquid organic and solid-state K+ electrolytes for potassium-ion batteries and beyond are discussed. Finally, we offer the current challenges that need to be addressed for advanced K-based batteries.

However, potassium-based batteries potentially offer numerous advantages over sodium-based batteries. First, K-based batteries are expected to provide a higher work voltage than sodium-ion battery (SIB). The lower redox potential of K/K+ electrode (−2.93 V vs. E0) than that of Na (−2.71 V vs. E0), which guarantee high-energy density. In addition, it has been confirmed the voltage of the K/K+ in propylene carbonate (PC) is lower than Li/Li+.[4] Then, K-based batteries could realize high-rate performance due to the high diffusion coefficient of K+ ions. Although potassium has the large atomic radius (1.38 Å), K+ has the smallest Stokes’ radius (3.6 Å) in propylene carbonate (PC) solvents owing to weak coulombic interactions of K+.[5] The first-principles molecular dynamics simulations also have proved that the diffusion coefficient of K+ in EC is three times than that of Li+.[6] In addition, it also revealed that K+ has the lowest solvation energy of (397.5 kJ mol−1) in ethylene carbonate (EC), which favor a higher rate capability compared to Li+ and Na+.[7] Furthermore, K+ could reversibly intercalate/deintercalate into or from graphite, which is the most used anode material for lithium-ion batteries.[8] On the basis of the advantages mentioned above, K-based batteries are most possible alternatives to lithium-ions batteries (LIBs).

Electrolytes for potassium batteries, including solid state. Introduction summarises advantages of potassium batteries.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

K-ion anodes, including graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes and others.

www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/18...

But I've seen no indication that any such device could meet Donut's temp range, or 100,000 cycle life.

And K-ion seems further off commercialisation than Na-ion.

Not an expert so you should ignore me, but I'm going to suggest potassium-ion (K-ion).

Not lithium and globally abundant.
Nanocarbon anodes fit NNG expertise
Existing research on solid electrolytes
Possible higher voltage and greater energy density than sodium.

1. Description and objectives The aim of the project was to conduct independent performance tests on the energy storage devices supplied by the customer, which the customer identified as solid-state battery cells. The customer provided three visually identical cells for testing. One cell was subjected to charge performance tests (reported separately), and another cell was subjected to low temperature discharge tests (reported separately). The same cell was used for high-temperature and low-temperature discharge lasts The specification of the device under test is presented in Table 1. All tests described in this report were carried out on the same cell, in accordance with the customer's test plan. The tests were performed using a PEC ACT0550 cell tester, with the cell placed inside a climate test chamber. The specifications of the battery tester and the climate test chamber are preserited in Table 2 and Table 3, respectively.

The VTT report screenshots in the video differ from the downloadable report. Both are signed by VTT.

This screenshot says the same cell was used for both high and low temperature tests.

Presumably we have a low temp test next, plus at least one more (lifetime?).

(h/t Reddit I can't find again)

Report’s title Donut Lab Solid-State Battery V1 Charge Performance Test Customer, contact person, address Order reference Donut Lab – NNG, Ville Piippo, Tallberginkatu 2 A 13, 00180 Helsinki Project name Project number/Short name Solid-State Battery Performance Test 144511 / SSB Performance Test

Report’s title Donut Lab Solid-State Battery V1 High Temperature Performance Test Customer, contact person, address Order reference Donut Lab – NNG, Ville Piippo, Tallberginkatu 2 A 13, 00180 Helsinki Project name Project number/Short name Solid-State Battery Performance Test 144511 / SSB Performance Test

Both reports so far name the customer as Donut Lab - NNG. Presumably NNG is Nordic Nano Group. Contact is Donut CTO Ville Piippo.

The aim of the project was to conduct independent high-temperature discharge performance tests on the energy storage device supplied by the customer, which the customer identified as a solid- state battery cell. Three visually identical cells were provided for testing and labeled DL1, DL2, and DL3. Each cell was subjected to different tests conducted in parallel, all of which began with an initial capacity test. This report presents the results of the high‑temperature discharge tests performed on cell DL2.

Reference cycle from the charge time test, on unit DL3.

Reference cycle from the high temp test, performed at room temp, on DL2. This seems to match the reference cycle on DL3.

Link to VTT test report.

It's not the same unit as the charge test and VTT haven't stated how they were selected, but it is visually identical and the reference charge/discharge curves seem to match.

pub-4515714b5b4743f58cf78e0f2d2548da.r2.dev/VTT_CR_00124...

Donut Lab's Test 2 - I Didn't Expect This! YouTube video by Two Bit da Vinci

Ricky @twobitdavinci.bsky.social is impressed with the high temp Donut Lab test, and suggests it could be a solid state sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery.

He's previously suggested a pseudo-capacitor and li-ion NMC, but he's never claimed to be certain.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzIp...

Short term, that means spending on defence.

Long term, huge potential economies of scale from further European integration.

That would be especially true for a single European military, which implies full European federalism.

I suggest ISR and logistics should be unified first.

2/2

If we don't want to be blackmailed by US into its adventurism we need to break our dependency on US for defence.

That means more European integration - a European pillar of NATO, joint procurement.

Replace Trident (missiles, not subs or warheads) with Ariane M51, at least in Dreadnought.

1/2

The World's First True Artificial Superintelligence | Asinoid by ASILAB YouTube video by Asilab - A new kind of superintelligence

Funny you should say that, cos Marko is in AI too.

But Donut are making falsifiable claims about devices they claim exist, so I don't see how they get away with lying, unless they flee to Russia or something. But then they'd be in Russia.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilgJ...

Is Donut Labs Battery Lithium Ion? - CleanTechnica Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe. A claim was made in a youtube video by the internet handle Ziroth. Before we get deep into this, I need to explain lithium-io...

A response to Ziroth here that takes issue with the inferrences Ryan draws.

In particular, a sodium-ion battery could also have a similar voltage curve to NMC li-ion and the VTT tests of the Donut device.

cleantechnica.com/2026/02/27/i...

A Green win must mean that "left behind" voters forgotten by Westminster want open borders and legalised class A drugs. That's how it works right?

"UK Polling Report" is a blight.

Anyone citing it immediately loses my respect.

@twobitdavinci.bsky.social also observes that the voltage curves, as well as the internal resistance, matches liquid electrolyte NMC li-ion batteries.

He does think it's a good battery, but an incremental improvement on what already exists.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PwE...

One of the test runs "interrupted when the surface temperature reached the safety limit of 90 °C".

I don't think we can conclude from that that it would be dangerous for this particular cell to exceed that: it may have been VTT's standard protocols, informed by existing battery chemistry.

Ryan Inis of Ziroth is updating his probability of Donut's claims being real from 1% to 0.1%, believes this to be a li-ion battery based on its voltage curves, and bets £5000 of his own money that lithium will be found.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=H45H...

By contrast, this BYD lithium iron phsophate battery, at 25.6Ah, is about 22 x 9 cm and weighs 450g.

www.energy-x.org/lifepo4-cell...

Screenshot from Donut Lab's video of the cell between two heatsinks with a hand for scale.

Measured by VTT at 26Ah and 90Wh.

Looks maybe 10 cm long?

Donut Solid-State Battery: Fast Charge Test | I Donut Believe (Pt.1) YouTube video by Donut Lab

Donut's video, which also includes the claim that other solid state cells need a clamping force, and need to maintain this as they shrink and expand under use, making battery packs heavier. This does not effect Donut cells.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2QU...

Figure 1. Cell was placed between heat sinks (top image, two-sided heat sink) or on top of a single heat sink (bottom image, one-sided heat sink), with temperature sensors attached to the tabs and under the folded seam on the side

This cell (between two heatsinks, top, and resting on one, bottom) has a discharge capacity of 90Wh.

No weight given, but I could believe it's a little under a quarter of a kilo.