Two scientists won the prestigious Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinguishment for work on lithium-ion batteries and in the field of sustainability science.
Professor Rachid Yazami and Dr Lourdes Vega received the awards at a ceremony on Tuesday.
"The medal’s purpose is to highlight the achievements of scientists and to better understand the impact that they have on our daily lives," said Sarah Al Amiri, the UAE Minister of State for Advanced Sciences.
“Its impact is long term. They are addressing current challenges that the UAE is looking at. For us each year we have discovered more and more the potential of the researchers.
“If you compare the first year and this year – the third year, you see a large sort of jump in the outcomes of the researchers. Some of them we’ve seen them across their journey.”
Professor Rachid Yazami
Professor Rachid Yazami was honoured with the lifetime achievement award for inventing the graphite anode (negative electrode) of lithium-ion batteries.
The temperature of rechargeable metallic lithium battery would quickly rise to the melting point causing a violent reaction. There was no solution, Prof Yazami said.
However, while experimenting in his personal lab, he added graphite to the components of the anode, making the batteries safe to charge.
Prof Yazami, 66, was just 26 when he conducted this experiment.
His discovery led to the lithium-graphite anode that is now used in commercial lithium-ion batteries.
Today, around 95 per cent of batteries produced globally use the graphite anode that Prof Yazami invented.
“In 2019, there were about 10 billion batteries produced globally and more than 95 per cent used my anode,” he said.
The scientist never filed a patent for his lithium-graphite anode invention. He, however, has over 150 patents to his name for work done in different battery technologies.
He developed a smart chip that can tell how healthy a battery is and if it’s safe to use.
If the battery in a smartphone or electric vehicle is faulty and at risk of catching fire, the smart chip sends a warning to the user.
The chip is small enough to be embedded in almost all batteries, and can tell the exact state of battery's charge.
In 2019, there were about 10 billion batteries produced globally and more than 95 per cent used my anode.
He describes the technology as “placing a brain in each battery, so that it can connect with the person who’s using it.
“It’s very important to know how much charge is left in your car battery if you are driving.
"Cars do tell but it is inaccurate," he said. Prof Yazami said the smart chip could change that.
He believes safety is paramount when it comes to using batteries.
“Batteries are a fire hazard, they explode and we need to prevent this.”
“We hear of people dying because of battery explosions. The temperature can go up to 1,000°C in case there is a blast.”
Prof Yazami founded The Battery Intelligence Company in Singapore, which has been promoting this technology for 10 years.
He appealed to young Arabs to pursue their dreams irrespective of their background.
“I come from a modest Moroccan family but my parents gave me the best education possible.”
He completed his schooling in Morocco and moved to France at 18 to study engineering and pursue a doctorate in materials sciences.
He then worked with the French National Scientific Research Centre in Paris for almost 40 years and is a principal scientist at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
Dr Lourdes Vega
Dr Lourdes Vega, 55, was honoured for her contributions in the area of clean energy and sustainability.
She is a director of research and innovation and professor of chemical engineering at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi.
"If I had to tell my mother what I do, I would say I try to improve the quality of the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink," she said.
“I am working on developing clean energy and on carbon capture technology to help fight climate change by removing emissions that are already in the air.”
She is also working on technologies to make carbon dioxide recycling feasible and profitable.
The mother of three is working on several other projects that include hydrogen as an source of energy, transforming waste to raw materials and water desalination.
“It’s all about sustainability and clean energy that we can give to the future generations,” she said.
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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
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Rating: 4/5
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
PAST 10 BRITISH GRAND PRIX WINNERS
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2012 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2011 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
2010 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2008 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2007 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
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Director: Zoya Akhtar
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Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
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WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
RESULT
Wolves 1 (Traore 67')
Tottenham 2 (Moura 8', Vertonghen 90 1')
Man of the Match: Adama Traore (Wolves)
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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