InvestigateTV+: Growing risk behind lithium-ion batteries
Season 4, Episode 38
(InvestigateTV) — InvestigateTV+ takes an in-depth look at the growing risk of lithium-ion batteries, why safe disposal is so difficult, and what tools safety advocates say are needed to prevent fires and explosions.
Plus, the FBI warns online extremists are targeting children in gaming and social spaces, coercing them into disturbing and violent acts. We investigate how these predator networks operate, the warning signs parents should know and how to report suspected activity.
Then, an award-winning sake blends Native American and Japanese cultures.
Hidden Heat
In a matter of seconds, the battery powering any number of devices within arm’s reach of the average consumer has the potential to transform from an efficient energy source into a fire ball the temperature of a volcanic eruption.
Lithium-ion batteries, with their energy-dense chemistry and falling cost of production, have grown to dominate the rechargeable battery market.
As that popularity has increased, experts say the ability of those batteries to ignite or even explode under certain conditions has meant as the number of fires linked to them has also gone up.
What to know about online extremism
Lurking on popular online games and social media are predators that officials with the FBI say are part of a network of extremists.
These cybercriminals are known for coercing their victims into self-harm and other acts, according to FBI special agent Heith Janke.
“Many of these actors are motivated by nihilistic violent extremism and what that generally means generally is they want to sow chaos and they want the destruction of our society,” Janke said.
A look at float therapy
A type of therapy can improve people’s health by allowing anxiety and tension to float away. Studies show that float therapy can improve sleep and reduce pain.
Float therapy involves lying in a tub filled with nearly a thousand pounds of magnesium dissolved in skin-temperature water. The solution is dense enough that the body cannot sink.
Sessions typically last an hour or more, with the option to turn off all lights and block out all sound.
Sake infusing cultures
Atsuo Sakurai and his wife, Heather, make award-winning sake at a shop just off Route 66 in Holbrook.
Sake is a traditional Japanese alcohol made from fermented rice. Its history spans thousands of years. Sakurai’s shop, Arizona Sake, makes the beverage in a 200-gallon vat.
Sakurai said people are often surprised to learn the sake comes from Holbrook, Arizona, on Route 66.
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