Movies sometimes have some pretty fantastical devices which we find hard to believe. There's the DeLorean from Back to the Future, the deneuralyzer from Men in Black and of course the holodeck from the Star Trek franchise. But some movies contain nifty gadgets and technology that seem simple enough to build or develop with current technologies. I mean, it's almost 2009 for christsake.
1. Safety Foam from Demolition Man
In the movie Demolition Man, Stallone's character John Spartan gets into a high-speed car accident during an electric car chase through the future streets of San Angeles. Instead of smashing to tiny bits, a foam fills the car and solidifies, saving his life and leaving him totally unscratched. It would seem easy enough to create such a foam (there might be problems with people inhaling it as it expands) so why the heck isn't it in cars yet?
2. Cold Fusion from The Saint
In The Saint, Simon Templar steals notes from a scientist which, when arranged properly, show how to make cold fusion work. While research into cold fusion technologies is progressing, it's kind of surprising there hasn't been a breakthrough yet in the field. You'd think someone could at least prove that it can or can't work by now.
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Touch Bionics, a “leading developer of advanced upper-limb prosthetics” has just made Time’s list of Top 50 inventions of 2008 (coming it at #14).
What’s so amazing about this invention?
For starters, each finger is powered by its own motor. This allows the wearer to individually move their fingers for more accurate manipulation of objects. It’s made of a high-strength plastic resulting in a prosthetic that is lightweight as well as appealing to the eyes. Maintenance of the hand is also very simple. “The modular construction of the i-LIMB Hand means that each individually powered finger can be quickly removed by simply removing one screw. This means that a prosthetist can easily swap out fingers that require servicing and patients can return to their everyday lives after a short clinic visit.” This way you can still have use of the hand while part of it is getting repaired.
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December 24 2008 / by Garry Golden
Category: Energy Year: Beyond Rating: 7 Hot
Let's think beyond simply trying to find new ways to produce more energy, and focus on ways of storing energy. Why? Because this expands ways for us to produce more energy! Confused?
Solar and wind alone are a hard sell to utility providers because of intermittent production when the sun isn't shining or wind doesn't blow. Add utility scale storage to solar and wind farms, and you have a more valuable proposition.
Battery powered cars sound great, but not if we have to plug in our vehicles every 50 or 100 miles. Or what about a new iPhone with a battery that cannot last the entire day.
We have written dozens of posts on energy storage and believe it deserves much more attention from the media and policy leaders. 2009 could be a turning point for awareness around the importance of enabling next generation batteries, fuel cells and capacitors.
List of 20+ Energy Breakthroughs in Batteries, Fuel cells, and Capacitors
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The purpose of technology is to make our lives easier and more
fun. So, why not bring that mentality into the comfort of our
home?
From wireless home area networks connecting all your electronics
to robots who will clean your kitchen, check out a few high-tech
visions of the future of the home.
Ten Technologies for the Digital Living Room –
BBC
How to Stay Online, Even in Your Sleep –
Discovery
Small and Fabulous: Modular Living as It Should
Be –
Wired
Fast Forward to the Smart Kitchen – CNet
The Microsoft Home of the Future –
Computer Ideas
The World Outside Your Window Will Be
Artificial –
Portension
Kitchen-Cleaning Robot – The
Future of Things
Disneyland Goes Back to the Future –
CNN
December 16 2008 / by joelg
Category: Energy Year: 2008 Rating: 1
By Joel Greenberg
Geeks look at the Big Grid and it reminds them of the old main frame computer days. They look at the auto industry and and see rust. So, they'll change it themselves. Through their RE<C program, Google is funding renewable energy companies with the goal of generating 1 gigawatt of energy at a price less than coal. Applied Materials has joined Google as high tech leaders that are covering their rooftops and parking garages with solar panels. Former Intel CEO Andy Grove challenges his old company to get into batteries for electric vehicles. Silicon Valley VC legends Vinod Khosla and John Doer fund cleantech companies.
Can these hi-tech leaders find success that scales in a business where there's no Moore's Law?
Photo courtesy Google.
Top Energy Stories of 2008:
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