solar power

It seems almost weekly now that some significant advance happens in the solar power field. One of the traditional problems with panels is the nasty chemicals used in their production. Now it seems that single layer cells can do the same job as multilayer cells, thanks to layers of quantum dots deposited into channels in the surface, that allow much more light to be absorbed and converted into electrical energy. With each such advance, the potential for solar power to provide the bulk of our energy needs comes closer. Deserts could make far more power than mankind needs, without all the problems associated with technologies such as nuclear, wind or 'clean' coal. I just wish we could steer far more of the climate change dollars becoming available into this field to expedite it. It is becoming ever more clear of the potential advantages of solar compared to other forms of clean energy. Wind and wave are second hand solar energy solutions, much less reliable, and their manufacturing and running costs won't benefit from Moore's law, which will work well in solar. Solar needs no moving parts, and that advantage more than any pretty much guarantees that it will ultimately win in the energy market. It has lots of problems today, but all of those look soluble to imaginative engineering, and one by one they are all being solved. The future of energy looks very sunny.

ipods and washing machines

IT stuff is getting smaller all the time, which is generally a good thing, but of course that means that gadgets will end up in the washing machine increasingly often. Engineers have used this as an obvious failure scenario for ages, and the problem has been a stimulus for innovations such as fabric based electronics. However, I was still genuinely and pleasantly surprised when my daughter's iPod was thoroughly washed this week and survived, apparently none the worse for the ordeal. Well done Apple! Modern kit should be designed to cope with events like this, but it is still a refeshing change to see gadgets that can actually cope with a 1600 rpm spin after a 90 mins wash when so much emphasis seems to be on making things cheap and disposable. I for one can't wait till we can take such robustness for granted, but I don't think I will have to wait too long.