| I was speaking with a friend the other night about | | | | thermal energy conversion (OTEC) uses the |
| his great grandfather. His great grandfather was | | | | temperature differences in the ocean layers to |
| born in 1875. He lived until 1965. Can you imagine | | | | produce energy. And OTEC can utilize this colder |
| the technology that this man saw come online? | | | | water (36 degree F cooler) in other things like on |
| Let me name a few: the typewriter, the electric | | | | shore agriculture and refrigeration. And the list |
| dental drill, the telephone, the phonograph, the | | | | goes on.Massive interest was generated in |
| incandescent light bulb, the hearing aid, the electric | | | | alternative fuels this past year when gas prices hit |
| fan, the dishwasher, the escalator, the airplane, | | | | record levels. New developments in battery |
| the Model T automobile, the air conditioner, the | | | | technology could help. One such development is |
| defibrillator, the atomic bomb, the electric guitar, | | | | Millennium Cell's hydrogen battery technology. This |
| the nuclear submarine, nylon, the polio vaccine, | | | | technology differs greatly from traditional |
| and the laser. He died right when the first | | | | rechargeable batteries in that it's instantly |
| minicomputer was coming to fruition. All of that in | | | | rechargeable. It also has a much great efficiency |
| the span of his lifetime. Which leads me to the | | | | for energy conversion, so it is much smaller and |
| topic of this article. Technology has completely | | | | lighter. There is also greater reuse efficiency since |
| changed the way we live. And technological | | | | you don't need to replace the entire battery. You |
| advances have accelerated at unbelievable speeds. | | | | only need to replace the energy module. |
| Technology is converging in ways no one could | | | | Developments are continuing in biodiesel, electric, |
| have foreseen. I want to highlight some of the | | | | hydrogen, methanol, etc. I think there could be |
| most interesting technologies out there. These are | | | | some serious future synergy between nano |
| technologies that will change the world, for good | | | | technology and alternative energy."Bionetics"This is |
| and bad.Nano TechnologyProbably the most | | | | my name for the incorporation of technology into |
| interesting and frightening of the emerging | | | | the body. The dermal display is a great indication |
| technologies is nano technology. Nano technology | | | | of things to come. Though I have yet to find a |
| is a cross disciplinary field that deals with building | | | | working demo version of this concept, I have no |
| and synthesizing materials at scales of 100nm or | | | | doubt that it will become a reality. The display |
| less. Nano technology usually works in one of two | | | | would be driven by millions of nanobots. These |
| ways. It either pulls smaller parts together to build | | | | nanobots would display light when touched. This |
| or it breaks bigger parts down. The parts are | | | | would print a display onto your hand, or wherever |
| then used to form smaller, new materials. But | | | | the nanobot display would be housed. And this is |
| why is nano technology so important?Nano | | | | where it gets really interesting. The display |
| technology is important because it will have | | | | nanobots would be connected to millions of other |
| massive effects across every area of life. As I | | | | fixed and mobile nanobots throughout the patient's |
| write this, researchers are working on a nano | | | | body. This would give instant readings on |
| particle to target cancer cells in lungs. In 2004, | | | | hundreds of vital statistics. Again, nanotechnology |
| Rice University tested gold nano particle cancer | | | | plays a strong role here.The bionics revolution is |
| treatment. In this treatment, these 150 | | | | already underway. There have been four major |
| nanometer gold particles were injected into the | | | | cases of robotic limbs recently, the latest being a |
| blood stream of cancerous mice. Gold particles at | | | | woman. The robotic limbs take advantage of the |
| this size pass into tumors, but not healthy tissue. | | | | functional nerve endings in the limb stump. These |
| The researchers then passed infrared through the | | | | nerve endings are used to actuate the robotic |
| mice. The tumorous cells absorbed the infrared, | | | | limb and to provide feedback to the brain. More |
| heated up, and were destroyed. They are also | | | | money is being poured into robotic limbs every |
| working on quantum dots that allow doctors to | | | | year."Functional bionetics" are implants that |
| easily identify multiple diseases quickly and | | | | enhance our lives. And you may be surprised to |
| accurately. But the uses don't stop there. | | | | know that people are actively doing this as I |
| Nanotechnology will drive down the scale of | | | | write. People are inserting tiny electronics in their |
| electronics. This will lead incredibly small devices. | | | | bodies that will unlock their front doors and their |
| The applications are limitless. And you can bet | | | | cars. The same technology is being used to unlock |
| that the military will be clamoring for nano | | | | computers. But it doesn't stop there. There is talk |
| technology. The military is looking to have | | | | of implanting devices that will carry health |
| numerous nanotechnologies online by the year | | | | information. You could be carted into a hospital |
| 2015. Such advances include performance | | | | totally unconscious and they would be able to |
| enhancing nanotechnology that aids bodily | | | | access all of your past medical history. Most of |
| functions. These will include response times, | | | | this is done through RFID technology."Bionetic |
| oxygen use, and heightened senses. But | | | | networks" will be networks of connected bionetic |
| nanotechnology can also be used for | | | | devices. This would allow people to share |
| reconnaissance and combat. Nanobots could scout | | | | sensation, feelings, and communication. If this |
| areas without being seen. They could also enter | | | | sounds completely fictional, I invite you to |
| into enemies for espionage. They could kill targets | | | | consider the work of Kevin Warwick, Professor |
| from within the host's body. The possibilities are | | | | of Cybernetics at the University of Reading, |
| frightening.Alternative Energy & FuelsWhen gas | | | | England. He has implanted an extra-sensory device |
| prices skyrocketed this past year, many people | | | | that interfaces with one put in his wife. They |
| suddenly took an interest in alternative energy | | | | were implanted in their arms. The first |
| and fuels. And because demand rose, companies | | | | experiments are aimed at exchanging sensory |
| suddenly found themselves forced to take | | | | inputs, like pain. The hope is to extend that to |
| interest. Most of the common arguments for | | | | other, more complicated neurological processes |
| alternative energy and fuels center around issues | | | | like thoughts and emotion. Obviously, that would |
| of pollution, cost, dependence, and jobs.What | | | | drastically change relationships and indeed the |
| most people don't realize is that alternative | | | | world. Forget about your teens text messaging, |
| energy and fuels always have environmental | | | | maybe they will be brain linking in the future. Now |
| effects. This can be in the form of heat | | | | that's really scary!What will we be able to say |
| generation, air pollutants, waste by-products, land | | | | came online in our lifetimes? I'm sure we could |
| usage, extraction, etc. Instead, we have to talk | | | | already list a lot of important technologies. But |
| about pros and cons around each type of energy | | | | keep your eyes out for these emerging |
| and fuel. There is no silver bullet. Costs, | | | | technologies. They are set to change the rules of |
| dependence, and jobs also vary depending on the | | | | our world. These technologies will upset |
| energy type.There are a host of alternative | | | | economies, change military tactics, empower |
| energies being tested. Wind powered energy | | | | people, and be used to control others. Keep an |
| plants are already in place in many parts of the | | | | eye on them.Paul McGillivary has been a |
| world. Solar energy production has taken huge | | | | technologist for 15 years. In that time, Paul has |
| steps forward with the help of nano technology. | | | | experienced thousands of technology problems, |
| One such company is Nanosolar. Nanosolar is | | | | challenges, and products. He brings this experience |
| producing solar cells that are 100 times thinner | | | | to bear in the articles that he presents.For more |
| than conventional cells. Not only are the cells | | | | great emerging technology information, visit us at |
| cheaper to produce, but they also convert the | | | | Emerging Technology. |
| solar energy much more efficiently. Ocean | | | | |