Are you interested in new ways to create energy?

From the article: “Working with bismuth ferrite, a ceramic made from bismuth, iron and oxygen that is multiferroic—meaning it simultaneously displays both ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties—the researchers discovered that the photovoltaic effect can spontaneously arise at the nanoscale as a result of the ceramic’s rhombohedrally distorted crystal structure.”

Sounds exciting. Sounds… energy intensive. It sounds like this technology would also depend heavily on oil inputs to make the panels, much like solar does now. (I’ve read that through the useful life of a conventional solar panel, it makes roughly as much energy from solar as it took in oil energy to build.)

I would love for there to be a cheap, clean, renewable energy source readily available that would enable us to continue “business as usual”. If this new solar energy you’re talking about can do that, thumbs up. Do you think it will get past the “technotoy” stage and be a serious contender in the energy production industry?

I would like to see us figure out an elegant way to harness solar energy. Everything else I consider a stepping stone. This ferrite thing sounds like they are over-complicating the problem. The best solutions are always very simple. They need to figure out how to do it with common, readily available materials.

I am always glad to read about people working on anyway to produce alternative energy sources.

Wonderful. We need more ideas like this!

@mattbrowne
We should be glad some people still think outside the box. America still has inventors and Scientist. A nice combination.

Last time I had any ideas I looked like a dumb ass,so I will leave it to the people who know what they are talking about.

Oh, yes. Most people would still consider the US the greatest innovation machine on Earth. The key problem is the shareholder view on short-term profits combined with a screw the future attitude. Green technology doesn’t happen overnight. Bullet trains don’t appear overnight. Particle physics discoveries don’t turn into profitable technology overnight.

@mattbrowne
Nothing worthwhile is achieved without hard work. At least not for most of us.