A lot of fascinating Vortexian discussion has been generated on this topic, as it well should.
Meanwhile, I performed an unscientific Reality Check and noticed that CNN.COM has yet to report on this apparent technological breakthrough, particularly in the Technology section. We are instead presented with, ...yawn..., another allegation of child porn - in the case of a former top Boy Scout official. If this technological breakthrough is as significant as some claim it could turn out to be, I think it would be fascinating to observe how the ramifications will be received and implemented within our society. Details to pay special attention to might be: 1. Who gets wind of the technology first? What do they do about it? 2. What happens to stocks? Which companies benefit, and which ones suffer. 3. When does the news hit the general public? The "general public" IMHO, is usually the last to get wind of these things. They seem to be far more titillated with yet another porn case. Obviously, these leaner and meaner batteries are welcome news. OTOH, I would estimate that this technology would be no where NEAR as disruptive as, oh, let's say, a verified ZPE device or CF reactor the size of a close hamper that is capable of generating ten to twenty kilowatts of power. IOW, these batteries might generate what I might describe as a Minor Technological Disruption. How BIG or LITTLE is the 64 dollar question. Ok, Jed, and the rest of you heavyweights, how do you think this technology will play out? At present, I will add only one speculation of my own: It seems logical to assume that this recent "breakthrough" may only be the harbinger of a long line of brand new technological breakthroughs within the nano-field of energy storage devices. Since Toshiba has apparently proven that this technology is economically feasible it seems logical to assume that EVERYONE will now want to get in on the ground floor and try to improve on the battery concept since everyone now knows it is possible. It is now proven technology From the R&D point of view it's not as risky an endeavor. I bet they will succeed. Regards, Steven Vincent Johnson OrionWorks.com
