The first artifical leaf

This says it all.. "Scientists today claimed one of the milestones in the drive for sustainable energy - development of the first practical artificial leaf."

"The key to this breakthrough is Nocera’s recent discovery of several powerful new, inexpensive catalysts, made of nickel and cobalt, that are capable of efficiently splitting water into its two components, hydrogen and oxygen, under simple conditions. Right now, Nocera’s leaf is about 10 times more efficient at carrying out photosynthesis than a natural leaf."

The 'leaf' is a silcon wafer around the size of a playing card, and floats in a pool of water. A catalyst is placed on either side, and as the silicon absorbs sunlight the energy is transferred to the catalysts which split the water into separate molecules of hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can then be used as a fuel cell to create electricity. This breakthrough allows for a source of cheap clean energy. 

Travelling Wave Reactor

While the Thorium Fuel Cycle is touted as a potential safe fission energy source, Freakonomics are examining the development of a new class of nuclear reactor. This is one of the projects Bill Gates has been working on since leaving Microsoft.

"TerraPower’s traveling wave reactor (TWR) will offer a path to zero-emission, proliferation-resistant energy that produces significantly smaller amounts of nuclear waste than conventional nuclear reactors"

Thorium as a potential nuclear reactor

Thorium, a pure white silvery metal is being developed in China as a safe nuclear reactor. The Thorium fuel cycle has a perfect overheating safety feature; “If it begins to overheat, a little plug melts and the salts drain into a pan. There is no need for computers, or the sort of electrical pumps that were crippled by the tsunami. The reactor saves itself,” says ex Nasa scientist Kirk Sorensen from Teledyne Brown.

Where do good idea's come from?

.

Brilliant short animation showing how ideas are formed, watch to see where technology innovation comes from. "Chance favours the connected mind."