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"Discovery Files" Features from the National Science Foundation
"Power Play"
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YOU MAY GET A CHARGE OUT OF THIS... THE "DISCOVERY FILES": NEW ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. WOULDN'T IT BE COOL IF YOU COULD RE-CHARGE YOUR CELL PHONE, WITHOUT PLUGGING INTO A CHARGER? WHEN M-I-T RESEARCHER MARIN SOLJACIC'S [SOL-YA-CHEECH{-ES}] CELL PHONE DIED, HE ASKED HIMSELF THAT VERY QUESTION--AND IT PUT HIM ON A QUEST TO FIND A WAY TO TRANSMIT ENERGY WIRELESSLY. WE'VE KNOWN FOR CENTURIES THAT YOU CAN TRANSFER ELECTRIC POWER A SHORT DISTANCE, BETWEEN TWO WIRES, WITHOUT THE WIRES HAVING TO TOUCH EACH OTHER; IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME IN ELECTRIC MOTORS. SOLJACIC REALIZED THAT YOU COULD POTENTIALLY EXPAND THAT DISTANCE, SAY, FROM ONE END OF THE ROOM TO THE OTHER: ONCE YOU HAVE AN "EMITTER"--THINK OF IT AS A WIRELESS RE-CHARGER--IT WOULD FILL THE ROOM WITH ENERGY THAT COULD ONLY BE PICKED UP BY THINGS LIKE YOUR LAPTOP OR YOUR CELL PHONE. YOU'RE BEING RECHARGED--AND, LOOK, MA, NO WIRES! RIGHT NOW, THE IDEA IS IN THE DESIGN PHASE--BUT COULD EVENTUALLY BE A NEW WAY TO BRING POWER TO THE PEOPLE. THE "DISCOVERY FILES" COVERS PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT'S NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOU! LEARN MORE AT "N-S-F"-DOT-GOV--OR ON THEIR PODCAST.
For additional "Discovery Files" features from the National Science Foundation, click here.
