Broadcast Energy - Science Fiction Come To Life

[Ozme52]

News Link==>> Just thought you'd all like to see the future. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080821/ts_alt_afp/usitinternetenergychipcompanyintel)

Don't forget about cars!!

[TheDeSade]

NIckolai Tesla would be jumping with joy!

[Thorne]

I'm not all that surprised. It's been coming for years. What concerns me, though, is the potential safety issues. Sure, they say that it's safe now, but what about later? Cell phones were supposed to be safe, too, and now they aren't quite so sure. A lot of things industry has put forth as safe have eventually proven just the opposite.

It's a great concept, and I believe an ultimately necessary one. True energy independence will come when we can collect solar energy in space and beam it down to transformers on the surface, hopefully without incinerating any wayward planes that might stumble into the beam!

The blanket statement, from the article, "It turns out the human body is not affected by magnetic fields" strikes me as very premature. And I would find it very difficult to believe, since the human nervous system is as much electrical as chemical, and either can be influenced by magnetic fields.

I think I'll wait a few decades before I outfit my house with this tech.

[DarkPoet]

The blanket statement, from the article, "It turns out the human body is not affected by magnetic fields" strikes me as very premature. And I would find it very difficult to believe, since the human nervous system is as much electrical as chemical, and either can be influenced by magnetic fields.

I think I'll wait a few decades before I outfit my house with this tech.

I was about to post nearly the same thing. As everyone familiar with electricity knows, induction's a bitch, and I wouldn't want to be somewhere near such a device once something goes wrong (just one example, imagine the flament in the lightbulb burning out slowly and flickering while doing that - in that case the receiver might become an uncontrolled sender due to back induction). Then there are things like cardiac pace makers, which are likely to be influenced by static magnetic fields when moving through them. It makes my toenails curl up when I listen to the overconfident proclamations that are spread now.

[Thorne]

I was about to post nearly the same thing. As everyone familiar with electricity knows, induction's a bitch, and I wouldn't want to be somewhere near such a device once something goes wrong (just one example, imagine the flament in the lightbulb burning out slowly and flickering while doing that - in that case the receiver might become an uncontrolled sender due to back induction). Then there are things like cardiac pace makers, which are likely to be influenced by static magnetic fields when moving through them. It makes my toenails curl up when I listen to the overconfident proclamations that are spread now.

Good point! I hadn't even thought about pace makers and other medical devices. Wouldn't it be nice to get electrocuted by a steel screw in your ankle while walking through the mall?

[Ozme52]

They did say 40 years off...

I guess I'm the optimist. Besides... all these issues exist with existing transmission methods. Ever drive under high tension transmission lines with the radio on?

And there are some interesting videos around of people popping corn with their cell phones. I doubt anyone is contemplating giving those up soon. ;)

[Thorne]

They did say 40 years off...

I guess I'm the optimist. Besides... all these issues exist with existing transmission methods. Ever drive under high tension transmission lines with the radio on?
True, but how many high tension lines do you have running through your home?


And there are some interesting videos around of people popping corn with their cell phones. I doubt anyone is contemplating giving those up soon. ;)
I could give them up quite easily. I don't even own a personal cell, just one for work, which I use only for long distance calls, and leave at the office every night.

I find them uncomfortable, unreliable, and generally unnecessary. And yes, perhaps dangerous, too.

Of course, I'm an anti-social misfit, so don't go by what I like!

[DarkPoet]

They did say 40 years off...

I guess I'm the optimist. Besides... all these issues exist with existing transmission methods. Ever drive under high tension transmission lines with the radio on?

And there are some interesting videos around of people popping corn with their cell phones. I doubt anyone is contemplating giving those up soon. ;)

I try to be realistic there. And unless someone discovers a previously un-thought-of quantum-entangled magnetic field equivalent that does the tric, it sounds very much like a PR-campaign to loosen funds and boost stocks.

As to the corn popping cell phones, the makers of these videos have already admitted that those are (really well made) fakes. It's not possible to pop corn with cell phones (for anyone it doubt, try it yourself, or ask your lokal physicist, he/she'll be happy to calculate the neccessary number of cell phones).

[Ozme52]

heh... the one time I forget to check snopes.

[Logic1]

I want this soo bad it is silly. Behind the Tv/HiFi set there is this HUGE mess of cables that I would LOVE to get rid of...

[Ozme52]

I want this soo bad it is silly. Behind the Tv/HiFi set there is this HUGE mess of cables that I would LOVE to get rid of...

The cables are doable now, with wifi speakers, components, and the like.

But we still need the surge protectors and extention cords. I'm with you on this Logic.