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We discussed this today during coffee. The inventor claims that he claims that a pressure differential can push hydrogen through a proton conductive membrane (thereby stripping off the electrons) which flow through an electric circuit and provide electric power. The type of membrane is fairly similar to that found in a hydrogen fuel cell. If the pressure differential is cause by selective heating this is in essence a heat engine that directly produces electricity. The inventor claims that this could be a high efficiency alternative to thermoelectric devices and could even outperform PV and Sterling engines with an efficiency close to that of fuel cells (e.g., ~60% @ dT=600K). I could not find any scientific publications as the inventor is not affiliated to any University - he has however an impressive number of patents from a very wide field (e.g., the "Super Soaker" squirt gun) and has worked on several NASA and US military projects. His current research seams to be funded by the latter as well. Here are some more links that I found: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/11/shooting-for-the-sun/308268/ http://www.johnsonems.com/?q=node/13 http://scholar.google.nl/scholar?q=%22lonnie+g+johnson%22+&btnG=&hl=nl&as_sdt=0%2C5

very interesting talk by the inventor of Mathematica;  if you have 20min on you hand I recommend watching it

A short article about Saul Griffith and his R&D company Otherlab. Pretty much halfway between Mythbusters and the ACT.

proper engineering. do this YouTube sensation and inventor Colin Furze is used to making insane things like retractable wolverine claws, working versions of the hidden blade and rope launcher featured in Assassin's Creed games, and even a homemade Iron Man suit. But this time he decided to do something even crazier and build a hoverbike, and surprisingly, he succeeded and didn't die in the process.

I'm always amazed when that guy doesn't die

Create an app without knowing how to program ...

Invented in 2002!! A disruptive invention to illuminate shanty towns and beyond .... Makes also sense for space habitats ... paper? anyone?

And a nice video ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhHKXxEN9Q0#t=12

If you've ever found your iPhone taking control of your life, there may be a good reason. It may think it has free will. That may not be quite as far-fetched as it sounds. Today, one leading scientist outlines a 'Turing Test' for free will and says that while simple devices such as thermostats cannot pass, more complex ones like iPhones might.

I don't know the inventor of that nonsense that the free will should be the result of QM. It's about the only point I agree with the author of the paper: QM is not necessary and doesn't help. What I meant: all these thought experiments done by typical ultra-naive realists (or ultra-naive physicalists, if you prefer) that cultivate the university departments of physics, computer science etc. are put the cart before the horse. First one has to clarify the role of physical theories and its concepts (e.g. causality) and then one can start to ask how "free will" could perhaps be seen in these theories. More than 200 years ago there existed a famous philosopher named Kant who had some interesting thoughts about this. But authors like Lloyd behave as if he never existed, in fact is view of the world is even pre-Platonic!

Henry Kissinger How I'm missing yer And wishing you were here

We're all here about inventiveness and creativity, so here you go... Story of a guy who's life's motto has been "Gold lies on the streets and you just need to dig it up with ideas. Ideas are like the shovel" Add to it Monte Carlo, Marlene Dietrich and, say, King Farouk and you get quite an amazing story... And most of all, after reading this you'll know the value of knowing how to ski.

nice story indeed ...

Royal College of Art's Innovation Design Engineering course in collaboration with Tufts University silk lab. Not as good as it sounds as it does not fully mimic the photosynthesis equation (spare C, H atoms)

Interesting stuff and I guess it does not need to fully mimic photosynthesis in the end. As long as oxygen can be produced from CO2 and water that would be great enough. Though the carbon has to be deposited somewhere (in some form) and I wonder how one could extract this efficiently. Maybe it can even serve some purpose (as the sugars are doing for the plant)

A tiny self-organized mesh full of artificial synapses recalls its experiences and can solve simple problems. Its inventors hope it points the way to devices that match the brain's energy-efficient computing prowess.