Could you imagine a world where solar panels were not only useful and efficient, but the norm? A world without any need for coal or oil fueled power plants far away pumping power all over the country to satisfy the needs of the people and instead have each person or community create and provide their own energy, only for the cost of grid and panel upkeep? This would be the Quantum Age. There was a discovery years ago that has been puzzling scientists everywhere. In 2007, a group of scientists found that photosynthesis is based in quantum mechanics. In fact, photosynthesis is most likely one of the most important adaptations of life to manipulate light (and space time as most know it). It is quite literally the basis of life as we know it. Yet we still do not know how it works, not properly at least.
Anyone who has taken an introductory biology class will know that there is much about photosynthesis that we do know. We know all the proteins and chemical changes, all the inputs and outputs, and much more. Yet the process of converting light (in wave form) into an electrical charge has all but escaped us. Sure photovoltaic cells use light to create a electrical charge but it is on such a macro scale when compared to the quantum computations of authentic photosynthesis.
One of the largest barriers for the development of solar cells with this tech is simply that there is much to learn about quantum computation and manipulating waves. There have been teams that have stopped light and sound but most of the other theories are purely theoretical. As this field is advanced more and more (quantum mechanics) there is a bright future ahead of us. The scale of technology is rapidly approaching quantum levels where even computers will be implementing quantum mechanics to make better and faster machines.
Soon enough we will grow out of the byte age and enter the quantum age. bending the laws of nature to grow, learn and prosper.
Sources:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=when-it-comes-to-photosynthesis-plants-perform-quantum-computation
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v446/n7137/full/446740a.html
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v446/n7137/full/nature05678.html
When I think about the future and today's breakthroughs, I like to keep in mind that everything man has invented to this point was a breakthrough in its time. Sometimes we're totally right about the capability of a new technology, sometimes we're wrong, sometimes we can't even fathom the massive importance of our accomplishments--- but we always seem to use the same language, and generally the same optimism (in announcing advances... obviously there will always be critics) which makes speculation entertaining, hopeful, and very worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteA few examples:
The SILENT ENGINE YOU START WITH A MATCH!!! Came across this at work. Love it; even though it seems very silly now, in the 1960s it seemed futuristic and sensible:
http://books.google.com/books?id=0yoDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA110&ots=mPKQZJfQUk&dq=popular%20science%20silent%20engine&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false
Solar Power (as known in the 1930s):
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/science/TOPICS_SOLAR_TIMELINE/solar1931.pdf