3 ms·
Smart glass exists (Transitions lenses), as do radioactive batteries (using beta-decay by a company called BetaBatt, and RTGs used by NASA). The former is a co
by beambot 13y ago
Smart glass exists (Transitions lenses), as do radioactive batteries (using beta-decay by a company called BetaBatt, and RTGs used by NASA). The former is a commercial success; I've owned and loved the lenses for years. I don't know if the latter is used outside certain sensing, defense, and aerospace applications.
- mirkules 13y agoIt should be noted, however, that he correctly predicts that batteries should be disposed of only by authorized centers undoubtedly due to their hypothetical radioactive nature -- which is clearly wrong -- but I think we can give a quarter of a point there for even thinking about the ramifications of disposable batteries.
- seanmcdirmid 13y agoDisposal isn't much of a concern in deep space or on mars (yet).
- mirkules 13y agoThat's true, and I remember there was some talk in the astronomy community about disposing of nuclear waste in deep space or shooting it at the sun. Although, if we can recycle some or all aspects of batteries (the non-radioactive parts, heh) that would also help with conservation of raw materials.
- jloughry 13y ago'Dropping nuclear waste into the sun' is more expensive than most people think. It's a matter of delta-v. From here you can't just drop something down the Sun's gravity well and expect it to fall in. In terms of energy cost it's more like lifting it all the way up there, more or less.