Everything Old is New Again

Salutations all.... frequent lurker (both here and at our Mothership forum) but unfortunately infrequent poster.

So I snapped up the new issue of Popular Mechanics and something caught my eye, which I thought might be of interest here.

It seems a company called Stirling Energy Systems has been testing a system they've developed for producing electricity via solar power, whereby a parabolic mirror array focuses sunlight onto a small area (producing temperatures I believe are scientifically classified as "totally bat-guano".... or "Oh dear, open a window and fetch my smoked glasses, won't you, Jeeves? And also the fire extinguisher please, thank you Jeeves. Not a word about this to Willimina, she does worry so."). This powers a Stirling engine, which runs a generator. Last year their system achieved the highest efficiency ever recorded for solar power. They've apparently been contracted to build 2 installations in Southern California, which will hopefully power a million homes.

The Dear Reverend Doctor Stirling woulda been proud.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4286850.html?page=8 (the short version)

So, has anyone else run across other examples of modern takes on our beloved Victorian forebears' ideas?

SCIENCE!!!!

That's awesome!

I want one!!!

Sadly, my wife won't let me get one, till it comes out as a four-seater, for the kids.

Cap'n Zaphod, where where where did you find that lovely fourth Doctor icon? I must have it.

Ms. Tempus, the smily is a link. Here you are: http://gopher65.com/images/drwho/drwhosmilies.html. They're all brilliant.

CaptZaphod wrote: Sadly, my wife won't let me get one, till it comes out as a four-seater, for the kids.

I can think of no use for a four-seater solar furnace ("for the kids") which is not nefarious in the extreme....

;-)

Thanks, Cap'n. That's a very cool page.