Nanoantenna Material: Advantages and Disadvantages

Idaho National Laboratory, along with associates at Microcontinuum Inc. and Dr. Patrick Pinhero of the University of Missouri have created new technology to harness infrared energy. There are countless advantages to this development, but here are a few:

Advantages:

• Potential of providing indefinite energy
• Very inexpensive
  - Only pennies per yard of nanoantenna material
• Hopes to eliminate the need for air conditioning units
• Capability of mass production
• Environmentally friendly
  - Has potential to create new breeds of hybrid and electric cars
  - Doesn't create harmful waste
  - Could help in the combat against global warming
• May cut the dependency on foreign oil
  - ... thus eliminating the cause of many wars

As with any new discovery, there are disadvantages as well. Here all of the disadvantages I could think of:

Disadvantages

• Not yet available
  - Only in the prototype stage
• May eliminate the need for certain energy plants
  - Creating a loss of jobs
• The energy harnessed moves too fast for conversion to electricity
• Government funding
  - Sounds good, but can our government really afford it?
• Potentially fragile
  - Similar to a plastic bag

As always, please make any additions you have. Know or speculate any other advantages and disadvantages?