Hot, Hot, Hot!!

Orest Symko a physicist at the University of Utah professes to have found a way to turn heat into sound, and sound into electricity. If their technology holds true it could change the world (remember this is the same university that announced cold fusion and almost 20 years later has nothing to show of it).

Thermal Acoustic Piezo Energy Conversion is a little longer of a name than cold fusion and it seems to be a bit more legit with funding coming from the Army in the form of $2 million bucks.

"Symko expects the devices could be used within two years as an alternative to photovoltaic cells for converting sunlight into electricity. The heat engines also could be used to cool laptop and other computers that generate more heat as their electronics grow more complex. And Symko foresees using the devices to generate electricity from heat that now is released from nuclear power plant cooling towers."

It would be cool to pop one of these puppies on a hybrid car. If your an investor keep your eye on this one.. it's gonna be hot (and noisy).

Photo: University of Utah physicist Orest Symko holds a match to a small heat engine that produces a high-pitched tone by converting heat into sound. Symko's research team is combining such heat engines with existing technology that turns sound into electricity, resulting in devices that can harness solar energy in a new way, cool computers and other electronics, and conserve energy by changing waste heat into power
Link to University of Utah press release.

Go Cougars :)