I wish there was a new portable technology that could extract hydrogen to produce electricity while also converting non-potable water into drinking water. The technology would utilize a new aluminum alloy that, when immersed in water, would split the water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules. The hydrogen could fuel power cells, and drinking water could be harvested from the steam. The method would be ideal for remote areas, needing only the small reaction vessel and the fuel cell...

Why not develop wave barriers that allow true one way sound and light proofing. The idea involves the use of nonlinear materials that only allow waves to pass through from one direction. Nonlinear materials respond to the attributes of the waves, and stacking these materials in specific arrangements should allow waves from one direction to pass through while blocking waves from other directions. The idea remains theoretical, and no true one way material have been produced...

A new form of biodegradable golf balls made from lobster shells will make use of the bio-waste that is ordinarily sent to a landfill. The balls will be made of crushed lobster shells mixed with a biodegradable binder and coating.

The idea is to create polymers that could be used to make paint that can heal its own scratches when exposed to UV light. The new polymers are to be using a method known as supramolecular assembly. Polymers made of small molecules will be formed into chains bound by metal ions. When these molecules are exposed to UV light, they will become temporarily unattached, forming a liquid that will fill in the scratches in under a minute. The molecules will reassemble and resolidify once...

I've just found out that there is a material, made out of graphite, as thin as a sheet of paper and 10 times stronger than a sheet of steel. The graphene paper is created by milling and purifying raw graphite in a chemical bath, which changes its structure and allows it to be pressed into sheets. The thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties of the sheets allow them to have a wide range of applications in many industries, such as automotive and aviation, with the added...

The idea is to develop a new fast and efficient water distillation method incorporating nanotechnology. There will be a new desalination membrane with carbon nanotubes imbedded in its pores. The nanotubes will allow for much greater vapor penetration, less water clogging, and a higher rate of flow in lower temperatures. There will be no need to heat the water which means that less energy will be required to run the system. This will save both money and resources. The new...

The idea is to develop a cloth that can block toxic fumes by trapping the molecules inside the fibers of the material. The cloth will consist of cellulose fibers and metal-organic framework molecules, which will form pores able to trap and contain molecules of gas. The fabrics could be tailored to trap different sizes of molecules, blocking different types of gasses.

The idea is to create a light which is able to gather enough light from ambient sources to power itself for up to eight hours. The light will use photoluminescent pigments to trap and harness the waste energy from the light sources around it, including CFL and LED bulbs. The lamp will have no cords or batteries, and will be 100% powered by leftover light energy. It will be able to harness enough light from an LED bulb in 30 minutes to glow softly for eight hours. The lamp's...

A new technology is able to use ordinary light to create holographic images, opening to door to 3D displays without the need for special screens or glasses. The new technology will use the diffraction of free electrons on thin metal films. When the electrons are excited by incoming protons, they begin to emit colored light at a specific wavelength. These excited electrons will emit a different color of light depending upon the angle of the incoming proton, and bouncing this light...

It was found out that chicken feathers could be used to create stronger and more lightweight plastics. Feathers are made up primarily of keratin, a tough and stable protein that can add strength while reducing weight in plastics composites. The idea is to develop a method to use chicken feathers as the primary ingredient in the composites, rather than just an additive, by adding methyl acrylate to processed feathers to create strong, thin films. The feather based plastics...