what’s missing here?
November 23rd, 2009 by Ψ*ΨI was recently at a very cool seminar given by some Konarka people, where they happened to mention that they were starting to make actual products for sale.[1, 2] That’s news, right? Research like mine is now commercial? Sweet! So I decided to check out their website and see what exactly was available…and happened upon one of their tech sheets. What was the first thing I noticed? Was it the sheer devicey awesomeness? The mindblowing possibilities? …uh, no. I’d like to direct the reader’s eye toward the right side of the first page…there’s a number missing. Hmmmmm.
[1] As a seminar junkie, I don’t get to see enough industrial speakers. This is a shame, because some seriously groundbreaking stuff in organic photovoltaics doesn’t happen in academic labs. However, I find the talks to be hit-or-miss. Last week’s was not a disappointment in any way, unlike some I’ve seen in the past that yammer on about their organizational structure for an hour straight and don’t show any science at all.
[2] No disrespect whatsoever intended toward Konarka. Their science is cool, the people I know who work there are brilliant, and those solar-powered messenger bags are pretty sweet. Not sure what I’d do with one most of the time, but if anyone were to ask what I do for a living I could point at it enthusiastically as it charged my dead cell phone.
Missing 420? I’m on it. Let’s go, Scoob!
Rret’s Rro!
Oh, come on.
Konarka Technologies has a future so bright, it’s gotta use shades. The company (named after the Konarka temple of sun worship in Orissa, India) makes specialized photovoltaic materials used to convert light to energy.
Wow. Reminiscent of one recommendation I’ve seen, which compared the student in question to other star students in the class, but they could hardly be seen “when the sun is shining”.
that’s awesome! i saw heeger give a talk at the eMRS this year, and he showed some pictures of their reel-to-reel production plant. he also held out a demo cell generating current from the stage lights, which is pretty much the awesomest demo of all time. of all time!
yes! their plant seems pretty zippy and i seem to recall them using an old printing press. i was pretty surprised at the film thicknesses they said that method needed, too…much thicker than we’d use in the lab.
How did you know from the tech sheet that it was the materials you were working on?
Or did you mean flexible photovoltaics more generally?
Oh, just generally. I’m not working with anything like their stuff…as far as I know.
But on the next sheet they also skip 420. I guess they don’t make that size so there is no mistake
I just like the name, reminds me of Knorkator
watch this video btw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUcSTyD2T7M
This is my new favorite Youtube clip.
It is indeed awesome. And I have to hang my head in shame as I didn’t quite realise the subtle undercurrent of the post.
Why is it that 420 means stoner time? I’ve heard so many conflicting stories over the years. Is it the code policemen use? *stsch I’ve got a 420 in progress, over stsch*