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Changing how we think of waste, MIT scientists are using plasma gas technology to convert garbage into clean fuel.

MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center, in cooperation with the Pacific Northwest National Lab in Richland, Washington, have taken the practice of incineration into a new realm, using electrically charged "plasma" to turn garbage and other wastes, including highly toxic wastes, into clean hydrogen-rich gas and inert solid by-products, diverting garbage from landfills and creating fuel alternatives. The space-age incinerator can safely and effectively process a wide range of waste streams, including chemical, medical, industrial and even radioactive wastes while producing clean fuel for electricity and transportation. Unlike the traditional form of incineration, which is highly polluting, the plasma technique is practically pollution free. The technology is being commercialized by Integrated Environmental Technologies, LLC in a product they call the Plasma Enhanced Melter (PEM). If widely adopted, this could revolutionize the management of garbage. According to Daniel Cohn of the MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center, there may be enough energy in US waste to replace one quarter of US gasoline use.

E Ink Corporation
733 Concord Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-499-6000

A Cambridge firm, E Ink Corp, is leading the drive to mass produce "electronic paper" that may revolutionize the use of paper in books, magazines, and other printed materials. Electronic paper is a material very similar to regular paper, but it can be constantly updated with new information. This is possible because of electronic ink that can be electronically charged to alter its form and convey entirely new messages. The resultant displays require no front or back light, no power to maintain the image, and can be viewed in direct sunlight. Some electronic paper as thick as a few human hairs is flexible enough to be rolled into a cylinder.

In order to enhance the mobility and quality of life of the visually impaired, K-NFB Reading Technology has created a state-of-the-art, hand-held, pocket-sized computer that scans and reads print on almost any surface. Whereas traditional readers require the blind to use large, desk-based reading systems, the new K-NFB technology can read text in almost any form anywhere--at an ATM machine, on an envelope, over a collection of handouts, or against a sign on a wall. The improved ability of people who are visually impaired to quickly and efficiently understand the world around them enhances their productivity and independence.

One of the most debilitating and frustrating modern diseases, Parkinson's disease affects approximately one in every 100 people. Until 2002, there was little that doctors, medicine, or patients could do to relieve its symptoms, which include loss of coordination, shaking, impaired social skills, and decreased ability to communicate. An innovative brain surgery combines modern neurological knowledge with electrical technologies and is helping those affected by Parkinson's to alleviate its life-altering symptoms and reduce their reliance on medicines. The procedure, known as deep brain simulation, places a small electrical device--a brain pacemaker--into the brain. The electrical stimulation provided by the pacemaker helps block brain signals that cause the symptoms of Parkinson's. Although it does not cure the disease, it is helping more and more people live a more normal life.

• The first US "brain stimulation surgery" took place at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York
• The FDA approved the treatment for Parkinson's disease in 2002
• More than 35,000 patients around the world have had DBS electrodes implanted in their brain

Using the principle of evaporation, simple clay pots become practical and powerless refrigerators.

Mohamed Bah Abba of Mobah Rural Horizons, a rural development organization in Kano City, Nigeria, has invented a simple, cheap, and incredibly effective way to refrigerate food in desert climates without the use of electricity. As part of the appropriate technologies movement--which seeks to provide the poor with technologies that match their resources--Abba's food storage unit requires only two earthenware pots, a jute bag, sand, and water. Born into a family of pot makers, Abba recognized that by placing one pot inside another and utilizing the principles of evaporation, one can cool the inner pot and improve the ability of families to store produce. Wet sand is placed in between the two pots, which are covered with a jute bag. As the water in the sand evaporates, it causes a drop in temperature and cools the food in the inner pot. Food stays fresh for weeks at a time, helping farmers and other rural poor to decrease food waste, increase profits, and improve family and community diets and overall well being.

• Abba sells approximately 30,000 coolers a year The product is being marketed in Cameroon, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan
• Eggplants last for 27 days, spinach for 12 days, and tomatoes for up to 3 weeks