FACT 346: Technology is amazing

I was reading in Mac magazine today that they want to develop an even more environmentally friendly Macbook, Macbook eco. They want to use piezoelectric technology to help eliminate the need for powere adapters. Piezoelectric technology was first introduced in the late 19th century by Pierre and Jacques Curie. They found that certain materials especially crystals could change shape when an electric current passed through them. This led to the first application of piezoelectric materials as submarine-detecting sonar in 1917. Tokyo statin in Japan uses this technology to power the lights and gates in the station. Approximately 3 million people pass through there daily and their footsteps play a role in powering the station. Amazing.