
We received mixed results from the 369 readers who responded to last week's poll, with no clear majority view emerging. The largest group, 44 per cent of respondents, thought the solar-powered circumnavigation was best regarded as a profile-raising exercise for renewable energy. The next largest, on 28 per cent, thought that it represented a good technology platform (although it's hard to argue with the commenter who stated that a ten-month layover in Hawaii to fix systems was, firstly, not a good indicator of good technology, and second, not the greatest hardship in the world); while 16 per cent thought it indicated solar passenger flight could become a reality (again, commenters have pointed out this is unlikely, with telecommunications or military reconnaisance more probable applications). The final group, 12 per cent, declined to pick an option.
Guest blog: exploring opportunities for hydrogen combustion engines
"We wouldn't need to pillage the environment for the rare metals for batteries, magnets, or catalisers". Batteries don't use rare...