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Comments on Micro Reactor Systems Creates Frank Herbert's Polawindows
Frank Herbert wrote about polawindows in 1972; after just thirty short years, you can buy them. (Read
the complete story)
| "Sorry to be a spoilsport (I am an Architect) but these windows have been available for at least 5 years, admittedly in a glass sandwich, rather than the thin curtains here. The running costs are low but the cost of the units is very high hence their very small penetration in the market.
Amritt" ( 5/31/2006 11:59:02 PM) |
| "Amritt - Thanks for writing. Accurate information (and especially correction) from knowledgeable readers is always welcome. What are they called, and when did they come out?" (Bill Christensen 6/1/2006 4:58:55 AM) |
| "the name i heard was electrochromatic glass. they have been used mostly as a novelty item, such as toilet stall doors which go opaque when the stall is occupied, but are clear when it is empty. these were used in a trendy bar in new york. I forget the name of the designer(and the bar). " (E-man 6/1/2006 7:36:03 PM) |
| "It turns out that there are a variety of ways to make a "smart window" - thermotropics, photocromics or photochromatics, Liquid Crystals, Suspended Particle Displays, Electrochromics and Reflective Hydrides. See this interesting article at How Stuff Works How Smart Windows Work." (Bill Christensen 6/1/2006 9:07:24 PM) |
| "Polaroid also made variable transmission windows in 1934. One method was electrically operated using suspended particles that changed orientation under an electric field. The other was a mechanical system using two large polarizing disk that were rotated lighten and darken the window.A company called Research-Frontiers is now using the first method." (dp 6/2/2006 7:21:21 AM) |
| "Boeing claims that 787 pssenger windows will be like this. I WISH someone would make prescription sunglasses with a manually controllable amount of tint. " (Tony Rusi 6/2/2006 7:48:10 AM) |
| "A few years ago, I was in the bar in New York mentioned above with the toilet stall doors. I can confirm: it was trendy." (PML 6/2/2006 7:17:36 PM) |
| "the trade name was privalite from Saint Gobain Glass -
http://www.sggprivalite.com/
not sure on costs these days but remember thinking about it for a residential project and changing my mind as soon as I made the product cost enquiry.....I have seen it used mostly commercially or in high end houses but often with these things the cost-benefit ratio is what kills it. if a new development of the product can make it cheaper and hence more widespread (as with most technology) then we will see it more
there is another glass which is used in the toilet door scenario which works in a one way glass way rather than this kind of state change(and hence is more cost effective)
http://slapnose.com/images/blog/0704/0704_clear_toilet_499x400.jpg
" (Amritt 6/3/2006 4:28:01 PM) |
| "In addition to using these technologies for privacy, one can also find products that vary the tint level (light transmission) of glass electrically. One company in this business is Sage Electrochromics (www.sage-ec.com). Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with them. Electrochromics are actually pretty common. Many high-end cars use electrochromic rear-view mirrors to automatically adjust for night-time glare." (Ptony 6/5/2006 8:11:01 AM) |
| "WOW!!! To the person who found this article, what afind dude!!" ( 6/5/2006 11:17:26 PM) |
| "What about those sunglasses that change with the level of light hitting them. Those have been around forever. Less controlable for sure, but acient technology." (D 6/6/2006 5:50:27 AM) |
| "Yeah, I remember seeing those sun glasses 25 years ago, as a college student (physics). The concept was great but the problem (IMHO)was the response time was too slow. Walk into the bright light... wow, burn out your retinas. Come in to a dark room...trip over the furniture! I remember talking with my classmates about how great it would be if someone invented a way to change the tint at will. Maybe a little thumb srew on the side...I guess if i was a better student I would have figured it out then." (Ptony 6/6/2006 2:35:28 PM) |
| "hardly news... these were briefly available from Corning Glass in the late 90's, and were installed at the Space Mountain ride in Disney land (and are probably still there)." (duh 6/14/2006 4:49:39 PM) |
| "how to apply like to car,tv can effisien and not expensive" (purnomo,amal 6/16/2006 11:13:42 PM) |
| "Check out www.xsunx.com , tinted glass with thin film solar power, now why don't they make thin film sunglsses, with discrete earphones, variable shade would be no problem either. now that I hear from GlobalSpec that 10,000 terrabit per cubic cm. or put another way 10 terrabits per cubic millimeter memory will soon be upon us, that would be quite a musical & movie selection, tired of the view out of your trendy solar powered shades? why not sit back and watch a high definition 3D movie? OK the battery starts to flag, help is at hand with the honeycomb betavoltaic cell, incorporated into the sunshades. tritiated honey provides the juice to trickle charge the battery for over 20 years. Only harmless Helium 3 vented off. Currently they are working to provide the blind with artificial retinas, thin film photo-diodes deposited onto thin section compatible bone, powered by Rochester University NY Tritium Lab Beta-voltaic cells. the image sent direct to the brain by direct connection to the optic nerves. Science Fact seems to be overtaking Science Fiction. We are at the frontier of 'The Singularity' as Dr, Ray Kurzweil, puts it. Chat live and online to his Alter-Ego Avatar Creation 'Ramona', about what it all means. An event horizon of unimaginable technological proportions. Big? most folk don't yet comprehend the meaning of the word." (Alastair Carnegie 6/17/2006 5:03:55 PM) |
| "'BIG' can only be comprehended in the context of'small' i.e. small high definition stereoscopic cameras each side of the frame on those 'trendy' shades. two bats of the eyelid, and you are in computer terminal mode, the cursor follows your retina. bat the eyelid again and it's like a click of the mouse. You are at a sports function, let's say a baseball match. hundreds of folk in the crowd also have trendy shades. so? do you want to see that pitch from a different angle? just look in the direction of that guy over the other side of the stadium...click...you are replaying his view...etc. endless possibilities. THAT is 'small' stuff. The 'BIG' stuff is of Epic Proportions." (Alastair Carnegie 6/17/2006 5:48:34 PM) |
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