Ned Potter is the science correspondent for ABC's "World News with Charles Gibson." He has reported on such topics as space exploration, the human genome and climate change.
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Phone of the Future
February 26, 2008 12:34 PM
The Nokia Research Center, working with the University of Cambridge, is showing off a cell phone shaped like -- well, shaped like whatever you want it to be shaped like.
It bends. It twists. It stretches. You can wear it as a bracelet, or flatten it out and use it as a keyboard. It does this without a mess of hinges. And it won't even get dirty; it's self-cleaning. The key is nanotechnology, which allows an object's structure to change at the molecular level.
According to Nokia, "Nanotechnology enables materials and components that are flexible, stretchable, transparent and remarkably strong. Fibril proteins are woven into a three dimensional mesh that reinforces thin elastic structures. Using the same principle behind spider silk, this elasticity enables the device to literally change shapes and configure itself to adapt to the task at hand."
The makers call their phone the Morph, and the design is considered cool enough that it's going on display this week at New York's Museum of Modern Art.
Just one minor detail: the phone doesn't really exist yet. It's one of those concept designs that may lead to great things, or never reach the market.
For now, it's limited by battery technology, issues of expense, and a million other things. Nokia has put together a very pretty ANIMATION of how a nanotech phone might work, but you may find it appealing because of its low-tech feel.
Still, it prompts a million ideas -- of a multipurpose device that recharges in sunlight, shrinks to fit on your ear or spreads out on a table, and does countless other things of which we cannot yet conceive.
(By the way, poke around the Modern Art online exhibit; you may find things you think are even cooler.)
February 26, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (27)
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Greg, you blame the technology instead of the actions of people. It would make more sense to get rid of the people that cause all the problems, i.e., world "leaders." A hammer, for instance, is just a lump of metal. In the hands of a human, it becomes either a useful tool, or an instrument of violence. It's all up to the human, not the hammer.
Posted by: Andy | Feb 27, 2008 7:32:56 PM
Andy, I totally agree with you. Of course nanotechnology will be such a great thing, we will probably find some applications to save million of lives but on the other hand, we know how it will be mostly used. We cannot get rid of all the bad people, otherwise Earth would be call Heaven ;)
Posted by: Greg | Feb 28, 2008 3:10:21 AM
I agree this kind of Technology could be dangerous in the wrong hands, but we seem to forget, whenever science produces something new it is generally hated by the masses, it's called 'Fear of Change'. Yet, we are an intelligent species, with an instinct for development. It's all good saying this is dumb, but if you read about Nanotechnology, you would know it holds a potential cure for cancer, and this is in our primitive years of studying it, imagine what else this technology could unveil. Closed eyes is good for ignorance, seeing as we have very little say as to what our governments do, we should at least pay attention to the world of science, after-all, it presents both sides of the scale, good and evil.
Posted by: Chris | Feb 29, 2008 10:26:59 AM
Is the phone waterproof, UV resistant, is there a clock in it to give world times or just one time and date, can the phone link wirelessly. Is this one of those trackable phones so it can be attached underneath a auto so tracking the auto is easier, good anti theft device if theres no 911 charge for finding out where the phone is at so to locate the auto.
Posted by: thegathered | Mar 16, 2008 5:15:32 AM
To all the people who say that this phone is stupid or whats the use or were being greedy or, mostly, it would get lost, it actually would do the opposite of what most of you say. For instance, in would not get lost. How could you loose a phone that is strapped to your wrist. Think about it: say there is a person with alzheimers. this could give them great independence. people with alzhiemers need to be able to be able to be contacted at all times. with a normal phone they would not remember where they left it or they would not even remember to take it places with them. if they wore this phone as a braclet, they wouldnt lose it. then there family could call them at anytime to ask where they are. this would mean that just cuz someone has alzheimers, they wouldnt have to spend the rest of there life cooped in an elderly home. they could live by themselves or even go places without help. there family would always know what they are doing. also if that person with alzheimers needs to take medicine taht they would die if they werent taking, there family could call to remind them to take it.
Posted by: Emily | Mar 19, 2008 4:19:22 PM
Cool!
Posted by: Derek | Apr 18, 2008 5:38:02 PM
Yes, indeed, *several* people got up on the wrong side of the bed today! Well, so do I sometime, so no harm done. ;-) While this technology might not be useful in phones, at least not until out on the far horizon, I can see where even in the near term potential applications might come up in all sorts of fields. Take medicine, for instance - moldable plastic to reinforce a damaged bone, maybe? Etc. I love this stuff.
Posted by: Mekhong Kurt | Jun 30, 2009 10:57:15 PM
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