this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2023
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Scientists develop mega-thin solar cells that could be shockingly easy to produce: ‘As rapid as printing a newspaper’::These cells could be laminated onto various kinds of surfaces, such as the sails of a boat to provide power while at sea.

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[–] masterspace@lemmy.ca 152 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

If it's shockingly easy to produce then just do it and then you can write a declarative headline that doesn't need to use the word "could". If you can't then I'm guessing it's not that shockingly easy.

[–] NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 54 points 9 months ago (4 children)

I mean, even if it's easy to do, that doesn't mean a manufacturing process is easy to ramp up. You need equipment to produce it, and people to do it. Logistics of that isn't like just turning on/off a light switch.

[–] frezik@midwest.social 19 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Some people have never tried getting a product to market before, and it shows.

[–] eronth@lemmy.world 15 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I would wager most of us haven't.

[–] Daft_ish@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I don't care what you say the am/fm butt plug was going to be revolutionary!

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[–] tonyn@lemmy.ml 17 points 9 months ago

Without headlines, no investors. Without investors, no equipment. Without equipment, no product. Headlines like these drive investment.

[–] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 2 points 9 months ago

I love shows like How It's Made, you get to see the Rube Goldbergian systems that produce stuff we take for granted.

[–] masterspace@lemmy.ca 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

Yes, exactly. My point is that I'm tired of these bullshit headlines that are implying that we have some great breakthrough; unless the discovery also accounts for everything you listed, it's not a breakthrough and we, the public, don't need to hear about it just so that a newspaper can sell clicks and ruin trust in science.

[–] wahming@monyet.cc 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You seem to be conflating breakthrough with manufacturing capacity

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[–] Meowoem@sh.itjust.works 6 points 9 months ago

Some of us like learning about science and technology, if you only want to know about products then watch adverts.

The average person understands the difference between 'will' and 'could'

[–] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 32 points 9 months ago (1 children)

To echo the other individual who replied, it’s shockingly easy to make injection molded parts, but there is usually a long process before you bring the final product to market. And that’s with all the manufacturing processes already existing at scale.

In this case, the processes need to be fleshed out from scratch, which adds even more time to the ramp up. So even if the headline is 100% accurate, and there are no other roadblocks, it would still take a significant chunk of time to bring to market.

[–] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 2 points 9 months ago

Time, money, man hours, etc, etc. All while still figuring out how to make it at scale and be able to sell it a a price that enables you to continue the business.

It's hard stuff, for sure.

[–] Meowoem@sh.itjust.works 4 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Yeah, how dare they report on science and technology - I've barely seen a dozen articles about Will Smith's personal life today, we don't have resources to waste talking about successful research projects from MIT!

When MIT get in a salacious romance scandal then they can have a bit of our precious media space but get the fuck out of here with your science bullshit nerds.

[–] PsychedSy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 9 months ago

For a while I was celebrating when I didn't see Taylor Swift's name in either the sports or entertainment heading on google news. And each heading only showed three headlines.

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[–] Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world 69 points 9 months ago (3 children)

This kind of affordable tech has been promised as "about to hit the market" since 2003. I'll believe it when I see it on the market.

[–] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 8 points 9 months ago

Since 1975, which is as far back as I can remember with this stuff.

I'm sure my parents would say the same.

[–] MaxVoltage@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

bro i can run LED lights by putting wires inside my body

[–] irreticent@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago
[–] set_secret@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

was thinking the same thing. this printing press solar has been demoed and showed off for literial decades. and yet it just never seems to materialise in any meaningful fashion.

[–] PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.world 60 points 9 months ago (1 children)

"mega-thin"? Is that like "micro-large"?

Pepperidge Farm remembers when journalists had a grasp of the language.

[–] Kalkaline@leminal.space 38 points 9 months ago

They should have just used "hella-thin".

[–] trackindakraken@lemmy.whynotdrs.org 14 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Man, y'all a bunch a grumpies.

This technology doesn't hinge on what we here believe or predict. It will happen or it won't.

We could speculate on how cool it would be, and how it could be used if it happens, instead of pooh-poohing it.

[–] systemglitch@lemmy.world 13 points 9 months ago

I'll believe it when I see it.

[–] Lophostemon@aussie.zone 10 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

AFAIK this was previously developed about 5 years ago in Australia at the University of Newcastle Engineering Dept.

Not sure why this lot n the US is claiming credit for it.

https://www.newcastle.edu.au/newsroom/featured/public-debut-for-printed-solar

[–] SCB@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago (2 children)

It's a different process. Multiple processes with varied applications are absolutely essential to making this style of solar the norm

It's a great thing that this particular field continues to see innovation.

New process

Scientists used electronic printable inks, using a technique similar to how designs are printed on t-shirts. As these thin solar cells are difficult to handle and can tear easily, scientists searched for a lightweight, flexible, and resilient material that could adhere to those solar cells. The fabric they chose was Dyneema Composite Fabric, a material known for its incredible strength.

After printing the electrodes on a flat sheet of plastic, they glued the sheet of plastic on Dyneema. Lastly, they peeled away the fabric, which has picked up the electrodes, leaving a clean sheet of plastic behind.

Your linked process:

The organic solar cells being deployed have been printed on laminated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic by a printer formerly used for wine labels.

The 18 metre long ultralight and ultraflexible strips are similar in thickness and appearance to a chip packet, the university team have said.

[–] Lophostemon@aussie.zone 3 points 9 months ago

Ok thanks. I see the difference. It was a late night knee-jerk defensive post.

[–] Peppycito@sh.itjust.works 2 points 9 months ago

The fabric they chose was Dyneema Composite Fabric

As a fabric geek with a cut/sew shop working on marine canvas, this gives me a raging boner. The panel making process might be cheap but I'll tell you dyneema fabric isn't. Bet there's great mark-up on it though! 🤑

[–] TheFriar@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

We do love “discovering” other peoples things and claiming they’re “the new _____”

[–] LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago

An Edison tradition.

[–] Zaddy@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You guys realize that this is a significant step towards having moving pictures like in Harry Potter right?

[–] Caboose12000@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

please elaborate

[–] Metal_Zealot@lemmy.ml 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

And then we never heard of this miracle technology again

[–] Peppycito@sh.itjust.works 1 points 9 months ago

If it's true you can print it on cloth, and it has reasonable longevity, sailors will be buying the shit out of it.

[–] kool_newt@lemm.ee 3 points 9 months ago

I like them thicc

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