Well, I think a lot could be developed just using ordinary lensing technology and Stirling engines. I also think when we get to the point of nanofabrication we'll be surprised what a roof tiled with nano-scale wind-, sound-, light- and transient vibration converters will do. A good chunk of dough and determination is needed to cut through the evil grip of vice on new thinking. There's a huge amount of energy involved in just lifting water up and dropping it down which could be used intelligently. There's also a gigantic tidal pump somewhere near here that raises and drops unimaginable masses of water twice a day. So my sense of the situation is that it requires more than anything else a clear focus. Hell, there's no reason you couldn't have a little nuclear plant the size of a VW behind your barn if they engineered it well enough. I am more than a little fed up with the dissipation of attention in the area and the failure to find a way to focus efforts in a viable path.

A