The ideas woman

One day I would like to have a long tube snaking in and out of the rooms of my house carrying a faintly glowing algal broth. I know it sounds strange, but these tiny creatures are bioluminescent, so eco-enthusiasts think they could make great, environmentally friendly lamps. They use energy from the sun, which makes them sustainable, and they are also responsive to their environment - glowing in response to vibrations - so the lights would turn on automatically when someone walks into a room.I'm not sure how rare I am in wanting algae-based home lighting solutions, but I know there is at least one other person interested in the idea. I first heard about the concept from a young speaker named Rachel Armstrong at the Cheltenham Science Festival . I arranged to meet her in a cafe on London's Tottenham Court Road. She seemed interesting, and anyway, I wanted to find out where I could get myself one of those groovy lamps. [More]