Cordless Electricity?

[efffie]

Cool!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/02/wireless.electricity/index.html

Wasn't this what Tesla was working on?
Is this a spin off from his research?

Comments

[anonymous]

This technology certainly has its applications - for example where wires are not feasible for whatever reason (in the toothbrush example it would be more expensive to water-proof a toothbrush with wires). However, the health effect may be a big concern. A cell phone wireless transmitter is only a few watts and there are already concerns about its safety (the issue is still debated). A LCD TV is hundreds time more powerful.
We should not forget that our nerve system is based on electrical impulses and large percent of our body are polarized molecules (water, proteins, etc.). Strong electromagnetic fields do not bode well with us. In fact, there is a reason why doctors have limits on the number of MRI per year. In lab experiments strong electromagnetic field erased memory in mice.
As for wireless power transmission over long distances there is a commercially available alternative - lasers. Because of their higher frequency they can transmit a lot of power over a great distance. Poor birds that got into the beam, thought...
While I can see this used in the field where the field is directional and safely isolated (like the current transmission lines), or in small distances where the field is weak (toothbrush) I certainly do not want to cross a 100W beam every time I pass by my TV set.