Tired of having to charge your cell phone battery every couple of days? Nanotechnology may be coming to the rescue with an improvement in cell phone technology that could reduce the drain on your battery by a factor of 100 — that means months of use without having to charge your battery. The new technology involves the use of carbon nanotubes to reduce the size of tiny wires that convey digital information in your phone, which in turn cuts the amount of electricity that’s needed to make your phone work. Even better: reduced power consumption could eventually lead to cell phones that are powered by heat or sunshine.

Check out this quickie vid if you’re wondering what in the world these carbon nanotube thingies are anyway. (Note how the nanotube professor describes what he does as “curiosity-driven science.” That’s an outstanding explanation.)

Recommended reading:

• Wikipedia: Nanotechnology