Hype on tech still can’t stop cows belching

I DO wish the pace of technology would slow down. I’m all for things that make life more convenient, but am I the only one whose head spins when all the latest gadgets seem to be replacing old ones before I’ve got my brain around what the first lot do? This is science week, so I’m trying to be positive about things I really don’t understand but have to trust are good for me.

Much of it gets hyped in the name of bettering the planet, but I’m not convinced.

A couple of scientists at MIT, for instance, are now testing a prototype battery which could generate power for an electric plane.

I know. I wouldn’t either. Apparently, they’re attempting to “apply magnetic force to navigate lithium ions through electrodes to boost electrical discharges”. Impressed?

They claim an e-plane could become a short-haul air taxi service, using no fossil fuels, by 2022.

If it’s successful the battery might prove the secret weapon that allows aeroplanes the intense power surge they need to take off.

Since I’m not altogether sure how they manage this currently, I’ll leave it to the boffins to concentrate on, but the selling point is that they say it will eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from air travel, which account for 2pc of global carbon dioxide levels.

Still, all the brains in the world can’t seem to stop cows belching, which creates a lot more.

And if they’re so clever, why can’t they make a battery for an iPhone that doesn’t run out by lunchtime?