Scientists make a phone that turns into a sunflower

[TechnoKid]

Text

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Scientists said on Monday they have come up with a cell phone cover that will grow into a sunflower when thrown away.

Materials company Pvaxx Research & Development, at the request of U.S.-based mobile phone maker Motorola (NYSE:MOT - news), has come up with a polymer that looks like any other plastic, but which degrades into soil when discarded.

Researchers at the University of Warwick in Britain then helped to develop a phone cover that contains a sunflower seed, which will feed on the nitrates that are formed when the polyvinylalcohol polymer cover turns to waste.

"It's a totally biodegradable and non-toxic plastic," said Pvaxx spokesman Peter Morris.

"This is the first product that we've made public. We're working with blue chip companies and will introduce several products next year," he said, adding it would be used in electronics, horticulture, ammunition and household cleaning.

The company's new plastic, which was created over the past five years but was in development for longer, can be rigid or flexible in shape.

Some 650 million mobile phones will be sold this year, and most of them will be thrown away within two years, burdening the environment with plastics, heavy metals and chemicals. A biodegradable cover can offer some relief for nature, Warwick University said.

Motorola said it had not yet decided if it would introduce a model built with the new plastic, and that it would take until at least the second quarter of 2005 to get a commercial product.

"(To improve) the quality (of the plastic) is something we're working on," said Motorola project manager Peter Shead, adding the new plastic may be used in snap-on covers first.

Many young consumers buy cheap and interchangeable plastic covers to personalize their standard phone.

Hope this aint a repost, sarcehd for sunflower and phone.

 

[AdamSnow]

That's cool... They need to make McDonalds bags and Tim Hortons cups out of this stuff too... All over the roads and ditches here in Ontario... freakin people that just throw garbage out the window!

 

[Kelvrick]

Wow. Thats cool. Should start expanding that kind of thing to other aspects of everyone's lives.

 

[SynthDude2001]

Seems like somewhat of a gimmick (being that people wouldn't really make use of it, I imagine), but kinda cool nonetheless.

 

[Zysoclaplem]

I biodegradable phone that turns into sunflowers! Why didn't I think of that?

 

[Ryan]

Wow - that's just sssthuper

 

[AdamSnow]

Originally posted by: SynthDude2001
Seems like somewhat of a gimmick (being that people wouldn't really make use of it, I imagine), but kinda cool nonetheless.

You might not use it directly... but when you throw it into the garbage and it ends up in a land fill... It will be used at that point of the cycle...

 

[Scarpozzi]

Maybe they should try to make a condom that will grow tobacco when discarded. That way I'll never have to run to the store after sex for a pack of smokes.

 

[Qwest]

isnt it a phone cover that turns into a flower?

 

[Lonyo]

Look, it's biodegradable plastic.
The seed is a gimmick, who cares about it?

 

[Semidevil]

man, if they made a phone that turns into money...

...
..

profit

 

[Wallydraigle]

Originally posted by: AdamSnow

Originally posted by: SynthDude2001
Seems like somewhat of a gimmick (being that people wouldn't really make use of it, I imagine), but kinda cool nonetheless.

You might not use it directly... but when you throw it into the garbage and it ends up in a land fill... It will be used at that point of the cycle...

Then it'll sit under a buch of garbage next to the fifty year old hot dog.

 

[Bootprint]

Originally posted by: Semidevil
man, if they made a phone that turns into money...

...
..

profit

That's why I'll be talking to them about putting in a marijuana seed instead.

 

[Mandos]

This is going to be great. Our dumps are gonna be covered in blooming sunfloweres

 

[hevnsnt]

pretty soon, sunflowers will once again rule earth.

 

[Lola]

That is definatly a great idea! i would buy it for sure!