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For Those of You Impatient for Steorn

December 1st, 2007

There is news of a big dinner in London tonight where some kind of new “super material” is to be revealed, a material which is supposed to lead to a major lowering of production costs, which will help to greatly reduce climate change. Engadget and a few other sites are buzzing about it. Here’s a quote from the story released in The Independent last week:

Al Gore is to be the star turn at a dinner where guests have paid at least £1,000 a head, and some will have parted with £50,000 for their share of the Aberdeen Angus steak and pink champagne, under the high ornate ceilings of London’s Royal Courts of Justice. The combined wealth of the diners has been estimated at £100bn. But the most unusual aspect of the evening is not the price of the tickets but the nature of the floor show. In place of professional performers, the guests will be regaled by people who are not always thought of as entertainers, though some think they are all mad. They are inventive British boffins who care about climate change. …

“This is something … that’s the accumulation of almost a decade of work,” [Kane Kramer] said. “It’s a new science, a Super Material. It would be 80 per cent cheaper than any alternative means of production, and it will contribute in a major way to reducing climate change.

”I like it because it’s kind of lateral. It will make possible things that weren’t possible before. We have put it through severe ‘due diligence’, with quite a team of people, not just in the UK, and we’re completely 100 per cent sure that this is the way forward.“

Sound familiar? Sounds like Steorn all over again, except the cast listing looks a lot more appealing. The thing is, the story at The Independent seems to be misleading. It seems to be suggesting that the event is centered around this new technology. However, a quick Google News search reveals that there is an event hosted by Al Gore at London’s Royal Courts of Justice tonight, but it’s a fundraiser for various charities. No mention of startling new technology, or any kind of technology showcase by British inventors; the showcase is famous people pitching charities, and then a singing performance by Damien Rice.

The fundraiser should have ended a few hours ago, and there are no news stories about new technology. So, is Kramer joining the ranks of Steorn in the Royal Hall of Vaporware Breakthroughs?

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  1. Colin
    December 2nd, 2007 at 03:10 | #1

    Looks like they did show something new, see here:
    http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2007/11/clean-energy-technology-putting-investors-and-inventors-together/

    No details of what it was though. The article seems to suggest the charity thing was an also ran.

  2. Luis
    December 2nd, 2007 at 22:40 | #2

    Colin: actually, that story was just a reprint of the story from The Independent a week ago; note the date and byline. There have been no stories in the media since the event concerning Kane Kramer, and all stories I have seen on this have been reworking the Independent’s original article.

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