Rock's Good Vibrations Super Charge Solar Cells

I've always known that rock music has the power to energize. In fact, as I took to my treadmill this morning I got a spring in my step the minute Mick Jagger started pleading "Gimme Shelter."

And now a team of researchers in London have discovered that high frequencies and pitch found in pop and rock music cause vibrations that enhanced energy generation in solar cells by 40%. And while I'm a fan of classical music as well, apparently the solar cells can't get no satisfaction from Mozart like they do from Mick and the boys.

According to a press release from Queen Mary University of London, the researchers grew billions of tiny rods (nanorods) made from zinc oxide, then covered them with an active polymer to form a device that converts sunlight into electricity.

“After investigating systems for converting vibrations into electricity this is a really exciting development that shows a similar set of physical properties can also enhance the performance of a photovoltaic,” says Steve Dunn, Reader in Nanoscale Materials from Queen Mary’s School of Engineering and Materials Science and co-author of the paper.

This short video describes the findings. And since they don't play any music in the video, here's something for you to hum all day.