Each tap of my fingers on the keyboard generates about 10 milliwatts (mW) of mechanical energy. If I stop typing and sit perfectly still, my body emits 100 watts (W) of energy as heat. What if my laptop captured that typing power, or better yet, what if everyone could catch some of his or her own "people power"? Every step could create free electricity. This kind of big idea has long been the domain of energy gurus like Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute and engineering visionaries like Edward Teller, better known as "the father of the hydrogen bomb". After all, we produce 67 W with every step we take, enough to light one incandescent bulb (or four compact fluorescents) for 1 second (s).
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