Do you lay awake nights worrying what would happen if Vice President Cheney's pacemaker battery ran out? I certainly do. Thank heaven British scientists have invented a miniaturized generator that goes places where batteries are hard to replace.

Invented at the University of Southampton, and funded by the E.U.'s Vibration Energy Scavenging project, the tiny generator measures about 0.06 of a cubic inch. It uses external vibrations in the world around it to stimulate cantilevered magnets, which in turn generate a few microwatts of power. Applications include power sensors for factory machines, the monitoring of road and rail bridges, and pacemakers — where the device would be powered by the beating of the heart. — Al Boline

Via BBC News