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Scientists at MIT mimic plant processes to build solar cells that renew themselves like living beings.Living things don't have that many advantages over machines. We're not as quick, or as precise, and we don't have as good a memory. Moreover, while they are made of tough stuff, we are mostly composed of things that go squish. One of the limited advantages we have is that when we go squish, we have built-in repair shops. When they go crunch, they're crunched.Self-renewal has been a goal of many different technology manufacturers, but especially the makers of solar cells. For years scientists have looked resentfully at their solar cells, the components of which wear out or break, and envied plants, which have a built-in systems that take apart and renew any worn-out bits.MIT researchers have found a way to imitate this process:
