Friday, April 05, 2013
Yet another technology is being trumpeted as a possible breakthrough for fuel-cell cars. The fuel cell has been a power source of the future that has remained there, stubbornly resisting technology to bring it into the present. It might be that some day, inventors, technologists and scientists conclude that it is not practical for transportation. Until then, people will continue to look for ways to make fuel cells as common as gasoline engines. The fuel cell is not the only technology that has remained "out there." Such things as the personal flying vehicle and the jet backpack have also never come to fruition. Inventors can make one-offs of these things but they never get them to market. There are too many physical, cultural and legal challenges to overcome. From a PR perspective, practitioners should use caution and good judgment when confronted with futuristic technologies. Claim less, not more. Let time and development speak for themselves. Even the self-driving car, which is operating on freeways in California and Nevada, has a long step before it is built into production vehicles. It is fun to dream about the future, but time and again, fantasies remain just that.