Hamster power creates renewable energy

Scientists have solved the age-old puzzle of whether hamster wheels can be used to generate energy.

The answer is affirmative.

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology found that nanotechnology can turn hamster movements - including running on the wheel and foraging for food - into electricity.

The hamster has to wear a tiny nanogenerator jacket to harvest the energy from its movements.

Four hamsters wearing the jackets at the same time can generate enough electricity to power a nanodevice.

It is the first time a nanogenerator has been shown to generate energy from small, irregular movements.

The applications of the discovery are widespread: the technology could be used to capture the energy of people walking, jogging, and even fidgeting whilst sitting at a computer.

According to lead researcher Zhong Lin Wang, nanogenerator technology will be ready for implanting into clothes within the next five to ten years.