Lonnie Johnson: Awake to the Possible 3/6

"As much as we rely on oil, when you get right down to it, oil is just a medium for transporting energy from one location to another and having it available to use. So, if you're going to free yourself from oil, you need a medium for transporting energy around and batteries are a very attractive way of doing that."

If inventor Lonnie Johnson is right, next generation energy generation and storage technology will revitalize the American economy, put millions of people to work, reduce the need (and cost) of foreign military adventures, impair the power of several semi-hostile nations, lessen pollution, enhance public health and curtail global climate change. Not bad for a guy who made his first fortune by inventing the Super Soaker water gun. Reputable scientists believe that he is right both about the future and his role in it.