Tapping into Hamster Power has always been one of Science's great ambitions. In fact, that's why Science was originally invented. Almost immediately after humans discovered the wheel, the hamster was right there running in it. The power generated by that constant running has long been sought and its pursuit has driven many Scientists to the brink of madness. Well, it seems that Science's original goal may finally be nearing achievement.

Though difficult to see, the hamster pictured above is wearing a tiny jacket. Now generally, hamsters prefer to forgo clothing altogether, or so I'm told. Scientists aren't sure why. It's been a subject of much debate. So this hamster was forced to wear the little coat because Scientists have yet to figure out a way to engender in hamsters the desire to be clothed. (Hamsters, for the time being, are incapable of feeling shame.) But this is no ordinary hamster jacket. This jacket contains threads made from nanowires that generate electricity when flexed. This is called nanopiezoelectrics-- a field of research that aims to capture tiny amounts of energy from movement and vibration, and transform it into usable power(MSNBC). Pfft. Everybody knows that.

So they're just in the beginning stages now. With the current jacket prototype, you would need 20 hamsters to power an AA battery. You'd need a thousand to charge a cell phone. While most people would love to have that many hamsters, Scientists are attempting to increase the amount of voltage that can be gleaned from the nanowire jackets. Once this mystery is solved and the hamster's power is finally ours, Science's original purpose will have been accomplished and it will be free to disband and pursue other interests, such as hot air ballooning or tombstone rubbing.