Full LA Times article here.

Green Air Filter:

Around the world in 80 days or even less than 80 days is no longer the spectacular notion it once was. With technology unwilling to flail at any time soon, priorities have shifted from reaching the destination to how one makes the destination.

Solar panel planes have been in development for quite a while by now but the problem had always been the very fact that they are solar powered and therefore can only fly by day. But unlike Icarus, two Swiss innovators are no longer afraid to fly too close to the sun with the help of special solar powered batteries that can be used to fly at night. As long as the batteries are powerful enough to beat the night, that is.

Photo by Neil Donoghue.