The Hong Kong researchers hope to crack the problem by comparing the genomes of super-high-IQ individuals with the genomes of people drawn from the general population.
Regulators are finding it hard to crack this problem, not through lack of will or imagination but because they are being excessively cautious, seeking certainty before they act.
Debates have raged as to whether the drop in the city's crime is due to more accountability within the police force, improved economic conditions, or addressing their crack cocaine problem.
WifiSLAM, which is roughly two years old, is among a slew of technology companies trying to crack the problem of how to detect a mobile-phone user's location when the user is indoors and traditional GPS technology doesn't work.
But in the bigger picture, the petrol-from-air idea joins a legion of others that are trying to crack the far bigger problem of storing energy produced by renewable sources.