This has been made possible by tinkering with the molecular structure of a plastic that is even older than the television series.

ECONOMIST: A new twist on an old polymer

One photon in a million comes away with a different frequency from the one that it arrived with because it changes the structure of a chemical bond in one of the plastic's molecules.

ECONOMIST: Recycling

Dubbed simply "The Cloud, " the structure would consist of two 400-foot tall mesh towers that are linked by a series of interconnected plastic bubbles, which would themselves house an observation deck inside and be used to display everything from Olympic scores and highlights to a "barometer of the city's interests and moods" outside (that latter bit comes courtesy of the group's partnership with Google).

ENGADGET: Digital 'Cloud' could form over London for the 2012 Olympics