Dr Sheridon has invented an apparatus that can produce several litres of plastic beads a day.

ECONOMIST: Showing off

Dr Sheridon and his colleagues have created prototype displays with more than 200 dots per inch (80 dots per centimetre) about twice as fine a resolution as most laptop screens, but only half as clear as a decent laser printer.

ECONOMIST: Showing off

Dr Sheridon has come up with a so-called wand an electronic stick that can hold ten full-size books and also transfer text on to a sheet of Gyricon if a user runs the wand over the surface like a handheld scanner.

ECONOMIST: Showing off