seriously seriously scary brainy people...
at MIT Tangible Media Group
Cati Vaucelle
talks about her proposal/confirmation.

http://tangible.media.mit.edu/projects/glume/Part of: Active Phase Change Glazings Made by: Research Frontiers Used by:  |                                         |            
|               The Suspended Particle Device (SPD) film technology is an active switchable glass or plastic assembly which offers a variable light transmission, from clear to dark blue, thus providing solar gains, glare and privacy control.  | 


The emerging concept for the window of the future is more as a multifunctional "appliance-in-the-wall" rather than simply a static piece of coated glass. These facade systems include switchable windows and shading systems such as motorized shades, switchable electrochromic or gasochromic window coatings, and double-envelope window-wall systems that have variable optical and thermal properties that can be changed in response to climate, occupant preferences and building system requirements. By actively managing lighting and cooling, smart windows could reduce peak electric loads by 20-30 percent in many commercial buildings, increase daylighting benefits throughout the United States, improve comfort, and potentially enhance productivity in homes and offices.
 Photochromics
Photochromic materials change their transparency in response to light  intensity. Photochromic materials have been used in eyeglasses that  change from clear in the dim indoor light to dark in the bright  outdoors. Photochromics may be useful in conjunction with daylighting,  allowing just enough light through for lighting purposes, while cutting  out excess sunlight that creates glare and overloads the cooling system.  Although small units have been produced in volume as a consumer  product, cost-effective, large, durable glazings for windows are not yet  commercially available. 
 Thermochromics
Thermochromics change transparency in response to temperature. The  materials currently under development are gels sandwiched between glass  and plastic that switch from a clear state when cold to a more diffuse,  white, reflective state when hot. In their switched-on state, the view  through the glazing is lost. Such windows could, in effect, turn off the  sunlight when the cooling loads become too high. 
 Liquid Crystal Device Windows
A variant of the liquid crystal display technology used in wristwatches  is now serving as privacy glazing for new windows. A very thin layer of  liquid crystals is sandwiched between two transparent electrical  conductors on thin plastic films and the entire emulsion or package  (called a PDLC or polymer dispersed liquid crystal device) is laminated  between two layers of glass. When the power is off, the liquid crystals  are in a random and unaligned state. They scatter light and the glass  appears as a translucent layer, which obscures direct view and provides  privacy. The material transmits most of the incident sunlight in a  diffuse mode, thus its solar heat gain coefficient remains high.  
 Suspended Particle Device (SPD) Windows
This electrically controlled film utilizes a thin, liquid-like layer in  which numerous microscopic particles are suspended. In its unpowered  state the particles are randomly oriented and partially block sunlight  transmission and view. Transparent electrical conductors allow an  electric field to be applied to the dispersed particle film, aligning  the particles and raising the transmittance.  
 Electrochromic Windows
The most promising switchable window technology today is electrochromic  (EC) windows. An electrochromic coating is typically five layers, about  one micron thick, and is deposited on a glass substrate. The  electrochromic stack consists of thin metallic coatings of nickel or  tungsten oxide sandwiched between two transparent electrical conductors.  When a voltage is applied between the transparent electrical  conductors, a distributed electrical field is set up. This field moves  various coloration ions (most commonly lithium or hydrogen) reversibly  between the ion storage film through the ion conductor (electrolyte) and  into the electrochromic film. The effect is that the glazing switches  between a clear and transparent prussian blue-tinted state with no  degradation in view, similar in appearance to photochromic sunglasses. 
The main advantages of EC windows is that they typically only require low-voltage power (0-10 volts DC), remain transparent across its switching range, and can be modulated to any intermediate state between clear and fully colored. Switching occurs through absorption (similar to tinted glass), although some switchable reflective devices are now in research and development. Low-emittance coatings and an insulating glass unit configuration can be used to reduce heat transfer from this absorptive glazing layer to the interior. Typical EC windows have an upper visible transmittance range of 0.50-0.70 and a lower range of 0.02-0.25. The SHGC ranges from 0.10-0.50. A low transmission is desirable for privacy and for control of direct sun and glare, potentially eliminating the need for interior shading. A high transmission is desirable for admitting daylight during overcast periods. Therefore, the greater the range in transmission, the more able the window is to satisfy a wide range of environmental requirements.
 Gasochromic Windows 
Gasochromic windows produce a similar effect to electrochromic windows,  but in order to color the window, diluted hydrogen (below the combustion  limit of 3 percent) is introduced into the cavity in an insulated glass  unit. Exposure to oxygen returns the window to its original transparent  state. To maintain a particular state, the gap is simply isolated from  further changes in gas content. The optically active component is a  porous, columnar film of tungsten oxide, less than 1 micron thick. This  eliminates the need for transparent electrodes or an ion-conducting  layer. Variations in film thickness and hydrogen concentration can  affect the depth and rate of coloration.  
 Visible transmittance can vary between 0.10-0.59 with a SHGC range of  0.12-0.46. Transmittance levels of less than 0.01 for privacy or glare  control are possible. An improved U-value can be obtained with a  triple-pane, low-E system (since one gap is used to activate the  gasochromic). Switching speeds are 20 seconds to color and less than a  minute to bleach. The gas can be generated at the window wall with an  electrolyser and a distribution system integrated into the facade.  Gasochromic windows with an area of 2-by-3.5 feet are now undergoing  accelerated durability tests and full-scale field tests and are expected  to reach the market in the near future.
from here


Mississippi Children’s Museum, Jackson MS, USA
The Lightning Benches takes us on a sensorial journey into the heart  of an electrical storm.  Each bench is portrayed as a bolt of lightning  that strikes the ground with fractured yet symmetrical geometry.  Each  piece is made of translucent resin in luminous shades of blue.  Below  the surface of each bench is a hidden network of sensors that detects  the electrical charges within the human body.  As the electricity inside  our body is sensed, the benches responds with a visual display of  flickering light.  When the body interacts with the surface, it is  followed by a trail if light that delights the senses and sparks the  imagination.
The Lightning Benches was commissioned by the Mississippi Children’s  Museum.  This project was inspired by a child’s ability to turn a  functional world into an imaginative journey.