David L.
Ben Franklin: “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt, they have more need of masters.”
-----Original Message-----I don't usually type out whole articles, but U.S. News & World Report has this annoying habit of charging for anything older than two weeks, and I'm usually at least that far behind. :-) This is just cool, though....
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]On Behalf Of Lowell R. Matthews
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 6:50 PM
To: Sciperio All; List Rolemaster Chat; List Sandbox
Subject: [Sndbox] Bacterial energyBest wishes,
Lowell* * *
Bug Juice: Watts from Waste?
Charles W. Petit
USN&WR, 9/15/2003, p. 49Hardworking microbes might power your laptop some day, or maybe even your lawn mower. A recently discovered strain of bacteria efficiently makes electricity while turning sugars in plant waste and other garbage into water and carbon dioxide. The microbe grows in the mud under a Virginia bay, but scientists reported this week that it also lives happily in an experimental fuel cell, dumping electrons into its wiring with 80-plus percent efficiency.
Electricity is part of the currency of living cells, which routinely shuttle electrons about while getting energy from sugars. But other biology-based systems tested in fuel cells demand additional, efficiency-sapping steps to get the electrons to the circuitry. Microbiologist Derek Lovley of the University of Massachusetts - Amherst, one of the microbe's discoverers and coauthor of the new report in Nature Biotechnology, says he's not sure the bacteria could deliver the oomph needed for, say, cars. But a garbage-stoked fuel cell might run electronic devices in areas away from power lines. Imagine wiring and inoculating your compost pile, he says. "It would trickle-charge your electric mower for next weekend, in time to make more grass clippings."
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