DIY Living Computer Battery

An anonymous reader writes "Talk about a living battery/pollution clean up/environmentally friendly battery, this seems to fit all the buzz words. Researchers at UMass reported in the journal Science about their sediment battery. 'Derek R. Lovley, UMass microbiologist and team leader, explained how the team used water and sediment from Boston Harbor, a collection of mason jars, ordinary electrical wiring and sterile graphite electrodes to determine the science behind the mechanics of a simple, sediment battery. Using Desulfuromonas acetoxidans (a Geobacter bacteria) the researchers were able to produce enough electrical current to power a lightbulb or a simple computer.'" The linked article is low on details - post 'em in the comments if you have more information on related projects.

Comments

Re:The possibilities

[anubi]

I think this thread shows a great deal of insight. We are messing around right now with the structures which will allow us to use biology in much the same way we have designed mechanical structures in the past: Genomic Development - Hacking the DNA codes themselves.

It wasn't all that long ago in the scheme of things that we harnessed some of the energy flows we found in nature. Now, I think we are on the virge of something far greater.

When God ( insert your own belief here on how everything came to be ) created the Universe and any/all life in it, He provided a heckuva lot of DNA coding examples for us. The Firefly. The Electric Eel. Viruses ( Yes, they are a splendid example of how to alter existing code in a cell ), even cancer itself can be seen as something to be harnessed, as the time may come we *want* something to take something else over. There is an almost infinite variety of code segments out there that do all sorts of useful things. If we can figure out how to take the code snippets that do useful things and arrange them in such a manner to provide useful functions, we will arrive in the next generation of our "evolution". I believe God meant us to do this. I find no other reason He coded his work with so many examples of how to do things. Like a textbook! If God had wanted sheep, He would have stopped there.

I hope the best for the Space Program. It is my firm belief God expects us to leave Earth one day, because He made Pulsars. Can you imagine interstellar navigation in four dimensions ( remember time shifts come into play when we start talking substantial velocities ), without stellar "lighthouses" which generate extremely consistent and unique timing pulses which can be seen from anywhere in the Universe? I think that was such insight to provide such a thing.

Food for thought for me. Thanks. God, for all the toys! May we use them for the benefit of all.