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Ocean Sponge May Be Best for Fiber Optics

Posted by simoniker on from the spongebob's-unexpected-IPO dept.

TheViffer writes "ABC News is reporting that scientists say they've identified an ocean sponge, living in the darkness of the deep sea, that grows thin glass fibers capable of transmitting light better than industrial fiber optic cables used for telecommunication. 'You can actually tie a knot in these natural biological fibers and they will not break - it's really quite amazing,' said Joanna Aizenberg, who led the research at Bell Laboratories."

7 of 321 comments (clear)

  1. For all our technology by The+Munger · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Once again, nature outdoes our best attempts at copying it.

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  2. Space or oceans? by BWJones · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Now, this is the sort of thing that makes you wonder why we spend so little effort studying our oceans. While I am all for space exploration and research, we should also spend considerably more effort to understand what is in our oceans, how they work and what effects we are having on them.

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    1. Re:Space or oceans? by Qrlx · · Score: 4, Insightful

      to understand what is in our oceans, how they work and what effects we are having on them.

      The oceans certainly contain many great mysteries. However, the effect we're having on it is pretty clear: destroy and degrade it with pollution. Algae blooms, dying coral, overfishing. We are slowly killing/pillaging the oceans, which doesn't seem to bother anyone enough to stop doing it. (Though occasionally we decide to do it less.) Hey, we don't live there anymore, not our problem!

  3. I wonder.... by Penguin+Follower · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... if scientists could reproduce what the sponges are doing synthetically in a lab. This way we could have our new form of fiber optic without killing tons of sponges.

  4. Re:Over fishing Risk? by sholden · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Of course you wouldn't harvest them for their 2 to 7 inch long bits of fibre optic.

    You try and replicate the process the sponges use. It at least shows it is possible to make the stuff at cold temperatures, which as the article states (which you obviously didn't bother comprehending, and probably reading) makes doping the glass easier.

  5. Re:7 inches long! by Kibo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Worthless as an industrial product, yes. Worthless as a teaching example, that we can use our considerable tool making prowess to expand on? Not by a long shot.

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  6. We probably have a while to go by mao+che+minh · · Score: 4, Insightful
    After discovering that spider silk was pound for pound much stronger then any man made synthetic, elastic material, scientists took over a decade to emulate it (and even then not quite as good).

    Considering that these sponges aren't exactly easy to find (like orb spiders), the research should take much longer. But my oh my, imagine the applications: fiber that is as durable as ethernet. Wow.