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Ocean Sponge May Be Best for Fiber Optics
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."
Once again, nature outdoes our best attempts at copying it.
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Cool, fiber optics up to 7 inches long! That'll be effective! I can finally connect my computer to... uhh... to my uhh... what the hell, 7 inches! WTF!
Hrmm... what lives in a pineapple under the sea... sponge bob fiber light... wait no.. er... DOH!
Are we still allowed to copy nature? I thought reverse engineering was made illegal under the DMCA.
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
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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EE 1: We need a better fiberoptic cable.
EE 2: Let's look at organisms deep in the ocean!
EE 1: That's just crazy enough to work!
But do they glow in the dark in slowly changing multi-colored patterns. That's the important thing.
... 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.
Nature does things for a reason...I wonder why this creature uses fibre optic to anchor itself to the ocean floor. I doubt it is using the fibre optic to communicate...Perhaps it is using it because it happens to also be very flexible and strong at the same time, the fact that it could also be used for transporting light is a co-incidence.
Who makes fiberglass cables under the sea?
SPONGEBOB GLASSPANTS!
Flexible, clear, with sodium has he.
SPONGEBOB GLASSPANTS!
If flexible fibers be something you wish,
Dive under the ocean and look for some fish!
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
...now Verizon customer service is gonna be all, "Sorry, sir, it will take a week for us to replace the sponge."
Libertarians somehow believe that private businesses should be stronger than governments but weaker than individuals.
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.
Have you thought that if we can figure a way to grow these ourselves, quickly and cheaply, that this would be what brings fiber to your doorstep? It's not cheap to make a spool of fiber cable right now, but what if we can just flip a few genetic switches in some sponges in a lab and have them start growing these things by the miles? Or even better, we learn how they make the glass, and duplicate it industrially. I can only see good things comin from this (well, maybe not for the sponge with a 3 mile long glass strand growing out of its ass, but it's a sponge, I doubt anyone at PETA will come calling on it's behalf).
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"Sponges grow in the ocean. That kills me. Make's me wonder how much deeper it'd be if that didn't happen."
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.