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Spinach May Soon Power Mobile Devices

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the no-comment-from-olive dept.

neutron_p writes "For the first time, MIT researchers have incorporated a plant's ability to convert sunlight to energy into a solid-state electronic "spinach sandwich" device that may one day power laptops and cell phones."

13 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. Apple announces new music player by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Apple PopiPod, now with Bluto size capacity.

  2. Dupe... *sigh* by grm_wnr · · Score: 5, Informative

    You know, that sounds mighty familiar...

  3. Well Blow Me Down! by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Spinach?!? I knew it powered Popeye, so it must be good.

    I wonder why they don't use Algae, seems that stuff works extremely well and multiplies fast to prove the point

    "Dude, your laptop smells like a swamp!"

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:Well Blow Me Down! by teamhasnoi · · Score: 4, Funny
      "Dude, your laptop smells like a swamp!"

      If only the Dell Dude would have had access to this technology!

      "I swear dude, I'm holding it for my laptop! Dude!"

      Even now, I miss him. *sniff* dude *sniff*

    2. Re:Well Blow Me Down! by revscat · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Spoken like someone who hasn't seen or considered the damage done to families and the economy by locking away and destroying the lives of thousands upon thousands upon thousands of people whose crime is nothing more than possessing a socially unacceptable drug. The very real, very destructive consequences of marijuana prohibition far outweigh any harm that would occur from legalization.

      And for the record, I have indeed done volunteer work with drug addicts. Many of them were no more "addicts" than Bugs Bunny, but due to overly harsh sentencing requirements were forced to go there, taking the place of those with far more serious problems. My time with those people convinced me more than ever that it should be legalized as soon as possible.

      Oh, and should you consider throwing the "please think of the children" meme into the mix, you should know that I am the proud father of three.

  4. DAMNIT! by teamhasnoi · · Score: 5, Funny
    There goes my idea for the iPodato!

    You MIT bastards are gonna pay!

  5. Protests by null+etc. · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let's just hope that "People for the Ethical Treatment of Vegetables" doesn't find out.

  6. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  7. More on this... by Chuck+Bucket · · Score: 5, Informative
    I read about spinach power a few months back, took me a few minutes to believe it wasn't a hoax, but it isn't. Basically plant proteins are the original solar cells but haven't been usefully harnessed for electrical power generation. Now e're getting close:

    • US researchers have made electrical cells that are powered by plant proteins.

      The biologically based solar cells, which convert light into electrical energy, should be efficient and cheap to manufacture, says co-creator Marc Baldo of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...

      Baldo's team isolated a variety of photosynthetic proteins from spinach and sandwiched them between two layers of conducting material. When light was shone on to the tiny cell, an electrical current was generated...

      The prototype cells still need a little refinement. At present, they can generate current for up to 21 days; then they give up. So alternatives that last longer are needed.

      The cells also convert only about 12% of the absorbed light energy into electricity. Still, the researchers believe that it should be possible to reach 20% efficiency, which is better than typical values for commercial silicon solar cells.


    Full here
    It may be that more efficient and more durable chloroplasts can be found or made. The evolution of solar power seems to be going in several directions at once. It makes me wonder what experiments are in progress and not reported yet?

    CB(*&^%^*)&^

    --
    free ipod and free gmail!
  8. Phones, eh? by Xeo+024 · · Score: 4, Funny

    You know you live in the 21st century, when your cell phone is better suited to perform photosynthesis than it is to talk to other people.

  9. Well blow me down! by erroneus · · Score: 4, Funny

    Huk-kuk-kug-kug-kug... oh...whaddya know there... nows I can call Olive on me spinachk-phone.

    (c'mon! someone had to make the reference!)

  10. Ironically Enough by xombo · · Score: 4, Funny

    We've been using Olive Oil to create light, now spinache to create power, sadly Bluto isn't a viable power source.

    On the other hand, if we could generate some form of alternative fuel out of cheeseburgers we wouldn't have to pay until Tuesday.

  11. Re:Imagine a beowulf & artichoke dip of these by bobhagopian · · Score: 4, Funny

    Beowulf cluster of plants... I believe that's called a "garden".