Spinach May Soon Power Mobile Devices

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."

Comments

Apple announces new music player

[Anonymous Coward]

The Apple PopiPod, now with Bluto size capacity.

Dupe... *sigh*

[grm_wnr]

You know, that sounds mighty familiar...

Well Blow Me Down!

[ackthpt]

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!"

DAMNIT!

[teamhasnoi]

There goes my idea for the iPodato!

You MIT bastards are gonna pay!

Protests

[null etc.]

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

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Comment removed based on user account deletion

More on this...

[Chuck Bucket]

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(*&^%^*)&^