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Carnivorous Clock Eats Bugs

Posted by samzenpus on from the little-office-of-horrors dept.

Designers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau have created a clock that is powered by "eating" bugs. The clock traps insects on flypaper stretched across a roller system and then drops them into a vat of bacteria. The insects are then "digested" and the ensuing chemical reaction is transformed into power that keeps the rollers moving and the LCD clock working. The two offer another version that is powered by mice and an even cooler machine that picks insect fuel from spiderwebs with the help of a robotic arm and a video camera.

2 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Ethical Treatment of Flies by oldspewey · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm of the general opinion that if you manage to piss off PETA, you know you're doing something right.

    --
    If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
  2. Re:Ethical Treatment of Flies by Bugs42 · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Ok, normally I don't feed the trolls but I've got nothing better to do while my code compiles:

    One of the most profound insights into the nature of human existence was the Milgram Experiment [wikipedia.org]. Basically, most people don't have an internal moral compass: they don't have any inherent aversion to inflicting pain, suffering, and death on others.

    Wrong. Even though the participants in the Milgram experiment complied, they all raised questions about it. Clearly they recognized it as wrong - the findings only say that we, as a species, will submit to authority, NOT that we lack a moral compass.

    --
    Programmer: an ingenious device that converts caffeine into code.