Scientists Find Holy Grail of Energy - Daily Mail 31/3/2011

Will this be another energy source that will be dumbed down like many others?

www.dailymail.co.uk...
"Scientists claim to have found the 'Holy Grail' of science in an artificial leaf that could turn ever British home into its own power station.
The leaf, which is the same size as a playing card, mimics the process of photosynthesis that plants use to convert sunlight and water into energy."


Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...


The report suggests it is the answer to supplying energy to poor countries - well I guess that means the UK and America and the many other countries who suffer cold winters and can't afford to stay warm.

Surely this invention should be spread world wide considering all the wars over oil - and if it does ever come about - I wonder what they will fight over then?

reply to post by Seekeye2


So... we made an energy producing leaf? Wow, if ghosts feed on energy imagine somebody dieing in the factory where they are all made... People would be seeing boxes of high tech leaves falling of high tech counters...

reply to post by Seekeye2

Schweet! Love this kind of news! So theyhad this 10 years ago, but could not get a good enough shelf-life out of it huh? Too bad it took 10 years to modify it.

Placed in a single gallon of water in a bright sunlight, the device could produce enough electricity to supply a house in a developing country with electricity for a day, Nocera said.

Awesome! Take that oil co's!
Some additional reportings:


An older report:


Peace,
spec

Actually I think I read that the leaf is FAR more efficient than mother natures version. Pretty cool to think that we are taking mother natures creations and improving upon them, making them far better than mutation and adaption is capable of doing.

"Placed in a single gallon of water in a bright sunlight, the device could produce enough electricity to supply a house in a developing country with electricity for a day".

"Right now, Nocera's leaf is about 10 times more efficient at carrying out photosynthesis than a natural leaf. However, he is optimistic that he can boost the efficiency of the artificial leaf much higher in the future".
Taken from OP's link.

Pretty awesome!

I think perhaps this one may just be the one that will change everything - hope so. But will the PTB control it to the point that it becomes to expensive for us poor folks.

It is made of inexpensive materials that are widely available, works under simple conditions and is highly stable. In laboratory studies, he showed that an artificial leaf prototype could operate continuously for at least 45 hours without a drop in activity.
The key to this breakthrough is Nocera's recent discovery of several powerful new, inexpensive catalysts, made of nickel and cobalt, that are capable of efficiently splitting water into its two components, hydrogen and oxygen, under simple conditions.
Right now, Nocera's leaf is about 10 times more efficient at carrying out photosynthesis than a natural leaf. However, he is optimistic that he can boost the efficiency of the artificial leaf much higher in the future.
'Na


Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...

They also have a version that can be reactivated cheaply and used on rooftops. I commented on an article at the MIT site to ask why we see these all the time and then they disappear and are never developed. Oddly after getting no response to my question the entire article disappeared and the link went dead. You suppose that was my answer? I don't know.

MIT could have virtually unlimited funds to educate from the profits from this. So, why are these new finds never translated into a workable product? Where is Obama and why is he not spending money on this instead of buying votes from Unions and funding endless Wars he has no intention of winning?

Give MIT a billion to develop this and you would have something, create lots of jobs and put America back on track. Clearly that is not what Obama and his kind who Teach at MIT want, or they would be doing it.

This is the last you will ever hear of this. Just like all the others.

reply to post by xShadow13


The Daily Mail is one of the silly Papers. That is hardly the whole story. They came up with a way to imitate photosynthesis that works. It can be painted on roofs and walls and be regenerated with another easy to apply coat as it degrades over time. It's way beyond Solar Panels and they have had it for a while now. Everything I just said was in an article on the MIT Site that later disappeared.

This is real, not one of those fake devices we see people post about here all the time.

reply to post by Blaine91555

This is the last you will ever hear of this. Just like all the others.

Sad but true Blaine, check this out:
befreetech.com...
Why? Do you think the old adage "follow the money" may be at play here, as to why the supression?

I'm sure this will be shot down when the big oil and gas companies lobby against it, but just in case how would I make one of these for myself?

Wish someone had the brains and the know how to buy this up and develop it for the people with the power of the peoples backing - we could call it 'People Power' lol.

So this Man Made leaf mimics Photosynthesis causing energy that could power our houses? Am I getting that right? If I am, that is just AMAZING! The scientific achievements that I am reading about on this site are so interesting, but this is probably the most interesting Scientific post that I have read. Anywhere else that I can read more about this???

Originally posted by Seekeye2
Will this be another energy source that will be dumbed down like many others?

What do you mean "will be" dumbed down? It's already been dumbed down.

It's a great innovation but it's NOT photosynthesis which is the production of sugar from sunlight and carbon dioxide.

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is a process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight.

It doesn't produce sugar from CO2, it splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using sunlight, something we have been able to do for many decades, so it's really nothing new from that respect. What is new is the process and catalysts involved, so it's many times more efficient and cost-effective.

So it's very encouraging, but I think a large part of the story is wrong and self-contradictory in their effort to "dumb it down" as you put it. However I'm looking forward to getting this technology on my roof (or windowsill if it will work there).

reply to post by Arbitrageur


Sorry but isn't this concept absolutely identical that of solar panels? An artificial construct that creates energy from the suns rays, no?

I don't think Solar Panels use water in any way -

Originally posted by Seekeye2
I don't think Solar Panels use water in any way -

They don't have to split water, but they can split water if you want them to, that's what this article is about:

Arctic Solar-Voltaic Powered Hydrolysis

As the Wiki explains:
Electrolysis of water

Electrolysis of water is the decomposition of water (H2O) into oxygen (O2) and hydrogen gas (H2) due to an electric current being passed through the water.

So basically you just need an electric current for electrolysis, why can't that electric current come from voltaic solar cells? It can! It's not widely done due to economics.

Originally posted by RenegadeScholar
reply to post by Arbitrageur

 

Sorry but isn't this concept absolutely identical that of solar panels? An artificial construct that creates energy from the suns rays, no?

It's more economical. We can split water with previous technology but it's not very economical.

Also the output from solar cells may be a bit more versatile, you can power your toaster directly with them if you have enough of them, without creating hydrogen. But the great thing about producing hydrogen with solar power, is the on demand aspect that's the Achilles heel of many of today's solar power installations which can't run on the sun's power at night. You can produce hydrogen in the day, and then at night use your solar power from the stored hydrogen even when the sun isn't shining. That's awesome.

I want to eat some cytoplasm. But aside from that I think scientists have always tried to duplicate what plant's can do. I am happy to hear they have made some strides in that area. Who knows. Let's see if it goes anywhere.

Bit of an early April fool.....

Second line.

reply to post by CordDragonzord


maybe somebody could hack their computers and "liberate" it put allthe details ina pdf and upload it to sweden?

I want a garden full.

I hope it works flawlessly, efficiently and resolves stuff fast.

Sign me up.

Star and Flag - This one is THE ONE TO WATCH !!!

"Placed in a single gallon of water in a bright sunlight, the device could produce enough electricity to supply a house in a developing country with electricity for a day, Nocera said."

Now That is really exciting! Just think what placing 10 of these things on your roof will do!

It's no April Fools Joke.. research Dr Daniel Nocera - this is all over the Net.

Quick someone get to this guy and hide him away someplace safe before he gets 'killed' or the Gov convinces him to sell out.

Is this thing got a patent on it? Can we get a copy with details? Is MIT obliged to sit on it?