Technology is advancing in so many directions all at once that I am beginning to suspect we will see some truly startling advances once someone begins to put differing lines together.
The You Tube video above arises from the work of James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau in the UK. Their work is a fusion of art and science that challenges how we use and view the common desiderata of life. In the video above, we have a clock that powers itself from captured flies. A microbial (i.e., bacterial) fuel cell converts the digested bodies of flies into electrical power that runs the clock and fly catching apparatus. Apparently 8 flies will run this for about 12 days.
The Microbial Fuel Cell is a very simple but fascinating device. One could IMAGINE that it might work, but actually getting one to work is quite remarkable. It uses electrons released/transfered by bacteria as they metabolize food. Along with acids (protons) that diffuse over to the cathode, a functional fuel cell is created.
A Microbial Fuel Cell (Logan et al. 2006).
Now if they could only put this together with an ant robot (Click Here), we might have something truly terrifying.
Sources:
You Tube Video Header From: http://www.auger-loizeau.com/index.php?id=13
Microbial Fuel Cell diagram. Logan, B. E., B. Hamelers, R. Rozendal, U. Schröder, J. Keller, S. Freguia, P. Aelterman, W. Verstraete, and K. Rabaey. 2006. Microbial fuel cells: Methodology and technology. Environ. Sci. Technol. 40:5181-5192.
