Comments on: Dirt-Powered Bacteria Batteries

By: Kyle

Kyle — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:59:56 +0000

Also, why does it matter if it helps the poor? We should be using this for major cities in the form of giant bacteria pool power plants. Most of the pollution is produced from the first world countries so lets fix the rich before we worry about the poor.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:56:19 +0000

Most bacteria do not affect humans. All virus and bacteria can only affect a certain animal species, meaning that they are very specific, like enzymes. This means that what could kill your fish or dog will not harm you.

By: Jake

Jake — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:04:06 +0000

Any clean form of energy of energy is worth exploring and this could make a big difference for the world’s poorest people

By: Jason

Jason — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:54:50 +0000

Seems like an amazing piece of technology for a third world farmer. I wonder what the byproduct of a dead battery would look like? Would it simply be composted material, ready to be added to the soil, or at least to existing compost? How difficult is it to scale this up say…10x-100x?

If the answers to these questions are positive, then many people in the poorest parts of the world could benefit greatly. Still, for the developed world this seems of very limited use.

By: slaps

slaps — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:06:47 +0000

I agree, matt peffly. In many contexts, to many people, the difference between a fuel cell and a battery is unimportant, but to this audience the mistake just comes off as weird.

Similarly, when the writer claims this produces little energy, then I wonder what’s the point. Or was the writer simply confusing energy and power?

By: matt peffly

matt peffly — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:31:57 +0000

Isn’t this more a fuel cell than a battery? You don’t charge it with electic and then discharge it. You add a fuel (waste water) and it is broken down and the result is electric.

By: Carol Harris

Carol Harris — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:09:49 +0000

Okay, I guess it needs to be mentioned that they don’t appear to be talking about tiny batteries that go inside gadgets, either. They’re talking about a battery the size of a bucket, which you would have to hook your gadget up to.

By: Carol Harris

Carol Harris — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:09:32 +0000

Ray: The article makes it pretty clear that the bacteria stay IN the battery and what goes into your gadgets is electrons. Your gadgets need electrons to run; they couldn’t run on bacteria. All power-generating technology is aimed at getting electrons moving around a circuit; if you use coal, hydro or nuclear to generate electricity, it doesn’t mean there’s coal, water or radiation in your gadgets! Same thing here.

By: John Prentice

John Prentice — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:08:57 +0000

There is good and bad bacteria like people,m unfortunately bad people lie to us like GORDO and his liberal machine.

By: Ray Khan

Ray Khan — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:08:39 +0000

Not sure if i like the idea of bacteria in all my gadgets. what are the safeguards to stop people catching stuff from the bacteria?

By: Ion Marinescu

Ion Marinescu — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:08:24 +0000

To exercise power costs effort and demands courage. That is why so many fail to assert rights to which they are perfectly entitled – because a right is a kind of power but they are too lazy or too cowardly to exercise it.

By: Spenser Winters

Spenser Winters — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:08:08 +0000

All this sounds genius, why aren’t we putting it all to work now?

By: Yadir Sánchez Cuevas

Yadir Sánchez Cuevas — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:28:36 +0000

I follow you on FCBK. Lots of friends of mine here in Mexico are getting to know all kind of alternative energy updates thanks to you. We all, be sure of that, appreciate it very much.

Greetings!