Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Computer powered by colony of blue-green algae has run for six months

newscientist.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 58 posts

Re: Computer powered by colony of blue-green algae has run for six months

#31

Post by Eric_WVGG »

andai wrote: post #14

Since the algae themselves appear to be producing the electricity, does that mean they are electrically charged and could be sorted into groups of more/less efficient algae? ie. using artificial selection to select for electrical output.

my first thought before reading the article was, "are we even talking about an electric computer here?"

There are all sorts… some MIT wonks built one that plays tik tak toe that's made of tinker-toys and powered by a crank… in Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon, a computer built from a church pipe organ is used to decrypt third reich punch cars… all quite feasible.

But yeah, this is algae-for-electricity… pretty cool regardless, but it does make me wonder if some sort of bio-abacus could be possible

Re: Computer powered by colony of blue-green algae has run for six months

#33

Post by hutzlibu »

LoveMortuus wrote: post #4

> The computer ran in cycles of 45 minutes of calculating sums of consecutive integers to simulate a computational workload, which required 0.3 microwatts of power, and 15 minutes of standby, which required 0.24 microwatts. The computer itself measured the current output from the device and this data was stored in the cloud for researchers to analyse. > Christopher Howe at the University of Cambridge and his colleagu…

"blue-green algae might not be very scalable..."

Actually, the idea is, that they are very scalable, because to make more solar panels you have to manufacture more panels.

To make more algae(and get more power), you just let it grow.

So you still have to build more sun exposed tanks but this is very low tech, compared to cleanroom solar panel manufacturing. What is missing is probably a breakthrough in genetic modified improved efficeny, which is currently indeed very low (way lower than solar panels per area)

Re: Computer powered by colony of blue-green algae has run for six months

#34

Post by nobodyandproud »

bin_bash wrote: post #30
nobodyandproud wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s a disclaimer, scoping out certain applications per the research and qualified by “There’s quite a bit more to do on that front.” I don’t it’s wrong to think about the general applications but the title and research had a very narrow focus.

Agreed, nobody thinks you could run a dishwasher on this technology. My point is the only place where the article labeled mobile phones as “low power” was in this disclaimer to contrast it with other household appliances.

Fair enough.

It’s also easy to miss that this was with a “AA” size container, and not the size of a pail or a dot battery.

Re: Computer powered by colony of blue-green algae has run for six months

#36

Post by ineedasername »

hutzlibu wrote: post #33
LoveMortuus wrote: post #4

> The computer ran in cycles of 45 minutes of calculating sums of consecutive integers to simulate a computational workload, which required 0.3 microwatts of power, and 15 minutes of standby, which required 0.24 microwatts. The computer itself measured the current output from the device and this data was stored in the cloud for researchers to analyse. > Christopher Howe at the University of Cambridge and his colleagu…

"blue-green algae might not be very scalable..." Actually, the idea is, that they are very scalable, because to make more solar panels you have to manufacture more panels. To make more algae(and get more power), you just let it grow. So you still have to build more sun exposed tanks but this is very low tech, compared to cleanroom solar panel manufacturing. What is missing is probably a breakthrough in genetic modifi…

That's only scalable if the material & labor costs to build and maintain the tanks is within a certain margin.

How many m^2 of algae is required to equal a m^2 of solar? From there you could calculate relative costs, given reasonable assumptions of lowered tank/algae costs as the tech matured.

Re: Computer powered by colony of blue-green algae has run for six months

#37

Post by 2OEH8eoCRo0 »

hutzlibu wrote: post #33
LoveMortuus wrote: post #4

> The computer ran in cycles of 45 minutes of calculating sums of consecutive integers to simulate a computational workload, which required 0.3 microwatts of power, and 15 minutes of standby, which required 0.24 microwatts. The computer itself measured the current output from the device and this data was stored in the cloud for researchers to analyse. > Christopher Howe at the University of Cambridge and his colleagu…

"blue-green algae might not be very scalable..." Actually, the idea is, that they are very scalable, because to make more solar panels you have to manufacture more panels. To make more algae(and get more power), you just let it grow. So you still have to build more sun exposed tanks but this is very low tech, compared to cleanroom solar panel manufacturing. What is missing is probably a breakthrough in genetic modifi…

I had a dream that some super-algae leaked out of a lab and colonized the oceans killing nearly all marine life.

Re: Computer powered by colony of blue-green algae has run for six months

#38

Post by hutzlibu »

2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #37
hutzlibu wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"blue-green algae might not be very scalable..." Actually, the idea is, that they are very scalable, because to make more solar panels you have to manufacture more panels. To make more algae(and get more power), you just let it grow. So you still have to build more sun exposed tanks but this is very low tech, compared to cleanroom solar panel manufacturing. What is missing is probably a breakthrough in genetic modifi…

I had a dream that some super-algae leaked out of a lab and colonized the oceans killing nearly all marine life.

The super algea we are looking for here, would likely have no chance in the wild anymore, because to optimize some desired traits (thriving in a protected, stable environment) usually means giving up on other traits, which will force them down when they have competition. (same argument applies to GMO plants)

Re: Computer powered by colony of blue-green algae has run for six months

#39

Post by hutzlibu »

ineedasername wrote: post #36
hutzlibu wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"blue-green algae might not be very scalable..." Actually, the idea is, that they are very scalable, because to make more solar panels you have to manufacture more panels. To make more algae(and get more power), you just let it grow. So you still have to build more sun exposed tanks but this is very low tech, compared to cleanroom solar panel manufacturing. What is missing is probably a breakthrough in genetic modifi…

That's only scalable if the material & labor costs to build and maintain the tanks is within a certain margin. How many m^2 of algae is required to equal a m^2 of solar? From there you could calculate relative costs, given reasonable assumptions of lowered tank/algae costs as the tech matured.

"How many m^2 of algae is required to equal a m^2 of solar?"

Some years ago, the efficency was at around 1 % vs. 20% with solar panels, meaning you would need 20× the space, meaning only dessert areas and big scale production worth it. And since no one did it big scale yet, means it is economically not worth it yet.

But the cost of further algae itself are zero, which makes the idea attractive in theory. Like I said, there is a breakthrough required in efficency, or some cheap big scale production/deployment system.

Re: Computer powered by colony of blue-green algae has run for six months

#40

Post by ineedasername »

hutzlibu wrote: post #39
ineedasername wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's only scalable if the material & labor costs to build and maintain the tanks is within a certain margin. How many m^2 of algae is required to equal a m^2 of solar? From there you could calculate relative costs, given reasonable assumptions of lowered tank/algae costs as the tech matured.

"How many m^2 of algae is required to equal a m^2 of solar?" Some years ago, the efficency was at around 1 % vs. 20% with solar panels, meaning you would need 20× the space, meaning only dessert areas and big scale production worth it. And since no one did it big scale yet, means it is economically not worth it yet. But the cost of further algae itself are zero, which makes the idea attractive in theory. Like I said,…

Or it might just need an applications where panels aren't viable but algae is. Not sure what that would be, but I also don't consider myself a visionary. Maybe a high dust area where maintenance isn't practical for panels?
Post reply on HN