University of Cambridge researchers have managed to run a computer for six months, powered by blue-green algae.
The algae that produce oxygen through photosynthesis when exposed to sunlight were sealed in a container made of aluminum and clear plastic, about the size of an AA battery. The computer was placed on a windowsill for six months. The blue-green algae battery provided continuous power to the computer that ran in cycles of 45 minutes and 15 minutes on standby. It even produced power without sunlight, possibly because the bacteria process surplus food.
While the device won’t power an entire house, it can charge small devices like mobile phones. The researchers are also working on scaling up the device and looking into other algae species that create high currents.
Do you think we will soon be using batteries made of living things? Let us know what you think?