Originally Posted by
Cadfael
One theory of alien bods among us humans (well, most of us are!) is that they have passed on technology that has advanced us so much.
Now I know that there is natural progression for everything, cars, planes and the like, but I can never get my head around things like ipods.
Take an old record player, you know how it works and I accept that. We were using record players up until the 1980's and then came CD's.
But it is now capable of storing half the world's music on something the size of a matchbox - obviously I know how it works, 13 years in the IT industry can tell me that.
What I can never fathom is the massive jump in technology - we're not talking an old TV set from black and white to colour and then LCD, but we're talking about things that have come up from nothing - and it seems that this power has either just been 'discovered' or presented to us.
No I'm not saying that alien's had ipods and passed them on, but the jump in technology when it was never around is just amazing - too good to be true if you like.
The phonograph dates from the 1800s. Solid state Digital technology from the 1960s - the theory behind it from the 1800s.
The internal combustion engine is from the 1800s (20% efficient) as is the electric motor and current electrical power system (only 30% of generated electricity is used due to line losses, etc). Now we can do better than those two - vested interest keeps these inefficient, polluters clunking away.
The massive leap was the Victorians (Industrial Revolution). Not much happened from the Greeks & Egyptians then skywards.
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This may make a big impact. Announced a few days ago:
'Major discovery' from MIT'
From Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsO...080731?sp=true
"Nocera's catalyst is made from cobalt, phosphate and an electrode that produces oxygen from water by using 90 percent less electricity than current methods, which use the costly metal platinum."
90% less electricity to do it. Also, cheaper to make!!! Encouraging.
OK this splits water into oxygen and hydrogen gasses, electrolysis - not new. Then the gasses used to run a fuel cell to produce electricity - not new. The reverse process of electrolysis. The fuel cell is a buffer to keep power going when no sun.
What is new is that is uses a small amount of electricity to split the water into two gasses, previously it took a hell of a lot and was not economical. If it uses a small amount of electricity to split water then maybe this can be used in autos. Produce oxygen and hydrogen overnight, or at work, and run a fuel cell to power the car. If the electricity is so small to split and make the gasses, then maybe a battery can do it, or a solar cell auto roof. It can do away with central power stations too.
PV cells on the roof and fuel cell in the house. Reuters say 5 years to seeing it in use.
Things like this may make an impact to our lives in 10 years time, eliminating the energy crisis which always comes around every 15 to 20 years. And no one dies of hypothermia.
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