Scientists Made a Virus That Can Charge Your Batteries

[Guest]

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have found a way to exploit the harmless kind of organisms that usually make you sick to charge your gadgets.

Scientists Made a Virus That Can Charge Your Batteries : Read more

 

[Northwestern]

I don't think my health is worth the risk of charging my battery.

 

[sinusoid]

piezoelectric sidewalks, floors, roads, etc. would be awesome. Do it without the virus though. We don't want 'Legend" to happen.

 

[dark_knight33]

Seems like there'd be a good market in the sex toy industry for this. Lots of "mechanical stress", portable power needed, and latex to prevent viral transmission. Perfect if you ask me.

 

[Hellbound]

What are the chances of Marin County being invaded by chimps over this?.. lol

 

[curiosul]

Am I the only one noticing this doesn't make sense:

"the harmless kind of organisms that usually make you sick"

?

 

[igot1forya]

Imagine if every key on your keyboard had one of these? Just imaging the possibilities!

 

[fatality1515]

"...have found a way to exploit the harmless kind of organisms that usually make you sick to..."

If it usually makes you sick, it's not harmless is it?

 

[rdzona]

[citation][nom]curiosul[/nom]Am I the only one noticing this doesn't make sense:"the harmless kind of organisms that usually make you sick"?[/citation]

I saw that too, LOL. You're not the only one, you're just the one out of the 8 people that commented. Wow you're so rare. /sarcasm

 

[syrious1]

one step closer to the zombie apocolypse

 

[dimar]

I guess this could be a good explanation for zombies rising from the dead, in the upcoming zombie movies..

Electrical charge keeps them alive, but fries their brain tissue, which is why they have to replenish it

 

[AstroTC]

This is dangerous on sooo many levels..

 

[porkfist]

I must be missing something. I don't see anything wired to the LCD screen. How does the electrical charge get there?

 

[Murissokah]

Tony Stark has just fired his doctor.

 

[drakefyre]

[citation][nom]curiosul[/nom]Am I the only one noticing this doesn't make sense:"the harmless kind of organisms that usually make you sick"?[/citation]

There are harmless kinds of viruses.

 

[stevo777]

This research seems like a good premise for a horror movie.

 

[classzero]

Brought to you by the Umbrella Corporation -Our Business is Life itself.

 

[Tab54o]

Just because its a VIRUS doesn't mean its compatible with human cells people.

 

[snowzsan]

[citation][nom]Tab54o[/nom]Just because its a VIRUS doesn't mean its compatible with human cells people.[/citation]

You do realize that viruses mutate rather quickly, right? So if it's not compatible with human cell/tissue right now, what makes you think that putting in our day to day devices (so constantly having it around us) wouldn't cause it to mutate?

This has global catastrophe written all over it. I don't know how our best and brightest come up with some of the stupidest ideas.

 

[Guest]

Hikes! The Umbrella Corporation IS HERE!

 

[j2j663]

I don't see why everyone is complaining. There are things going on in Labs across the world that are hundreds of time more dangerous than this is.

 

[JOSHSKORN]

Can I sneeze on my batteries yet to charge them?

 

[Guest]

I like how people are scared of the word virus, just because of the word virus. Your body is full of harmless viruses, right now. RIGHT. NOW.

Any one of them could mutate into a deadly one, but it never happens. And that's why the xmen aren't real.

 

[Grand_Admiral_K]

[citation][nom]snowzsan[/nom]You do realize that viruses mutate rather quickly, right? So if it's not compatible with human cell/tissue right now, what makes you think that putting in our day to day devices (so constantly having it around us) wouldn't cause it to mutate?This has global catastrophe written all over it. I don't know how our best and brightest come up with some of the stupidest ideas.[/citation]

I really hope you're just joking around, because that's not necessarily correct. RNA based viruses do have the ability to mutate rather quickly, while DNA based ones cannot. A good example is the flu virus compared to small pox. Small pox is DNA based, so one vaccination lasted a lifetime, while the flu is RNA based and changes very rapidly. Furthermore, a virus isn't just going to mutate to infect humans just because it's in constant contact with them. If that was true, all kinds of viruses that infect plants and bacteria would also mutate in a way to infect us. The only kinds that do that at all are from other mammals (and for reasons I don't quite understand, birds as well).

So, assuming the people that are creating these viruses have even a basic grasp of epidemiology we'll be just fine. So how about a little less doomsaying and a little bit more congratulations for scientists who are on the verge of a breakthrough that could revolutionize portable devices?

 

[jerm1027]

Perfect. Now I can sneeze on my cellphone when I'm running low on battery. In all seriousness though, being sick sucks.