11 comments

  • card_zero 12 hours ago
    > Because these algae are photosynthetic ... "We’re storing carbon while we’re producing light"

    The circle of light! Perpetual illumination! Let the algae do photosynthesis using their own light output as energy!

    What's happening, chemically? Let's see ... it's luciferin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Luciferin_Light_Emission_... Isn't that CO2 being emitted on the right, there?

    • shellfishgene 10 hours ago
      I think they mean the algae is in sunlight during the day and growing, producing light only at night.
      • card_zero 10 hours ago
        Could be. So over the mentioned four weeks, the algae is reproducing more cells in sunlight, and emitting light at night, while gradually wearing out in some way and "retaining 75% of their brightness". Then at the end of the month you have a bucket of tired algae, and that's the stored carbon. I don't know what you do with it. You probably shouldn't chuck it in a river. Its likely fate is methane, wherever you put it.
        • californical 9 hours ago
          That sounds kinda like carbon capture, but decentralized to these light nodes
          • card_zero 7 hours ago
            It seems to me that it has the same problem as carbon capture, which is how to make the result inert, or which deep hole to pump it into. Two people apparently silently disagreed with this, I wonder what was bothering them?
            • kang 5 hours ago
              Unlike artificial carbon capture, natural carbon capture like algae here become insect/worm/bird feed or manure/coal.
            • gostsamo 7 hours ago
              if the output is consistent, could be used for producing biofuel or plastic.
      • aaron695 6 hours ago
        [dead]
  • technotony 12 hours ago
    I hope this works. A decade ago I submitted glowing microbes to the epa but they blocked it. My read from going through that was that it was politically impossible. Hopefully times have changed.

    Edit: my microbes were gmo, these are not, so no epa rules. Good luck to them!

    • mock-possum 1 hour ago
      What are the politics of glowing microbes?
    • arthurcolle 11 hours ago
      did you keep a few of your gmo cultures?
  • Sam6late 1 hour ago
    I remember old watches that used to have some phosphors dots on the 4 main quarters in a hand watch to see time in the dark, while as kids we would take a to bed a rosary with glow-in-the-dark marbles to emit light from the phosphors inside.That would last for 30 minutes or more.
  • Scroll_Swe 8 hours ago
    Modern LED lights really draw no power at all in the grand scheme of things
    • cocoto 2 hours ago
      Yes but LED lights need to be connected to some electricity source, which is inconvenient in some scenarios.
    • quickthrowman 4 hours ago
      They’re pretty incredible, 200+ lumens per watt for LED lighting vs 16 lumens per watt for incandescent, 12.5x more efficient. Commercial LED fixtures have rated lifetimes of 50,000+ hours.
      • bluebarbet 3 hours ago
        The residual problem as ever being the rebound effect, AKA Jevons paradox. Let's hope that humans find a way not to want everything 12.5x brighter.
        • toast0 1 hour ago
          The pain experienced by looking at bright source of light seems to be fairly effective?
          • maxerickson 1 hour ago
            I guess it's unlikely to be 12x, but people probably do consume more light, by way of being less worried about switching them off.
  • ceejayoz 14 hours ago
    This feels like weird framing. They still need energy to produce it.

    I have a genetically engineered luminescent petunia plant. It’s neat, but a ways off from being useful for anything.

  • cassianoleal 14 hours ago
    So can torches and candles.
  • walrus01 13 hours ago
    It rather resembles the CGI protomolecule from 'The Expanse'.
    • hoerensagen 6 hours ago
      It is also relevant to something from the last three books, which haven't made it onto TV yet.
  • sandworm101 13 hours ago
    Why all the bother with 3d-printed gel shapes? Why not just use a mat of these things, all glowing, and then put it behind an LCD panel. Then you can have moving pictures without all the bother of 3d printing.

    Then you can take the next step and both their apparent output further by replacing the algae with tiny blue LED modules.

    • kiba 13 hours ago
      I think it's fine for research, curiosity, aesthetic and coolness factor. Not everything need to be 'practical'.
  • m3kw9 13 hours ago
    good for car dashboards, maybe for not vital areas
    • rini17 5 hours ago
      Good? You would need the dashboard climate controlled all the time otherwise the algae gets sterilised in the sun. On the other hand, if you park underground all day, must provide light otherwise it dies. Either way it will eat your battery in no time.

      Such an idea might be a good startup pitch for gullible investors but won't survive clash with reality.

    • Razengan 12 hours ago
      I don’t want algae on my vital areas
  • Razengan 12 hours ago
    Technically [nerd emoji] nothing is possible without electricity

    (No I don’t go to any parties)