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Thu Nov 12
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  • posts about #renewableenergy more →

    Remainders - Things We Didn't Post

    Forget Silicon, This Teenager's Solar Panel Uses Human Hair as a Conductor

    Sound Wave Harvesting Justifies Your Annoyingly Loud Phone Voice

    Horizon H-Racer 2.0: Faster, Greener, Less Likely To Smash Into Walls

    Laptop Heat Creates Energy Instead of Burning Precious Man Parts

    Rock Port, Missouri, is First US City to Generate All Its Electricity From Wind Turbines

    NASA Wind Map Shows You Where The Greatest Gusts Blow

    Danish Isle Runs Completely on Renewable Energy, Is Greenest Guinea Pig Ever

    InnovaTek's Mini Microreactor Can Convert Liquid Fuel Into Hydrogen

    Masdar HQ: World's First Positive Energy Building
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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of dallasmay dallasmay
    10/20/09

    In reply to Remainders - Things We Didn't Post
    Apple I understand, Google I get, even Microsoft has been building their brand lately. But who sits around tweeting about Samsung?

    "Hey I just bought at new Samsung Instinct. Now everyone at school will think I'm totally cool." #gizmodoremainders
     Reply
    TheLostVikings R.O.A.C.H. promoted this comment dallasmay was starred dallasmay was unstarred
    Image of TheLostVikings R.O.A.C.H. TheLostVikings R.O.A.C.H.
    10/20/09


    @dallasmay: I guess people just like stuff like this: #gizmodoremainders
     Reply
    TheLostVikings R.O.A.C.H. was starred TheLostVikings R.O.A.C.H. was unstarred
    Image of Benguin Benguin
    10/20/09

    In reply to Remainders - Things We Didn't Post
    As a San Diego native that last post was interesting.

    The ironic thing about such "nice" weather all the time is that we start to crave "shitty" weather. I just want it to rain so badly sometimes. Sunshine can get so boring sometimes. #gizmodoremainders
     Reply
    Benguin was starred Benguin was unstarred
    Image of tptran tptran
    10/20/09

    @Benguin:

    I agree completely. I'm craving for some rain! #gizmodoremainders
     Reply
    Benguin promoted this comment tptran was starred tptran was unstarred
    Image of Mad as a Hatter Mad as a Hatter
    10/20/09

    @Benguin: I just moved to San Diego and I love the weather,
    but I can see where you're coming from. #gizmodoremainders
     Reply
    Benguin promoted this comment Mad as a Hatter was starred Mad as a Hatter was unstarred
    Image of Benguin Benguin
    10/20/09

    @Mad as a Hatter: I think if you move here from somewhere with actual seasons, you'll welcome the steady weather. But when you've lived here 98% of you're ready for something different. #gizmodoremainders
     Reply
    Benguin was starred Benguin was unstarred
    Image of Mad as a Hatter Mad as a Hatter
    10/20/09

    @Benguin: Yea, where I moved from (north of LA by a bit) only had 2 seasons

    The Devil's Summer and Summer. and 3-8 days of Summer showers #gizmodoremainders
     Reply
    Mad as a Hatter was starred Mad as a Hatter was unstarred
    Image of Benguin Benguin
    10/21/09

    @Mad as a Hatter: Ah, I hear you. I lived in the Inland Empire for a few years during college. While there was slightly more variance in the weather there than here, it was still pretty consistent. Consistently ugly. I'll take SD's consistent beauty any day.

    But I did spend some time in Toronto and they had this crazy thing over there. It was called "winter." Never heard of that before. #gizmodoremainders
     Reply
    Benguin was starred Benguin was unstarred
    Image of Mad as a Hatter Mad as a Hatter
    10/20/09

    In reply to Remainders - Things We Didn't Post
    Samsung is my brand of choice for everything from cell phones to towels

    and Sony is the brand I avoid for the same pieces above

    so I'm not surprised. #gizmodoremainders
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment Mad as a Hatter was starred Mad as a Hatter was unstarred
    Image of Wilson Rothman Wilson Rothman
    10/20/09

    @Mad as a Hatter: I had no idea that Sony and Samsung made towels, but from now on, I will be on the lookout for both. #gizmodoremainders
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman was starred Wilson Rothman was unstarred
    Image of Identity (Metric) Identity (Metric)
    10/20/09

    @Wilson Rothman: But you do have a towel (currently) with you, right??
     Reply
    Edited by Identity (Metric) at 10/20/09 5:39 AM Identity (Metric) was starred Identity (Metric) was unstarred
    Image of met2art met2art
    10/19/09

    In reply to Remainders - Things We Didn't Post
    What I got: Solar-powered robot cheetah with built-in NPR radio ravages brand-name-dropping twitterers. #gizmodoremainders
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment met2art was starred met2art was unstarred
    Image of Scratic Scratic
    10/19/09

    In reply to Remainders - Things We Didn't Post
    Wow, Wilson. Facial? I like it. I'm off to give you a facial right now. #gizmodoremainders
     Reply
    dingus promoted this comment Scratic was starred Scratic was unstarred
    Image of dingus dingus
    10/20/09

    @Scratic: You were doing well until that last statement. And then you ventured into creepytown. #gizmodoremainders
     Reply
    dingus was starred dingus was unstarred
    Image of ripfire ripfire
    09/09/09

    In reply to Forget Silicon, This Teenager's Solar Panel Uses Human Hair as a Conductor
    Sorry blondes. Brunettes only.
     Reply
    ripfire was starred ripfire was unstarred
    Image of anon anon
    09/09/09

    In reply to Forget Silicon, This Teenager's Solar Panel Uses Human Hair as a Conductor
    I was waffling on whether or not this was a hoax, so I did some Googling. I found this article entitled "Semiconductor Properties of Natural Melanins".

    [www.researchgate.net]
     Reply
    ripfire promoted this comment anon was starred anon was unstarred
    Image of ripfire ripfire
    09/09/09

    @craighyatt: That title right there contradicts this article.

    How can melanin (a semiconductor) be a good conductor?
     Reply
    ripfire was starred ripfire was unstarred
    Image of anon anon
    09/09/09


    @ripfire: I assume you aren't pranking me. :) As I understand it, semiconductors make good solar cells because it's easy or photons of light to knock electrons loose. That being said, I tested some of my wife's jet-black hair and got nothing. Not conductive. No electrical potential when exposed to UV. Not a definitive experiment, of course.
     Reply
    anon was starred anon was unstarred
    Image of acuraboytl acuraboytl
    09/09/09

    In reply to Forget Silicon, This Teenager's Solar Panel Uses Human Hair as a Conductor
    Interesting to note, conductivity has only been attained in subjects with high concentrations of Eumelanin (Black and Brown), so this would only work with black or very dark brown colored hair. Sorry Matt, you'll have to buy hair by the kilo for this project...
     Reply
    Rosa Golijan promoted this comment acuraboytl was starred acuraboytl was unstarred
    Image of anon anon
    09/09/09

    @acuraboytl: My wife's hair is jet black, but does not conduct at all. I tested it. She must be used to me. She didn't even blink when I said, "Honey, I need to cut off a chunk of your hair to check conductivity and semiconductor properties." :)
     Reply
    Rosa Golijan promoted this comment anon was starred anon was unstarred
    Image of Rosa Golijan Rosa Golijan
    09/09/09

    @craighyatt: Now that's love. :)
     Reply
    Rosa Golijan was starred Rosa Golijan was unstarred
    Image of CaesarDia CaesarDia
    09/09/09

    In reply to Forget Silicon, This Teenager's Solar Panel Uses Human Hair as a Conductor
    I am horrified that Gizmodo has published this article verbatim, without even questioning the basic science behind this "invention". If hair were a good conductor then you couldn't staticly charge a baloon with it!

    Also, melanin is really bad at charge separation, a basic requirement for solar cells. It evolved to efficiently turn UV radiation into heat to protect us from the sun. If it produced charge it would to more harm than good!

    My PhD is in this field so I think I am qualified to say that this is really suspect. This needs much more rigorous reporting before people should be gushing about this kid being the next "Edison".
     Reply
    DrewTweetsToo promoted this comment Odin approved this comment CaesarDia was starred CaesarDia was unstarred
    Image of MePerson MePerson
    09/09/09

    @CaesarDia: The oil in your hair stops any charge from dissapating. Also, it's a semiconductor.

    But hey, you have the PhD, so I'm probably wrong. :)
     Reply
    MePerson was starred MePerson was unstarred
    Image of theimmc theimmc
    09/09/09

    In reply to Forget Silicon, This Teenager's Solar Panel Uses Human Hair as a Conductor
    Erm.. Solar Green is People?
     Reply
    deanbmmv promoted this comment theimmc was starred theimmc was unstarred
    Image of MaQ MaQ
    09/09/09

    @theimmc:
    It's MATRIX I tell you !!
     Reply
    MaQ was starred MaQ was unstarred
    Image of anon anon
    09/09/09

    In reply to Forget Silicon, This Teenager's Solar Panel Uses Human Hair as a Conductor
    Wow! Next thing you know, they'll be generating heat from regular old wood.
     Reply
    DrewTweetsToo promoted this comment anon was starred anon was unstarred
    Image of Shamoononon: I shave my legs. Shamoononon: I shave my legs.
    09/09/09

    In reply to Forget Silicon, This Teenager's Solar Panel Uses Human Hair as a Conductor




    Hw Sn Frncsc wll srvv th pcl
     Reply
    dolo54 blows minds and blows engines! promoted this comment Edited at 09/09/09 7:26 PM Shamoononon: I shave my legs. was starred Shamoononon: I shave my legs. was unstarred
    Image of Rosa Golijan Rosa Golijan
    09/09/09

    @Shamoononon Beer Lover: There went my breakfast.

    I'm not trying to diet, so let's keep pics like that out of the comments for now. Deal?
     Reply
    Rosa Golijan was starred Rosa Golijan was unstarred
    Image of dolo54 blows minds and blows engines! dolo54 blows minds and blows engines!
    09/09/09

    @Shamoononon Beer Lover: that's inappropriate and possibly bannable. But I laughed anyhow...
     Reply
    dolo54 blows minds and blows engines! was starred dolo54 blows minds and blows engines! was unstarred
    Image of maztec maztec
    09/09/09

    In reply to Forget Silicon, This Teenager's Solar Panel Uses Human Hair as a Conductor
    What is the efficiency? Four times cheaper, but just how much energy is put out by it?
     Reply
    deanbmmv promoted this comment maztec was starred maztec was unstarred
    Image of deanbmmv deanbmmv
    09/09/09

    @maztec: Who cares. Its hair, its cheap, as long as it'll power something its good.
     Reply
    deanbmmv was starred deanbmmv was unstarred
    Image of redangel7 redangel7
    09/09/09

    @deanbmmv: But it won't be funny if it requires 100 square feet panel to charge an iPod
     Reply
    deanbmmv promoted this comment redangel7 was starred redangel7 was unstarred
    Image of deanbmmv deanbmmv
    09/09/09

    @redangel7: And why would people who can't afford batteries be wanting iPods?
     Reply
    deanbmmv was starred deanbmmv was unstarred
    Image of appletoad appletoad
    09/08/09

    In reply to Forget Silicon, This Teenager's Solar Panel Uses Human Hair as a Conductor
    I just realised that this kid is recycling Edison's discovery that led him to use hair in his first working light bulb.
     Reply
    Rosa Golijan promoted this comment appletoad was starred appletoad was unstarred
    Image of Mason Ice Mason Ice
    09/08/09

    In reply to Forget Silicon, This Teenager's Solar Panel Uses Human Hair as a Conductor
    We will all be bald but we will have cheap energy. I guess that is why so many people in futuristic movies have no hair.
     Reply
    GitEmSteveDave_NowW/PantsOfMeat promoted this comment Mason Ice was starred Mason Ice was unstarred
    Image of GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking
    09/09/09

    @Mason Ice: They aren't bald, it's a solar panel for a sex machine.
     Reply
    GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking was starred GitEmSteveDave_IsSlacking was unstarred
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