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Despite being a chemist, I don’t fully follow this, though it seems legitimate. But if there’s that much latent energy, I really have to think that there could
by chrisbrandow 3y ago
Despite being a chemist, I don’t fully follow this, though it seems legitimate.
But if there’s that much latent energy, I really have to think that there could be some kind of atmospheric, “local ecological” side effect on microorganisms or “something” at scale. It’s not like nature lets massive amounts of energy go completely unused.
- purpleflame1257 3y agoCompletely? No. But consider how much of a given square meter of sunlight on the ocean is photosynthesized by bacteria and algae, and how much becomes waste heat immediately.
- throwup238 3y agoThat's not "waste" heat as far as the ecosystem is concerned. It creates the ocean thermocline which drives ocean currents and nutrient exchange between layers. Without it everything in the ocean would starve from lack of basic minerals or suffocate due to lack of dissolved oxygen except around river deltas.
- amluto 3y agoThe article is quite vague. I assume they’re saying that a humidity difference drives a net flow of water vapor through their machine. So you seal one side and stick something hygroscopic in it as a big humidity sponge and expose the other side to the atmosphere. Then, about twice a day, you get a current if your climate has large diurnal humidity changes.
- soperj 3y agoI don't really see anything harvesting the wind aside from us?
- thaumasiotes 3y agoPlants do it all the time; the basic plant strategies for colonizing new territory are floating on the wind, floating on the water, and fruit.
- soperj 3y agoI guess spiders use it for getting around as well, and birds use it as well. I guess I was more thinking like photosynthesis.