Science Leaf Is Way Better Than Nature Leaf
An MIT professor says he's created an artificial leaf some 10 times more efficient at carrying out photosynthesis than a leaf made by dumb ol' "nature," proving yet again that nature is incredibly stupid and lame.
Dr. Daniel Nocera's leaf, about the size of a playing card and "made of widely available, inexpensive materials," can convert a gallon of water into "enough electricity to power a house in a developing country for an entire day" by splitting it into its constitutive elements, oxygen and hydrogen. In contrast, "natural" leaves, are boring and green and can't even power one HDTV. And has nature ever signed a contract?
Those are impressive claims, but they're also not just pie-in-the-sky, conceptual thoughts. Nocera has already signed a contract with a global megafirm to commercialize his groundbreaking idea. The mammoth Indian conglomerate, Tata Group has forged a deal with the MIT professor to build a small power plant, the size of a refrigerator, in about a year and a half....
For now, Nocera is setting his sights on developing countries. "Our goal is to make each home its own power station," he said. "One can envision villages in India and Africa not long from now purchasing an affordable basic power system based on this technology."
I feel bad for nature, but it's not my fault that it's too lazy to come up with a good leaf. I can't wait till we make more efficient versions of everything!
