Scientists have discovered a potential new energy source that could have a major impact in the way we get electricity in the future. In the past, scientists believed that moisture in the air was electricly neutral and that there was no electricity harnessed within them. New studies however, have proven this wrong and have showed that there is in fact electricity harnessed within water droplets in the air and that we can actually use it for electricity. This form of collecting energy has become known as "hygroelectricity" and scientists hope that in the future they will be able to create conductors similar to the cells used to harness solar power. Creating these conductors will not only allow us to use the electricity in our homes but it should also lessen the number of lightening related deaths and property damage since a vast majority of the electricity in the air would come from electricity conducted in the air through lightening.
Although I do think that this is a great possibility for the future, at the rate that scientists have been moving on gaining information on this energy source, it may take many more years before they actually have enough information to create these conductors to use for major home and business usage. But I do hope that they take large strides in making this energy source more availible for us.
Questions:
1.) Do you think that this energy source could become a major source of electricity ?
2.) How long do you think it will take for scientists to come up with these conductors and why ?
3.) What other energy source can you think of that is similar to this one ?
I think that it's good that scientists explore this area in science. Almost everything that we do has an energy that might help do something else that is good for nature and humanity. I really hope that in the near future we would see this kind of technology progress and become much more advanced.
ReplyDeleteAbout your Question number 1.
1( I think that if the scientists would find the source of this moisture and make a lot more than there is today, we could see in the future the next coal or oil. I think that could really work and it have a big potential to the would and especially the human nature.
I think this new form of energy is good, maybe too good to be true. This summary of the article does not list any of the possible downfalls of using hydroelectricity for a major energy source. The conductors used for solar power are expensive and if scientists were to make cells used to harness hydroelectric power the same way as solar, then it might be an energy source that is just as expensive or more expensive than solar power. Also, this energy might not harness a lot of electricity and people might not see it as cost effective to buy it because they may save little money off it. In today's economy, money is very important and people are trying to be cost effective. However, if this type of energy source is not very expensive and harnesses a lot of electricity, it could be a great thing for the nation! With fossil fuel supplies running out and wars being fought over oil, we need to get a new energy source that almost everyone can afford to have. Hydroelectricity might be the breakthrough that the whole world needs to start using a eco-friendly, sustainable, and affordable energy resource.
ReplyDelete3 new questions:
1. What is the estimate of the price that hydroelectricity will cost to the average household?
2. About how much money would using hydroelecticity power save for average households in the US on their monthly electric bills?
3. Does hydro power and hydroelectric power both use the same concepts to create electicity?
I think that it is fantastic that they are trying to find different ways to do electricity. The way righ not is not efficent. With all that being said is this someway dangerous? I really hope to see more news about this and become more and more realistic. I agree with rachel when she said that there are wars going on over oil and we don't need another to be about electricity.
ReplyDeleteQ #3..
I think that this in the way future become maybe a new source of eletricity but we don't have that many thunder storms to supply the whole world unless the scientists can figure out a way.
I think that it is a great idea to try and harness the immense power that is brought to our world by nature. I hope that this new form of energy could be a potential solution to the nations energy problem. It would be really cool if they could do this. Whenever i see lightening i wonder about how much power and energy someone could obtian if they harnested its power. We may find out in the near future.
ReplyDeleteAbout your question number one, i think that it very well could become a major source of energy. I also think that if we can efficiently do this, then we would be slowing down global warming and could also eventually stop it.