kinyutaka
kinyutaka t1_jack5sx wrote
Reply to comment by ScienceIsSexy420 in ELI5: What's hard about copying photosynthesis or just using plants for power by No_Dust_5360
Harvesting the electrons might be feasible, but is it efficient enough for our purposes?
kinyutaka t1_jacjkms wrote
Reply to comment by ScienceIsSexy420 in ELI5: What's hard about copying photosynthesis or just using plants for power by No_Dust_5360
We can and probably are trying that very thing, but the way plants do it creates sugars and fibers, not creating free electrons.
It's just not something that we can replicate completely for our purposes.
One thing we might be able to do is capture the carbon emissions from burning plant material, like sugars, then use the CO2 from those emissions to feed a new generation of photoelectric cells. There would probably be loses in the system, but...
kinyutaka t1_jaciiuk wrote
Reply to comment by ScienceIsSexy420 in ELI5: What's hard about copying photosynthesis or just using plants for power by No_Dust_5360
The point he was trying to make with his answer is that burning plant material (wood) or fossil material (coal) is the most efficient way of getting the energy out of a plant.
It is dirty and bad for the environment, but it is efficient.
kinyutaka t1_jaciav7 wrote
Reply to comment by No_Dust_5360 in ELI5: What's hard about copying photosynthesis or just using plants for power by No_Dust_5360
Probably not. Biological drive would cause the plants to grow larger if excess energy is provided.
kinyutaka t1_jaci27d wrote
Reply to ELI5: What's hard about copying photosynthesis or just using plants for power by No_Dust_5360
I think that the biggest problem with trying to use plant-based photosynthesis for electrical power generation is that photosynthesis is the creation of sugars through the combination of CO2 and water, utilizing energy from the sunlight.
Those sugars are great for animals to produce heat energy, but not good at generating electricity directly.
Meaning, we would need to translate the sunlight into sugar, then use the sugar to generate one kind of energy, then use that energy to generate power. Each step involves a decrease in efficiency.
Plants overcome that efficiency issue by growing larger and taller, to get more sunlight. Animals overcome that issue by eating more plants or eating more plant-eaters.
Photosynthetic power plants would have to become exponentially larger to overcome three or more steps of inefficiency.
kinyutaka t1_jaavuhs wrote
Reply to Eli5: when you over eat why do you feel lethargic and tired, shouldn’t you have more energy because you’ve eaten more calories? by shreakonAcid
Eating doesn't give you energy right away, in most cases, and overeating often has energy that doesn't convert quickly.
Potato chips, meat, bread, rice, etc, are calorie dense, but full of complex carbohydrates and fats that need to be broken down into more simple sugars.
That process actually uses energy in the short term, before giving you a boost of energy later.
Simple sugars, like those found in juices and desserts, don't need to be broken down, and provide energy very quickly to the body.
So, what happens when you overeat? Your body shuts down to process the food, then has nowhere to go with the excess energy. That energy is then converted into fats and stored in the body for later.
kinyutaka t1_ja5w157 wrote
Reply to comment by TheRealStorey in ELI5: Why isn't the Litre (L) considered a "non-SI" unit? by enby-millennial-613
That is also true.
A cm^3 of water is one gram.
kinyutaka t1_j9z90un wrote
Reply to comment by r3dl3g in ELI5: Why isn't the Litre (L) considered a "non-SI" unit? by enby-millennial-613
To be more specific, the Liter is simply a special name for the cubic decimeter (1 tenth of a meter, cubed)
The Liter is defined by its relation to the Cubic Centimeter, which is equal to the milliliter.
kinyutaka t1_j9gmi56 wrote
kinyutaka t1_j5nivbt wrote
Reply to TIL that Ophiocordyceps unilateralis (zombie-ant fungus) has its own fungal hyperparasite sometimes referred to as the "anti zombie-fungus fungus" which limits its effect on ant colonies by Kubly
Wait until you hear about the anti anti zombie-fungus fungus ant, which is a type of ant that eats the anti-zombie-fungus fungus to keep other ants as zombie ants.
kinyutaka t1_j1ns52b wrote
Reply to muppets take mahatten thoughts by Filmfan-2022
The Muppets have very little continuity between films. Don't worry too much about that.
All the really matters is that Ocean Breeze Soap will get you clean.
kinyutaka t1_ixqwmho wrote
Reply to comment by GESNodoon in ELI5 how does grading on a curve work? by mysteriouslime
That all depends on the teacher. Grading on the curve doesn't really employ any complex math. It is just suggesting that they push the pass/fail line up or down based on what the teacher thinks it should be set at.
kinyutaka t1_ixqqqu6 wrote
Reply to ELI5 how does grading on a curve work? by mysteriouslime
Theoretically, in any group of people, the majority of the body will be average in knowledge and intelligence, and few will be outlying to the top or bottom. This creates a "bell curve", a hump in the graphical representation of the class.
If everything is done right, then the majority of students will receive a similar grade, hopefully around 70 (passing) anyway.
But if the concepts are harder, the whole class might get dragged back, putting the average grade lower, let's say 68, failing if you just grade the tests.
Grading on the curve corrects for the fact that they are doing the best they can, pushing the passing score down to 67. It allows for a teacher to fudge the numbers and allow for fewer failures for little mistakes.
But if you have a student that greatly excels in the test, that throws off the Curve. Among other things, it suggests that the subject matter wasn't all that hard and the "barely failing" students simply failed to learn the lesson.
kinyutaka t1_ix4b3b5 wrote
Reply to What is Dwayne Johnson’s best movie? by Melk-boy
The Scorpion King
It was hokey and cheesy and perfect.
kinyutaka t1_iuka78i wrote
Reply to comment by WeaponB in Eli5: What is Gish galloping and how do you discern it from an actual debate? by ZookeepergameWaste94
All punctuated with "as Ancient Astronaut Theorists believe, and if it were true, then..."
kinyutaka t1_iuk9wvy wrote
Reply to comment by Seafarer493 in Eli5: What is Gish galloping and how do you discern it from an actual debate? by ZookeepergameWaste94
I get that a lot. Someone will rapid fire like 5 points on Twitter (where space is limited), and I'll address points 1, 2, and 3, and they will shoot back about how I refuse to talk about point 5 before I am even done with point 4.
So, I address point 5, and they use the fact that you can't see the whole threads at once to accuse me of not addressing point 3, then fire off 5 more points.
And even if I do manage to address all of them, they just argue that one of the responses just doesn't apply in the situation, accuse me of acting in bad faith, and block me from responding further.
And in their twisted mind, that means they won.
kinyutaka t1_ity59h1 wrote
Reply to comment by Chafro23 in She'll start. by MeetLawrence
They need to make one of those CD compilation sets "Now That's What I Call TV Theme Songs"
kinyutaka t1_itx9ajl wrote
Reply to She'll start. by MeetLawrence
That car would look awesome with a fan on the back. If I knew anything about cars, I would take it.
kinyutaka t1_itnifka wrote
Reply to comment by 685327594 in eli5: how long would power stay on if the power company abandoned their post? by larsattacks94
I am sure it depends on a lot of factors.
Some plants might go down in a heartbeat. Some might coast a bit. Like the Hoover Dam Hydroelectric Plant probably can run for a bit, especially since electrical demand would go down after an apocalypse.
I do not want to test that, though.
kinyutaka t1_itngebh wrote
Reply to comment by larsattacks94 in eli5: how long would power stay on if the power company abandoned their post? by larsattacks94
To be fair, I am not an expert on these matters. I would be surprised if it goes for a week, because our power grid died without the abandon ship just because it was too cold.
I would call it "believable"for 20 days, I just expect less.
kinyutaka t1_itnd6ly wrote
Reply to eli5: how long would power stay on if the power company abandoned their post? by larsattacks94
Usually it would, but without people to maintain the plant, eventually fuel would deplete or connections get broken or wires go down or something else, and the power grid kind just stops.
Even without an apocalyptic event, i would be surprised if the lights stayed on for a week without someone manning the equipment.
kinyutaka t1_jaclj18 wrote
Reply to comment by ScienceIsSexy420 in ELI5: What's hard about copying photosynthesis or just using plants for power by No_Dust_5360
I am not trying to say that it isn't worth trying. Only that it is clearly not good enough for mass market.