Any article that starts out this way is going to grab my attention:
For obvious reasons, scientists long have thought that salt water couldn't be burned. So when an Erie man announced he'd ignited salt water with the radio-frequency generator he'd invented, some thought it a was a hoax. [From Salt water as fuel? Erie man hopes so]
Of course, it is not actually the saltwater that is burning. It turns out that the radio waves release the hydrogen in the water as a gas, which can then be burned. This is interesting on a lot of levels (including the little boy in me who once—okay, more than once—lit hairspray on fire), but I think the most interesting is this discovery's potential for transportation fuel. We won't be driving saltwater powered cars tomorrow, but this could be an excellent alternative energy source in the future. This discovery does raise a few questions in my mind, as well.
What would this do to the sea water if we used it in a billion cars?
How clean would the sea water have to be? (Would there need to be a purification step?)
From whence would the energy to run the radio frequency generator come? (Solar power could be an option.)
What kind of combustion engine redesign would be needed to implement this new fuel? (I am guessing that plain steel fuel tanks would not work, with corrosion caused by saltwater.)
Interference from big oil companies is almost a given, they have a lot to lose; What can be done to prevent that?
I am not the person to figure all this out, but I certainly hope that this potential resource does not go un-researched. This story is also pretty ironic in a humorous way for several reasons:
I am not one to make a habit of fun names—I received enough of that for a lifetime already—but the irony here is to good: One of the scientists involved is named Dr. Rustum Roy. Since saltwater causes rust... :D
The same person made the following quote:
This is the most abundant element in the world. It is everywhere.
Poetic irony anyone? "Water, water, every where, nor any drop to drink." Samuel Taylor Coleridge
John Kanzius was doing research for the fight against cancer when he made this discovery (Can it really be an "invention" since it is taking advantage of the laws of nature, and naturally occurring substances to produce the flame?).
At any rate, this is a really cool discovery. The coolest parts are yet to come though, I hope. For more reading on this subject: Can Saltwater Be Burned As Fuel?
This morning Nádya took some video of Kylie playing and happily cooing. It is adorable. It is about an eleven megabyte (11 MB) download in Quicktime format, so you will need the Quicktime player to view it.
Some other really cool things happened this week too, but I have put them in another post: See "With Grace For The Children" .
