Slimy Yet Smart! The Rise of Algae-Powered Computers

Move over coal, solar, and wind - there’s a new player in the energy game! It’s slimy, green, and floats around in water. Sounds like a pokemon, right? But this ain’t one! We’re talking about algae-powered computers. We know what you’ll are thinking right now. It’s like some random science experiment from a school project but it’s as real as it gets. And it might just change the way we power our gadgets! 

Ditch the plug, grab an algae!

It all started when some geniuses at the University of Cambridge decided to put blue-green algae (Synechocystis, if you want to sound fancy in front of your friends) inside a tiny device and let it sit in the sun. What happened next? Boom! The algae started doing what it does best, photosynthesis. And instead of just looking pretty and producing oxygen, it generated a small but steady electric current. This tiny power station kept a microprocessor running for over a year! That’s longer than some of our New Year’s resolutions last. 

Source: KamranAydinov

Algae-Powered devices: Coming soon to a home near you?

Did you ever imagine your smartwatch, smart fridge, or even your Wi-Fi router running on algae instead of electricity? Yes, that means no more power failures during our favourite cricket matches! This new form of green computing is a huge leap toward sustainable tech. Okay, but before you start dunking your laptop into a fish tank hoping for free power, here’s the reality check. Right now, the algae-powered microprocessor is tiny and best suited only for small devices like sensors, IoT gadgets, and maybe a future where our remotes never run out of juice at the worst moment.

The future is looking bright, and maybe just a little slimy. Who knows? A few years from now, your laptop might not just need a charger. It might need a little sunlight and some water, like a pet. Just don’t forget to feed your algae-powered computer, or it might ghost you during your Zoom meeting.

So, next time you see a pond full of algae, don’t wrinkle your nose. That green goop might just be the future of computing solutions and the end of "Sorry, my laptop died" excuses forever.