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Monday, March 28, 2011

Science Is Utopia Here?

Posted by Charles Mudede on Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 2:59 PM

Right here?

Scientists have claimed one of the milestones in the drive for sustainable energy — development of the first practical artificial leaf. Speaking in Anaheim, California at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, they described an advanced solar cell the size of a poker card that mimics the process, called photosynthesis, that green plants use to convert sunlight and water into energy.

...."A practical artificial leaf has been one of the Holy Grails of science for decades," said Daniel Nocera, Ph.D., who led the research team. "We believe we have done it. The artificial leaf shows particular promise as an inexpensive source of electricity for homes of the poor in 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 do not believe in progress or in any of that 19th century claptrap. But I do believe that utopia is possible. I believe this because the human mind has somehow made it here. There might have been other minds in the past, but those minds, no matter how considerable they were, are certainly gone and certainly did not imagine a utopia or consider the dangers lurking in deep space. We can see these dangers in space and also dream about a world that is free of much that makes life an unhappy experience.

Comments (8) RSS

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You don't believe in progress?

Huh?!

Posted by douchus on March 28, 2011 at 3:31 PM

...also dream about a world that is free of much that makes life an unhappy experience

Not as long as we continue to breed uncontrollably, artificial leaf or no artificial leaf.

Posted by lrb on March 28, 2011 at 3:43 PM

You believe in "No-Place", how perfectly absurd.

Posted by samktg on March 28, 2011 at 3:44 PM

But free sustainable energy goes against everything our Destruction-Industrial Complex believes in.

Posted by A Concerned Parent on March 28, 2011 at 4:22 PM

I suppose it depends on how one defines "progress". If you mean "more industry, more social invasion of other nations by the US, more distractions from the rest of the world", well, Charles, I'd tend to agree that progress might be a bad thing.

However, if by "progress" you mean "incrementally improving the lives of everyone", then I'm not sure what the beef is here. If we're able to actually synthesize a photosynthetic chemistry - particularly if it's more efficient than nature's version - we'll have taken care of our energy needs, without nukes and without fossil fuels.

I'd think most people would approve of that...

Posted by warreno

on March 28, 2011 at 4:32 PM

Without that "progress" you hate so much, you wouldn't have a job.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty

on March 28, 2011 at 4:45 PM

Photosynthesis includes plants utilizing room temperature quantum entanglement. Methinks we still have a ways to go: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/201…

Posted by OuterCow on March 28, 2011 at 4:52 PM

"I do not believe in progress or in any of that 19th century claptrap. But I do believe that utopia is possible."

Well, the words are in English…. WTF?

Posted by Lymis on March 29, 2011 at 4:00 AM