The Trees Have Gone Electric

[Nathanael]

A very astute use of technology:




Today’s Scientific American 60-second science podcast was about one of my favorite trees, the mighty maple. One could discuss the maple’s majestic canopy of leaves or it’s lovely sap, but this is about the tree’s ability to make electricity.

Scientists have known for some time that trees can create small amounts of energy that can be harnessed by putting a nail in the tree, a conductor in the ground and a wire running between the two. More recently, they discovered that the electrical current source is an imbalance in PH between the tree and the surrounding soil. A year ago, MIT researchers began looking at tree powered sensors to prevent the spread of forest fires.

Massachusetts based Voltree Power is now field testing the devices with a good deal of success and help from the National Interagency Fire Center. Their first product is called the Early Wildfire Alert Network (EWAN). It consists of thousands of humidity and temperature sensor nodes distributed over remote forestland. Each node contains a wireless transceiver that enables EWAN to monitor forest conditions and instantly communicate the onset of wildfires.



Link: http://www.energyboom.com/emerging/trees-have-gone-electric

[fascisthunter]

1. Very Cool

[Pangolin2]

2. I think I would prefer they use solar powered sensors and not put nails in trees.

:shrug:

[aquart]

3. Oh, wow.

This is the kind of thing that leaves me awed.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. Plants have feelings? Plants sense intent?? Mebbe

http://www.hindu.com/seta/2004/04/22/stories/2004042200331600.htm



The findings of their joint project are to be published in Plant Physiology, a review of the American Society of Plant Biologists. Not the least intriguing question raised by the study is whether, at the start of the process they describe, there is something that can be termed fear. The debate began in 1966 when a lie detector expert, Cleve Backster, connected a plant to a polygraph. He said the machine registered changes as soon as he began to contemplate burning the plant's leaves.

Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

[amborin]

5. fascinating

[Nathanael]

6. What if the intention was good?

What if the intention when hooking up the sensors was done through love and protection? The fact that these sensors might prevent that tree from being consumed by a forest fire--much like a pace-maker might prevent heart failure.

[tama]

8. Go and try

Go hug a tree with loving embrace and feel how it responds. :)

[tama]

7. But trees got no brains!

So how can they feel? Well the obvious answer is that human feelings are also not restricted to brains.

Trees can be very wise teachers. Most famous wise tree teacher is the Boddhi-tree under which Siddharta Gautama sat in meditation and became buddha.