[b said:
Quote[/b] (Finch @ Sep. 14 2005,6:00)]Ok pyro. its a magazene article in discover magazine and heres the gist of it
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Which month? I don't get Discover anymore but I know someone who does. I'd like to read the full thing.
Also, Discover magazine is not necessarily the most reputable of scientific journals (I am not even soure I would go so far as to call them a scientific journal, more like science tabloid) so you have to take what they publish with a grain of salt. The age old saying I think applies here: "Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear."
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]“Some scientists are looking at genetic engineering as a means to turn various living organisms into harnessing the sun’s rays and making them into MORE efficient energy producers. Photosynthesis, energy from the sun. Normally, no hydrogenase (a natural enzyme that promotes the formation of gaseous hydrogen) is not involved in the process. But with microbes, it is possible to intervine genetically in ways that... er.. Encourage the activation of hydrogenase . Its not a new metabolic pathway at all. The end result would be a altered photosynthedic process that produces LESS oxygen and MORE hydrogen. Researchers at National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado have already succeeded in converting solar energy directly and continuously into hydrogen by manipulating photosynthesis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a common species of green alge. There are lots of exited companies by the prospect of energy form possible biocells."
And with enhanced efficiency, these things could be VERY competitive if they get out.
Here is, at least in part, the source of the confusion. The efficiency of the process of getting hydrogen from photosynthesis has been enhanced (i.e. the organism are more efficient at producing the energy source, hydrogen.) The organisms themselves do not have enhanced efficiency.
Do you see the difference?
Running out basic stoichiometric equations would suggest the organisms would be significantly depressed for growth.
Basic photosynthesis makes sugar and oxygen from water and carbon dioxide:
6CO2 + 6H2O --sun--> C6H12O6 + 6O2
The sugars produced are then used for cellular respiration to create the bulk of energy used for growth.
Now if you tip the system to make hydrogen the equation looks like this:
6CO2 + 14H2O --sun--> C6H12O6 + 10O2 + 8H2
If you balance the equations then you will see that the later process yields less sugar. Sugar that the organism needs for cellular respiration. With less sugar available for cellular respiration the organism will not grow as fast. Hence, it will not be compeditive if it should "get out"
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]As for the black holes, i dont beleive that we know for a fact that they wont suck up matter before evaporating because its all in the relm of hypothesis, not theory
It is the process of sucking up matter that accelerates the evaporation of the micro-blackhole. The more it sucks in the faster it evaporates.