Scientists at the Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York have discovered another way in which snails could be useful, besides being eaten as a French delicacy: they can provide electrical power!
Of course, the need for finding alternative sources of energy is indeed great, but it hasn’t yet come to this – using snails. What this actually represents is the first step in an effort to get information from military-relevant environments.
And I know it may sound cruel, but the way to achieve that is by actually placing biofuel cells into their blood and connecting the electrodes to an external unit.
The entire process is being made possible through the glucose and oxygen found in the poor snails’ blood. Unfortunately, according to reports from Nature.com, the 7.45 microwatts production dropped after only 3 quarters of an hour, so the extracted power was rectified to 0.16 microwatts.
Oh, and one more thing: no snails were hurt during this experiment – they’re still “functioning” as normal, so there’s no need to worry about them! Next in line: lobsters.
[via DVICE]
