Microbial Fuel Cells

The “discovery” that these four African girls supposedly made is called a microbial fuel cell, actually initiated in 1911 by an Englishman.

Among the other misstatements here is the idea of “six hours of electricity.”  How much electricity?  That’s like saying, “Six hours of flowing water.” How much water?  The Mississippi River, or a slow drip from a leaky faucet?  In this case, it’s far closer to the latter; microbial fuel cells produce so little current that they may as well not exist at all.

Some people claim that there could be a valid commercial application for these devices, especially in the processing of organic waste. I doubt it.  The subject strikes me as a terrific biochemistry experiment for high school kids, but that’s about it.

The idea that the media is conspiring to keep these kids’ work from the public adds just another slap across the face.