Teenager Invents Cheap Solar Panel From Human Hair 366
Posted
by
samzenpus
from the 50-watt-shampoo dept.
from the 50-watt-shampoo dept.
Renoise writes "Milan Karki, 18, who comes from a village in rural Nepal, believes he has found the solution to the developing world's energy needs. A solar panel made from human hair. The hair replaces silicon, a pricey component typically used in solar panels, and means the panels can be produced at a low cost for those with no access to power. The solar panel, which produces 9 volts (18 watts) of energy, costs around $38 US (£23) to make from raw materials. Gentlemen, start your beards. The future of hair farming is here!"
You insensitive clods! (Score:5, Funny)
Someone Had Too (Score:4, Funny)
Like all technology this will be hair today and gone tomarrow
*I'll be here all week folks!
Neat (Score:3, Funny)
Re:And I just shaved my head!!! (Score:4, Funny)
I got drunk with my Dad and Uncle last week and we shaved our heads, now everywhere I look someone is rubbing in the fact I don't have hair anymore!!!! Like OMG!!!
So, how's life in your trailer park?
Re:9V != 18W (Score:3, Funny)
I don't think the original article suggests they are the same, although it does seem surprising if this thing can produce 2A.
If it produces 9V, I would not be the least surprised if it puts out 2A across 4.5 Ohms resistance.
Re:Neat (Score:2, Funny)
You can't call them "bearded ladies" any more they prefer "Italian American" now.
Re:9V != 18W (Score:2, Funny)
He's from Nepal.
Why do you think those Injuns were always scalpin people?
I watched Inglorious Basterds last night. Beautiful movie.
Maybe they needed solar power for their radios?
Too bad scalpin isn't a renewable source of energy.
Re:Why don't people with ponytails (Score:4, Funny)
Their dry leather sandals prevent current flow to ground and if it's damp, the decreased resistance to ground merely lets the current drain away at a safe rate.
Your homework is to determine the capacitance and inductance of RMS, and at what frequency he would resonate.
Re:9V != 18W (Score:4, Funny)
This is nothing. I once created the Ultimate Pleasure Device from 2 bottles of cheap wine, 10 ounces of ground beef (lean) and and a 12" piece of PVC tubing.
Re:9V != 18W (Score:4, Funny)
Only breathing every two months?
God man, i can barely last 2 minutes...
Well, here i go... huuuuuuuuuuuup
agreed (Score:2, Funny)
This experiment is totally fake...
He is either soaking the hairs in cold fusion liquid solvent to obtain a voltage or using a simple subminiature matter- antimatter induction pump to produce it. Who does this bozo think he's fooling???
I think (Score:5, Funny)
this article was either posted 161 days too late, or 204 days too early. Not certain which.
Re:9V != 18W (Score:1, Funny)
No Joules.
Anti-Semite.
Re:9V != 18W (Score:2, Funny)
This is nothing. I once created the Ultimate Pleasure Device from 2 bottles of cheap wine, 10 ounces of ground beef (lean) and and a 12" piece of PVC tubing.
THIS is nothing. Once I created a railway rifle with nothing more than a crutch, fission battery, pressure cooker and a steam gauge assembly.
Re:9V != 18W (Score:3, Funny)
There's no getting around Ohm's law...
Ha! I see that the Electric Police Force (aka The Faraday Fuzz) aren't nearly as corruptible as they around around here. A Benjamin or two to grease the wheels of Electric Justice, and they'll turn a blind eye to just about anything.
Hell, the other day I was running 100A through a 1k ohm load off a 9V battery, and my local Electric Police Officer just gave me a knowing smile and a tip of the hat before carrying on his merry way.
I heard down in Mexico you can do pretty much whatever you want if you just tell them you're in a cartel.
So this guy's device probably works, but has a "hidden cost" that of course isn't going to be discussed much.
Re:9V != 18W (Score:3, Funny)
True, this is false.
There's a picture of a multimeter, and a lighted bulb, but the panel shown is IN THE DARK! Unless it's on a totally different panel that is in the sun, it's way fake. And, as pointed out, 9volts is trivial, but 18 watts is actually really hard.
Also, the reporter is not energy-literate, but that's not a surprise.
I once showed an artist a calculator running on a lemon battery. Not knowing about CURRENT and POWER, she then went and proposed a project to a museum where a classic Gameboy would run on lemons, and they accepted it. Of course this would take a few thousand lemons! Luckily, it was an art museum, not a science museum. We ended up hiding double-A's inside some of the lemons. (We came clean to anyone smart enough to ask!)
I suspect similar shenanigans...
The REAL question is... did you get some?
Re:9V != 18W (Score:5, Funny)
But what did you do with the other 9" of the PVC tubing?
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Re:9V != 18W (Score:3, Funny)