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Glow Team! Fun with Bioluminescence |
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Dr. Samuel Says -
Arts & Science
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Written by Dr. Samuel Centralia, Ph.D., D.D.S., Esq.
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Wednesday, 25 June 2008 |
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I've been monkeying around in the lab this week, looking at backlight options for several new gadget initiatives here at Dyscern World HQ. Backlighting is one of those humble little technologies that you never really notice, but tend to miss it considerably when it's not working. Like the illumination on your watch or iPod. Or the dashboard display in your car. Or time machine. Once, due to a dim backlight, my trip to 1973 dumped me in the Precambrian era. That sucked.
 Recently, I've been looking into the possibilities of bioluminescence.
This is the catchall terms for the production and emission of light by
living organisms. Think fireflies, glow worms, anglefish. Even some
varieties of fungus bioluminesce. The phenomenon is essentially a
chemical reaction, just like a battery. According to my research thus
far, backlights powered by bioluminescence can be more efficient than
traditional battery power. Plus I rather like the idea of a
firefly-powered MP3 player display.
As is my custom, I've gotten sidetracked the last few days working with
the lightning bugs. So cool. Did you know that fireflies do their
little glowing thing for the oldest of
reasons--to get some action? It's practical, too. There are more than
1,900 species of fireflies, and each has its own light pattern. The
females, who generally do not fly, wait until they see a male flashing
the correct pattern, species-wise. The ladies will then flash back the
same pattern, attracting the male and ensuring that all hanky-panky is
kept safely within the species.
So anyway, I'll keep you all posted on developments. The biotech
aspects here are very exciting, and extend well past the gadget market.
For example, did you know the U.S. federal government once funded
research into the possibility of lining interstate highways with
bioluminescent trees? Seriously.Thise are the kinds of projects that remind me why I heart science.
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