Man Made Breathing Leaf is an Oxygen Factory for Space Travel

This is way cool, ATS. A Graduate Student at Royal College has made an artificial leaf to aid in Deep Space ventures where there is a need for extensive oxygen supply. With this advancement, a MAJOR hurdle has been overcome for Deep Space exploratiion; that hurdle being how to carry enough oxygen for Astronaughts to survive on long trips trips into Deep Space or for off World ventures.

Royal College of Art graduate Julian Melchiorri has created the first man-made, biologically functional leaf that takes in carbon dioxide, water, and light and releases oxygen. The leaf consists of chloroplasts -- the part of a plant cell where photosynthesis happens -- suspended in body made of silk protein

This is great news for the Space enthusiasts out there! With 3D printing for food, housing, artificial limbs, & housing, and artificial leafs for breathing we're almost set to explore Space with confidence. Now all that's needed is a secure propulsion system that's really fast and we're off! What says ATS?

www.cnet.com...

really good for some things, some of the comments really raked the guy over the coals where I read about this earlier here:www.dezeen.com...

a reply to: lostbook

I hope that the student is proud.

He pretty much significantly expanded humans' reach into space.

Wouldn't it be interesting if-because of inspiration from this guy's work-another student/researcher finds a solution
to another problem with lengthy space travel.

a reply to: lostbook

It looks really similar to Moldavite.

Moldavite:


The Leaf:

God should go out and party tonight, his children are becoming more like him everyday. One day perhaps we will come to an end, but if we get our timing right, the evolution of our brief visit may be A.I.

will it work in space?

Very cool if it will work in space 0g environment. Might have practical underwater applications as well.

a reply to: lostbook

Is that kid smarter than NASA?

Great!
So what the OP is saying is that some kid has found a way for the human virus to spread more effectively into the universe.
The council will not like the idea of the quarantine being broken and just may scrap the whole lab.

Should put these in car exhaust systems or industry heavy areas, if they work on the process of filtering CO2. Clean up your house before you leave..

originally posted by: Trueman
a reply to: lostbook

Is that kid smarter than NASA?

"Out of the mouth of babes".

Underwater......? That never came to mind but you're right. Maybe this tech can be used in airplanes or for high altitude areas where the air is thin. Or maybe for certain construction sites where the air is littered with dust and other substances.

So it absorbes the Co2 we exhaust, takes in sunlight and water and makes oxygen

Pray tell all you space ferrying captians
Where does all the extra water and sunlight come from when you are in deep space travel?

Not saying this is useless, its just not the answer to all space travel questions

BTW I do think its cool

originally posted by: g146541
Great!
So what the OP is saying is that some kid has found a way for the human virus to spread more effectively into the universe.
The council will not like the idea of the quarantine being broken and just may scrap the whole lab.

This attitude always makes me roll my eyes. If you truly believe that why don't you help everyone out and just off yourself? Humanity is not a virus, We have this thing called "free will", so how about choosing to be a part of the solution like the young man who invented this marvel, instead of waxing misanthropic on an internet forum.

a reply to: Orwells Ghost

You know I tend to agree with you. It seems entirely counter-intuitive to consider oneself a malignant affliction of the universe. On the other hand, the idea of a "viral" consequence is thought-provoking.

As we engineer new bio-technologies... we're gonna have to consider the real possibility that the "device" can contract a viral (or genetic equivalent) malady. Imagine having to "inoculate" your device against bio-threats... finding yourself with a total loss of O2 production...

I wonder if these devices are "immortal," or whether they can simply be stored... or would they "die?"

a reply to: Maxmars

I just mentioned this on another thread it is a machine that is a moisture vaporization recovery system:
www.elementfour.com...

originally posted by: Xcouncil=wisdom
So it absorbes the Co2 we exhaust, takes in sunlight and water and makes oxygen

Pray tell all you space ferrying captians
Where does all the extra water and sunlight come from when you are in deep space travel?

Not saying this is useless, its just not the answer to all space travel questions

BTW I do think its cool

Dear say artificial light will do the trick, and hydrogen is very abundant - the rest in mechanical.

a reply to: Trueman

Is that kid smarter than NASA?

I'd wager there are many whom are...and when the day comes that all are able to access affordable higher education? That will be the day when inventions change our world at a rapid pace indeed.