Alternative methods to charge your smart phone, Pee as you go

Scientists working at the University West of England (UWE) in Bristol, United kingdom, have found out one way to power a cell phone with Human urine.

The company has been capable of recharge a Samsung phone by putting the fluid through a cascade of microbial energy cells. Using this process, enough energy has been produced to send text messages, browse the Internet and even make a brief telephone call.

According to the scientists in charge, the next stage is to totally power the device with pee…Seemingly cleaning their hands straight afterwards.

Dr. Ioannis Ieropoulos has labored for ages with microbial energy cells; he’s considered to be an expert in harnessing power from extraordinary sources. The possibe purposes of his work are very attractive from an environmental viewpoint.

Dr. Ieropoulos said, “We’re very excited as this is a world first, no-one has harnessed power from urine to try this so it’s an interesting discovery. Using the ultimate waste product as the supply of power to provide electrical energy is almost as eco as it takes.” Eco-friendly tech is, apparently, the great doctor’s main area of curiosity.

The microbial cells work as an energy converter, they turn the natural substance straight into electricity, via the metabolism of live microorganisms. The electrical power is a by-product of a microorganism’s natural life cycle, meaning that as they ‘eat’ the pee, they generate energy the energy that powers the phone. Now that’s what we call ‘pee as you go’.

Toilet humour aside, the team have engineered a world first, as nothing as large as the phone battery has ever been charged using this method before.

There is, at present, no plans to market this tech on a sizable scale, but maybe someday we could be signing a ‘P’ mobile contract, the trick, as they say, shall be pissistance.

PS – I’m apologetic about this one. The work and its implications are amazing. All credit to the UWE team. On the other hand, I constantly needed to do one to those ‘And Finally’ type stories and now I finally get to. Please forgive me, one and all.