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Fiber optics grown in nature

That is amazing Mr. Anderson. The sponge is trully beautiful. They always say that there is nothing new under the sun. Nature has many things that it can teach man!
 
Actually I think the more we advance, the more often we will be duplicating the processes nature uses. I read an article a while ago about a Japanese scientist who has developed a paint that can photosynthesize. Nature has had plenty of time to work on these problems, and usually does things in such a way that one organism's waste is another's food source. Also, using nature as a model will reduce our vulnerability to terrorist attack, since nature's processes are almost always distributed in more of a web form than a chain. A chain can be broken by removing one link, a web is much harder to destroy.
 
Nature does hold many amazing things. Hopefully someday we'll all realize that we are more connected to nature than we tend to think and unlock our true potential
 
I would love to see natural fusion (besides in a sun). Imagine if there was an animal or such that used a type of fusion to make energy to survive.....

D :D
 
Originally posted by mactastic
Actually I think the more we advance, the more often we will be duplicating the processes nature uses. I read an article a while ago about a Japanese scientist who has developed a paint that can photosynthesize. Nature has had plenty of time to work on these problems, and usually does things in such a way that one organism's waste is another's food source. Also, using nature as a model will reduce our vulnerability to terrorist attack, since nature's processes are almost always distributed in more of a web form than a chain. A chain can be broken by removing one link, a web is much harder to destroy.
Click to expand...

I read an article recently at CNN.com about DNA computers. It really does seem that more advanced technology takes after nature more and more.
 
Dang you Anderson. My dad sent me this article this morning and I was going to post it but got distracted. For some reason you always seem to be on the same page as I am when it comes to new tech and news.

This is very very cool. No doubt if man can duplicate this fiber optic will get much much cheaper as it's a cold process and there isn't the need to protect it from breakage like the current stuff. This could lead to cheaper phone and broadband service over the next decade.
 
Ha, sorry about that Mr. Bandit....;)

Well, as for growing them in the cold, I imagine it would be a very slow process, yet if the researchers figure it out I'm sure some part of this could be used to improve the man made versions.

I had an opportunity to run and splice fiber optics for a system we had at work (HAARP - do a google search and be amazed at how much you actually get) - and I know first hand how tricky the stuff can be. It would also be great to be able to come up with a better way to splice two pieces together...

D :D
 
Science is great. And of course its interesting to see what nature can do.

But I don't think that this discovery will help us in any way in the near future.

Fibers are already very cheap. And million of fiber miles are already laying in the ground.

To get more bandwith its necessary that:
- Telcoms are earning money
- Get the fibers in the ground connected to equipment.

But again - I am a great fun of science. Don't get me wrong
 
Ah, but if we can make more flexible fiber by studying this stuff, that would be an improvement. Fiber is quite brittle, and its one of its big weaknesses.

I wouldn't totally discount getting nothing new from this....

D
 
I do hope that science will be able to learn from this sponge and make flexible fiber optics. My hope is that scientists can learn from the sponge to use cold temperatures to produce the fiber!
 
Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
Ah, but if we can make more flexible fiber by studying this stuff, that would be an improvement. Fiber is quite brittle, and its one of its big weaknesses.

I wouldn't totally discount getting nothing new from this....

D
Click to expand...

Have you ever worked with or seen a optical fiber ? Its is really flexibel. You can wrap it around your finger
 
Originally posted by CmdrLaForge
Have you ever worked with or seen a optical fiber ? Its is really flexibel. You can wrap it around your finger
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This stuff can be tied in a knot and pulled tight. If you work with industrial grade fiber optic (the stuff they use to transmit hundreds of miles) it's thicker and more brittle. If you were to wrap it around your finger it would get hair line fractures which would all but make it useless. It wouldn't look damaged initially but there would be a severe drop in the light transmission quality. This stuff with silica in it is far more flexible according to the article and is created at low temps to boot. Lower temps mean lower production costs.
 
Originally posted by CmdrLaForge
Have you ever worked with or seen a optical fiber ? Its is really flexibel. You can wrap it around your finger
Click to expand...

Read one of my posts above, I've worked with fiber, actually trained to do arc splicing....

D
 
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