Scientists make water run uphill

[reverse_swing]

By Roland Pease
BBC science correspondent
Physicists have made water run uphill quite literally under its own steam. The droplets propel themselves over metal sheets scored with a carefully designed array of grooves.

The US scientists did the experiment to demonstrate how the random motion of water molecules in hot steam could be channelled into a directed force.
But the team, writing in Physical Review Letters, believes the effect may be useful in driving coolants through overheating computer microchips.
The physics at work here has been witnessed by all of us in the kitchen.
Leave an empty pan on the stove for too long, and water, when you drip it over the scorching pan bottom, will hover over the surface on a bed of steam.
The effect was described in the 18th Century by a German scientist Johann Gottlob Leidenfrost.
What happens is that the heat is so intense, it boils the underside of the water droplet without any physical contact with the pan.
"We were interested in whether it would be possible to use this phenomenon to move liquids around," said Dr Heiner Linke, the intellectual power behind the self-propelled droplets.


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[abdulw11]

It's incredible how scientists have the time to do something effectively meaningless instead of something that is really worthwhile. Why don't they focus on a formula to combat world hunger?

[Faceoff]

Originally Posted by abdulw11
It's incredible how scientists have the time to do something effectively meaningless instead of something that is really worthwhile. Why don't they focus on a formula to combat world hunger?

I agree.

hell they can't even find a cheaper alternative for gas !!! worthless piece of sh**

(pardon my language as I m frustrated paying rediculous price tags at the gas pump)

[Zunaid]

What have you all done with your lives?

[Bancan]

Originally Posted by Zunaid
What have you all done with your lives?

excatly.

[cricket_pagol]

hahaha.... people venting there frustation at scientist!!!!

Just want to point out that scientists need money to do research, and money is being allocated by politicians and leaders. Until recently, the US government took little initiative to drive research for finding alternative sustainable energy. Bush has only started to talk big on this recently.

[Fazal]

What have you all done with your lives?

Nothing much.

But reading this news I now realized that few years back I went to West Virginia. At the bottom of the mountain, there was visitor center and water fountain. I drank some water from that fountain (actually quite a bit). Then I start hiking going toward uphill. At some point while I was up in the mountain very far from the visitor center I had the need to response to natural call in the wood.

Now I realize that it looks like I was successfully able to move water uphill long time ago far ahead of these scientists. Therefore I should be credited (at least partially) for this invention. Now the more I am thinking the more I am getting mad….. those scumbags…..

[shaad]

Originally Posted by abdulw11
It's incredible how scientists have the time to do something effectively meaningless instead of something that is really worthwhile. Why don't they focus on a formula to combat world hunger?

Enough food IS grown in the world to eliminate world hunger now if distributed properly. But where is the profit in that? If you are going to throw a hissy fit about world hunger, I suggest you direct it at the politicians, agribusiness, and yes, yourself (for maintaining your standard of living in a first world nation) -- instead of at scientists who, after all, were responsible for the Green Revolution.

[tutul]

Originally Posted by Fazal
But reading this news I now realized that few years back I went to West Virginia. At the bottom of the mountain, there was visitor center and water fountain. I drank some water from that fountain (actually quite a bit). Then I start hiking going toward uphill. At some point while I was up in the mountain very far from the visitor center I had the need to response to natural call in the wood.

Now I realize that it looks like I was successfully able to move water uphill long time ago far ahead of these scientists. Therefore I should be credited (at least partially) for this invention. Now the more I am thinking the more I am getting mad….. those scumbags…..

Good one! I give you full credit. Maybe you can write your innovation to West Virginia Academy of Science

[abdulw11]

Originally Posted by shaad
Enough food IS grown in the world to eliminate world hunger now if distributed properly. But where is the profit in that? If you are going to throw a hissy fit about world hunger, I suggest you direct it at the politicians, agribusiness, and yes, yourself (for maintaining your standard of living in a first world nation) -- instead of at scientists who, after all, were responsible for the Green Revolution.

Enough food IS grown in the world to eliminate world hunger now if distributed properly.

You are missing the point. I didn't mean growing food, I meant something along the lines of Quorn. This is because Quorn is independant of local climate, therefore given the correct equipment, it can be grown in flood-prone countries as well as countries with drought.

If you are going to throw a hissy fit about world hunger

[Sauron]

Originally Posted by Fazal
What have you all done with your lives?

Nothing much.

But reading this news I now realized that few years back I went to West Virginia. At the bottom of the mountain, there was visitor center and water fountain. I drank some water from that fountain (actually quite a bit). Then I start hiking going toward uphill. At some point while I was up in the mountain very far from the visitor center I had the need to response to natural call in the wood.

Now I realize that it looks like I was successfully able to move water uphill long time ago far ahead of these scientists. Therefore I should be credited (at least partially) for this invention. Now the more I am thinking the more I am getting mad….. those scumbags…..

Funniest post of the last few weeks!

Btw, how much water did you carry up?

[abdulw11]

Originally Posted by shaad
Enough food IS grown in the world to eliminate world hunger now if distributed properly. But where is the profit in that? If you are going to throw a hissy fit about world hunger, I suggest you direct it at the politicians, agribusiness, and yes, yourself (for maintaining your standard of living in a first world nation) -- instead of at scientists who, after all, were responsible for the Green Revolution.

Enough food IS grown in the world to eliminate world hunger now if distributed properly.

You are missing the point completely. I was not talking about distrubuting food around equally, I was thinking about something along the lines of Quorn. This is because Quorn is independant of local climate and, given the right equipment, it can be grown in flood-prone countries as well as countries with drought.

But where is the profit in that?

Who said anything about profit?

If you are going to throw a hissy fit about world hunger

I am not throwing a hissy fit, it was a simple statement.

I suggest you direct it at the politicians, agribusiness, and yes, yourself (for maintaining your standard of living in a first world nation)

Hey bro, you seriously can't expect me to apologize for wanting a decent standard of living. Its just Allah's will that I was born with this privilege.

instead of at scientists who, after all, were responsible for the Green Revolution

I was not talking about all scientists in general. Hell, I think scientists are great, they are responsible for curing many diseases. It's just these specific scientists who do something useless. I mean, how does running water up a hill benefit anyone? It's just a waste of time and money that could be better spent on something else.

[Orpheus]

I mean, how does running water up a hill benefit anyone? It's just a waste of time and money that could be better spent on something else.

There is your alternative energy you were seeking. It's potential energy.

[Orpheus]

k I finally read the article. I think the article pretty much says what the usage will be:

The US scientists did the experiment to demonstrate how the random motion of water molecules in hot steam could be channelled into a directed force.
But the team, writing in Physical Review Letters, believes the effect may be useful in driving coolants through overheating computer microchips. ....................


.......The electrical currents now passing through microprocessors are so large the heat they generate can limit computing performance.
Many chips have cooling circuits nowadays, but these require pumps to drive the coolant, which in turn generate even more heat.
Suitably micro-patterned channels, argues Dr Linke, would make the coolant flow automatically. "It would be very neat if we could use the heat from the chip to be the pump, because you would not need any additional power, but also because the pumping only happens when the thing is warm; it would also be a thermostat at the same time. So it would all be in one package

Happy?