An artificial leaf. Works the same way as a natural leaf using photosynthesis and provides power. A new type of solar cell.

Wow Ken, that's very interesting. Thanks for posting it!

Add in batteries powered by rivers and we could be looking at some interesting changes in the coming few years.

Those batteries are clever. Wonder how it would affect organisms that migrate or find food using electricity or electromagnetism? Or is it even an issue--that is, the organism might just avoid the area and not be harmed.

In other news, the winners of the Pigasus Awards have been announced. They're given to the people or organizations that are the worst promoters of nonsense. They are NASA Engineer Richard B. Hoover, who recently announced for the third time in 14 years that he had found evidence of microscopic life in meteorites. I suspect his big mistake were not his findings, but going to Faux News who, as the site says, aren't known for their attention to facts.

Next is CVS/pharmacy, who well-knowing homeopathic medications are just water and useless, decided to market their own 'remedies' to U.S. consumers. That's $870 million a year for selling people distilled water in a little bottle.

Dr. Mehmet Oz (from the Dr. Oz show) won his second award. He's been flirting with nonsense this past year, but really crossed the Woo-bicon in the last three months. If you see or hear it on the Dr. Oz show, don't trust it. He does give out good advice but he also gives out some very very bad advice. Best to ignore what he says rather than trying to figure out which is which.

And for “Best Comeback” Pigasus Award goes to televangelist Peter Popoff.

Finally, Andrew Wakefield,

Have to wonder how they manage to narrow down the list to just five when almost every one of the GOP would have been on the long list.

Neatly (and coincidentally) following on from Ken's post above about the Pigasus Awards for the worst promoters of nonsense, I give you Real Water. Apparently, the water most of us drink has been damaged as it has 'traveled through pipes, filtration devices and various systems'. During these travels the water 'has been stripped of electrons [leading to] water that is positive (+) ionized'.

I can't be bothered to post any more of the entertaining claims from the website as I can't seem to copy and paste from it, but have a look yourself if you fancy a chuckle at some pseudo-scientific guff.

$870 million? How can I get in on this racket?

By not underestimating the level of gullibility in the country.


Do a Google search for ionized water, and you'll find devices that will positively ionize your water (which is good for you they claim). heh, why should I buy something that will positively ionize my water when apparently it has already been done for me via water pipes? I see devices that add positive ions (more +ve), that attract negative ions (more +ve), that add negative ions more -ve), that attract positive ions (more -ve), that neutralize the water and render it with no charge at all---all of which is claimed to be beneficial for your body.

If high school chemistry is a long way back and you don't know if these health claims are bogus or not (they are), just look for anything telling you about adjusting your body's pH level. Soon as you see that claim, you're dealing with a scam and you need to ignore it (or invest in it if you want in on the action).

Now this is interesting in a scary way...Italy is seeking to charge scientists, who didn't predict the earthquake that killed hundreds, with manslaughter? Are seismologists responsible for peoples' deaths in an earthquake. The governments of Turkey, Iran, Saudia Arabia, the U.S., and now Italy have all charged or tried to charge scientists in the last few years because the scientists gave them (the politicians) news they didn't want to hear (so tried to silence, ignore, or distort the news they didn't want to hear in the first place). Robespierre might have approved.

An interesting article on wildfires in Arizona and elsewhere:

http://www.slate.com/id/2296619/

Good post, Ken! Can you provide a link to the story involving U.S. scientists being charged with a crime?

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"Shock is what writers are meant to apply when the patient has lost touch with reality."--Gore Vidal