G’day to you. It’s always a treat when you click on by. Fresh pot of Robusta today and a tantalizing bakery selection to tempt you. Go on…be a devil! Just before you came by, I was reading about research scientists at Tel Aviv University who have discovered that the common Oriental hornets found in gardens utilize solar power much like a plant and it produces electricity. They apparently have similar capabilities as plants when it comes to the process of photosynthesis. Will wonders never cease, eh?
The research team has studied the Oriental hornet and found that certain parts of its body are capable of converting the sun's energy into electric power much like plants do during photosynthesis.
Entomologists have recorded similar results when studying Oriental wasps. They found that the wasps were more active during the afternoon when the sun was at its highest point rather than the early morning when the sun was just rising, or at night. The same results were recorded for hornets, which were digging more energetically when the sun was up.
Several years ago, the team discovered that the Oriental hornet's exoskeleton, or outer body shell, was capable of harvesting solar energy. Since this discovery, the researchers have tried to imitate this process by studying all the elements that could affect how this occurs. Humidity, temperature, solar radiation and other weather-related conditions were studied, and the results showed that UVB radiation solely caused the change in the hornet's behaviour. The hornet's body also contains a heat pump system that keeps it cool despite absorbing the suns energy.
In addition, the researchers found that the yellow and brown stripes on the Oriental hornet's abdomen specifically allow a photo-voltaic effect, absorbing radiation while the yellow pigment converts it into electric power. The brown shell is made from grooves that split the light into separate beams, and the yellow is made from "pinhole depressions" holding a pigment called xanthopterin.
Researchers have tried to imitate this process in the lab, but had poor results. They could not reach the same efficiency rates of energy collection as the Oriental hornets. But they plan to continue improving their methods to mimic this process in order to better understand it and possibly create better solar cells based on the findings.
"The interesting thing here is that a living biological creature does a thing like that," said Bergman. "The hornet may have discovered things that we do not yet know."
If they are successful in unravelling how the hornet manages it, it could revolutionize how we harvest solar power. So whatever you do, don’t swat the little beggars, eh! They may hold the key to heating up the future… some good global warming news!
See ya!
Bob
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