How to charge your phone with apples and potatoes

Telegraph UK ^ | July 24, 2014 | Matthew Sparkes

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

Intrigued Londoners looked on today as a smartphone's battery was charged by a strange contraption made of 800 apples and potatoes connected with hundreds of nails and lengths of copper wire.

The art installation was created outside the Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd’s Bush, essentially just a large-scale version of the classroom science experiment where a single potato is used to power a digital clock.

By stringing 800 pieces of fruit and vegetables together with galvanized nails and wire, artist Caleb Charland was able to scale-up the power output so much that it could charge a mobile phone – in this case a Nokia Lumia 930, charged via a wireless mat.

The hand-built circuit created an electrical current of an average 20mA and around six volts.

Charland said: “The utter simplicity of this electrical phenomenon has endlessly fascinated me. Many people have had the experience of drawing power from fruit in the classroom, and it never ceases to inspire the imagination of all ages.

“I have never worked with anything on this scale before, and it was a challenge. By creating this large organic charger to power a Lumia 930 device, this work speaks to a common curiosity we all have for how the world works, as well as a global concern for the future of Earth’s energy sources.”

The project was a publicity stunt paid for by Microsoft,

[NonValueAdded]

A better example can be found in Breaking Bad episode 209.

[no-to-illegals]

gosh do we need a permit to launch a satellite? This is getting complicated ...

[MaxMax]

Just learn to run faster than the bear.

[utford]

I doubt the government required permits for satellite launches in the 1400’s - should be good to go there

[no-to-illegals]

no problem ... feed the bear the fermented apples. A drunk bear doesn't run very fast.

[Starstruck]

Don’t give politicians any ideas. Corn in gasoline has already driven up meat prices. Apples and potatoes for electricity will drive the price of fruit and vegetables up.

[no-to-illegals]

Thanks don’t want to pack more than is necessary.

[ctdonath2]

Far more feasible: http://www.biolitestove.com

[cynwoody]

I am reminded of that Breaking Bad episode in which Walter and Jesse spend a frantic weekend out in the desert cooking up a mega batch of meth only to find the RV's battery dead when they're ready to return, Jesse having left the key in the ignition. Their generator blows up when they try to use it jump the engine. Their phones don't work. Ultimately, they end up improvising a battery, which they use to start the engine.

Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGE87AEA7vc

[Paradox]

No problem, take a solar powered phone charger, should be good for a couple of decades.

[BBell]

You could entertain the 14th century folks with endless hours of cat videos.

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

lol

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

LOL