Researchers Generate Electricity From Viruses

First time accepted submitter toomuchtogrok writes "Imagine charging your phone as you walk, thanks to a paper-thin generator embedded in the sole of your shoe. This futuristic scenario is now a little closer to reality. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed a way to generate power using harmless viruses that convert mechanical energy into electricity. The scientists tested their approach by creating a generator that produces enough current to operate a small liquid-crystal display. It works by tapping a finger on a postage stamp-sized electrode coated with specially engineered viruses. The viruses convert the force of the tap into an electric charge."

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[Anonymous Coward]

I for one welcome our new specially engineered virus overlords.

It's a good thing ....

[Anonymous Coward]

it's a good thing viruses don't mutate.

Re:Midichlorians

[dkleinsc]

No, only 3. Similarly, it's sad they never made a third Godfather movie, or a sequel to the Matrix.

Re:Midichlorians

[Anonymous Coward]

Not in any fictional universes? That's a pretty bold statement.
I just thought up a universe where Midichlorians are 3ft tall bacteriophage that juggle their time between their successful techno-synth-pop garage band and their secret superhero team that fights 50ft space amoeba.

Downfall: anti-virus software

[dcsmith]

As if [insert your favorite antivirus software here] didn't cause enough inadvertent trouble already by sucking up resources. Now it will be able to just flat-out stop your [portable electronic device] from working at all. Scan, disinfect -> battery dies.