Filed under: Green Tech, Gift News, Holiday Gift Guide
Marketing geniuses at Japan’s Aqua Toto Gifu Aquarium have caught the attention of both the marine-life lovers and the media with a holiday display that uses a unique source of clean renewable energy — an electric eel, otherwise known to us geeks here at Switched as Electrophorus Electricus.
The aquarium placed its “E-Tree” next to tan electric eel in a tank. Inside the tank, copper wiring has been run, and every time the eel brushes against the conductive wire, the tree’s ornaments light up, much to the pleasure of spectators.
Tanks filled with electric eels and lots of copper wire aren’t going to allow any of us to drop off the grid anytime soon, but still, it’s a neat trick, no?
According to Wikipedia, electric eels generate electricity using three organs — the main organ, hunter’s organ, and Sachs organ — that take up four fifths of its body. These organs act in a manner similar to charged plates in a battery. The average electric eel can produce up to 500 volts and one ampere of current (500 watts). That’s enough to hurt — a lot.
Oh, and electric eels aren’t eels. They’re more closely related to catfish.
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From Ubergizmo
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