🐜🐜🐜 TIL: Termites Are Being Researched As A Renewable Energy Source 🐜🐜🐜

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(Edited)

Check out this cool interesting fact I learnt about termites today.

Apparently some researchers are studying them as a potential new source of clean / renewable / green source of energy!

But how is that even possible? 🤔🧐

Turns out the termite gut is a magical little thing, essentially an efficient bioreactor, capable of producing two litres of hydrogen from a single sheet of paper, thanks to its miniscule inhabitants:

The lowly termite is capable of cranking out two liters of hydrogen from fermenting just one sheet of paper, making it one of the planet’s most efficient bioreactors. Termites accomplish this Herculean task by exploiting the metabolic capabilities of about 200 different species of microbes that inhabit their hindguts. source

I stumbled upon this interesting piece of info while browsing on reddit and after doing a bit of digging it seems like termites (or at least their gut microbiota) may also be used to transform coal to methane gas.

Which may sound a bit crazy until your realize that coal is essentially really old cooked wood.

It may sound crazy at first — termite-gut microbes eating coal — but think about what coal is. It’s basically wood that’s been cooked for 300 million years,

Coal is derived from ancient wood. Microbes living in the termite gut can digest coal, releasing methane, the chief ingredient in natural gas, in the process. source

Imo doesn't sound like much of an improvement to me...I mean natural gas still isn't really clean.. Just less dirty...

So yeah, now you know. Termites are small, efficient bioreactors. You can click any of the links above to read more about the related research which isn't goinggoing anywhere meaningful. I doubt we will see anytime soon any termite-powerplants. Theory is one thing, mainstream application is another. And most of the papers and research I could find was scarce and often over a decade old so maybe the idea has already been ditched for whatever reason...

But other than efficient bioreactors, termites are another cool thing too. Much like most insects, they are a protein rich meal. And the way things go these days maybe we aren't that far from eating them 🎉

Actually, as we speak there are at least 43 termite species used as food for humans or livestock here and therw:

The results showed that at least 45 species of termites, belonging to four families, are used in the world, with 43 species used in human diet and/or in livestock feeding. Nine termite species are used as a therapeutic resource. There is an overlapping use of seven species. source

So I guess the moral of the story is...

You will eat termites and you will be happy!

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

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That's really strange. I was amazed to read about it.

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Soon we will be producing energy from our farts... I think that's science as well. 😃

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Interesting article! I can't help but notice that you've upvoted your own article though, is that on purpose?

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(Edited)

Meh, imo it's like masturbation. Once a day it's ok, anything more is a bit too much unless you are young and naive. Opinions may vary

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I actually agree. I mean, if you don't like what you write then why do you write it in the first place?
I have just noticed that many people look down on it. It probably won't do much to you, but the downvotes could be coming. Wouldn't want that for you fren

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One of your best, I think. The despised termite, food and eco-friendly power plants!!

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What will the find out next…. That woman’s menstrual cycle cures cancer….

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Very interesting indeed!

Who knew termites' stomachs could do that.

!BBH

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Thank you for your witness vote!
Have a !BEER on me!
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As always, I am amazed by the creativity and innovation that can be found in nature. In this case, termites and their potential as a source of clean, renewable energy. I imagine people with their termite hatcheries in their homes, as a small enterprise that can devour a house or populate it. A "natural risk" that needs to be carefully managed. After all, it's news to me, I never thought these insects had the potential to become an alternative energy source.

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First there was solar energy, and now the way we see many more such methods coming up, it's going to benefit us a lot in the future.

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It sounds like the reality that we might end up eating bugs is true. It's definitely weird to think about what will end up as the energy or food source in the future.

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Okay but, hear me out...if we eat termites, and termites have all those interesting species of microbe that make them efficient bioreactors, couldn't we, in turn, become efficient bioreactors? Granted, this would only work if we could consume the termites raw, since the heat of cooking would undoubtedly inactivate those microbes, but still. Collecting new species of gut microbes from the critters we eat is hardly a new thing for us hoomans.

It reminds me of "back in the day" when folks would take their piss pots to the tannery and sell their urine so that the tanners could use it in processing hides. Maybe someday we'll all produce the energy needed to keep our homes running by wearing a contraption to capture our own methane/hydrogen/etc. (We could, conceivably, already do this with cow farts. Surely cows wouldn't notice a little collection device that sits on their backs and collects their excreta...) 🤔

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So, if we eat termites and a bunch of paper, will that give us gas? !LOLZ !PIMP !PGM

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