Mushrooms Can Be Used To Power Mobile Phones
It’s been well-documented that a potato can be used as a makeshift battery. Plenty of science projects have seen lightbulbs shine on thanks to the awesome power of the spud. It makes a person wonder what other plants and vegetables can do — and now there’s an answer that no one would have expected.
Strange as it may seem, researchers at the University of California have opted to turn portabella mushrooms into fungal batteries. The process behind it starts with the mushroom’s natural porosity; since it has so many open spaces, it’s a natural at storing and transferring energy. On top of that, its carbon and potassium salt levels make it an easy fit for the demands of the common battery. If anything, mushroom batteries could be more efficient than common batteries because of all the advantages offered.
Lithium-ion materials are usually the ones that see use in batteries, but the weaknesses have long since been noted. The efficiency drops over time, the production method is expensive, and the chemicals used to ready them can hurt the environment. Meanwhile, mushrooms are the exact opposite; they can potentially get better over time as their porous space increases, they’re a cheap alternative, and being a part of the environment drastically lowers the chance of harm. So far, there’s nothing to show from the research besides some patents — but with any luck, mushrooms will become a successful new standard.
