Can The Dead Become A Novel Source Of Unlimited Energy?
Just a thought
You are on your way to the doctor’s office for a quick checkup after a stressful day. ‘I hope we’ll get done with this ASAP. Really need a nap’. These are some of the thoughts cascading through your mind as you approach the door. Raising your hand for a knock, you are stopped short by a loud screeching noise only to wheel back in time giving way for a passing gurney being pushed by the nurses. You steal a quick glance at the occupant’s partly exposed face and at that moment, time seems to stand still. Oh my God! You don’t need a diviner to know from those blank eyes that its young owner has just passed on to the great beyond…What a waste!
…I wouldn’t think that just yet…
“Energy can neither be created nor destroyed but can be transformed from one form to another”
I’m sure most of us have come across the above statement at one point or the other. For the benefit of those who haven’t, it is known as the First Law of Thermodynamics.
But what does this tell us about our physical environment in general?
It means no energy is actually lost.
But how? I mean, whenever I’m cooking, I usually see steam escaping into oblivion. It’s some form of energy and if energy isn’t lost, where does it go then?
While on one of my morning jogs, I began perspiring profusely. I know my sweat has some form of energy because I most times see it drop to the ground when I perform strenuous exercises. How then can you say all those are not lost?
Hey bro, are you drunk or something? My mom, who is a certified nurse, by the way, told me just yesterday that she’s seen I’ve lost some energy. I mean, she literally said, “LOST SOME ENERGY”. So what’s all this crap about energy not being lost? Huh?
Let’s look at it this way folks. Imagine you are in a tightly sealed box and in this enclosed space (sorry to our claustrophobic friends), nothing is allowed to move in or out, not even the air you breathe(and yes, you’ll most likely die of suffocation…but at least we get the picture, right?).
The not-so-scary scenario above describes, in a way, how our earth is. The earth is regarded as a closed system meaning that it allows the flow of energy in and out of space but restricts the exchange of matter(which are solid, liquid, and gases)- except for the occasional invasion of meteorites.
The energy received from space is chiefly gotten from the sun as solar radiation which is used for many purposes from photosynthesis to even powering up our homes. This energy can be transferred back to space through re-radiation. In other words, therefore, energy is really not lost.
Let’s take this other example. You just fueled your car and you drive off whistling to yourself. After a long while, you cast a quick glimpse at the meter and oh! You’re almost out of fuel…again! Where did all that guzzle up to anyway? The fuel, which is a form of chemical energy, is being transformed into other forms such as heat, mechanical, and even the sound you hear from the engines! If all those are added up, it will be discovered that indeed, once again, no energy whatsoever is being lost.
That brings us to the pressing issue. We know for sure that we as humans possess some form of energy or the other. After death, we still retain the remnant of that energy left and since energy is not lost, it then goes into the atmosphere slowly as heat leading to a medical condition known as Algor Mortis(used to describe the coldness of a dead body).
Eventually, the body is then buried and begins the long, arduous and depressing journey of decomposition releasing more energy and gases off in the process leading to fossil fuels and all of that.
…But there’s a problem…
Describing that process as lengthy is quite an understatement as it can take hundreds to thousands of years.
So…here comes a wacky thought…
Is there…just maybe…any possibility that we can speed up the process?
Phrasing that question another way, can the dead body itself be utilized as a source of energy?
Now don’t get me wrong. I earlier stated it was just a thought so I ask you hear me out on this one.
I know it may have some unethical tune to it but with the rapid dwindling of energy sources and the mounting need to build more graveyards for the dead, I think it is time we look on to an eccentric alternative.
I mean, cutting up dead human bodies during anatomy practicals initially raised some eyebrows. But what’s the scenario now? The number of wagging tongues has been drastically reduced as people have, more or less, come to accept the fact that it aids students to better understand the body structures leading to highly skilled and competent professionals. This, of course, is strictly at the consent of the individual with the intent of helping to improve the knowledge of science.
Therefore, it is possible for getting one’s permission in other for their body to be used for energy production after death…right? For the good of humanity?
That aside, let’s look at the actual possibility of it even happening. A dead body used as a source of energy? How will that even be possible? That’s preposterous!
…Hmm…
E=mc²
Look familiar? Yep…the widely famous relativity equation formulated by no other than our man…Einstein.
Yeah…whatever…what use is that? And how has it got to do with what we’re talking about.
Answer: A lot (…at least the way I see it…)
Follow me on this one. One of the worst creations ever built was based, unfortunately, on the principle of that equation- the Atomic bomb(s).
The equation above shows the relationship between mass(m), energy(E), and the speed of light(c). It went on to prove that mass(or matter) and energy could be interchanged and this formed the basis for that creation. A vast amount of energy is contained in a very small mass just waiting to be tapped for our benefit.
So here comes the idea.
What if there was a way we could extract minute particles from a dead body and accelerate them at high speeds(close to the speed of light), using a fusion reactor.
Ok...I know that was quite a dumb idea...but is there a way?
Using the principle of the atomic bomb as blueprint, what if there was just a similar way subtle enough not to be discovered until this time yet possessing a power so great, it would wow even the critics. An alternative way to actualize inconceivable proportions of energy.
Is this feasible? Are there any other ways we can harness energy using the dead?
With our choices on energy sources trickling down the drain, the moment we’ve all feared is upon us. It’s time we explore other sources of energy as bizarre as they may seem thereby consolidating our proposed status as multi-planetary species and unlocking an era of limitless possibilities.
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