Becoming like Aquaman!!!!
As I was perusing the headlines, I saw the following & just had to take a gander:
Scientists create crystal which would allow us to breathe underwater
First, the title made me think of Breaking Bad. (Oh, Heisenberg! I AM the danger!) Then, I found a few important points that I'd like to emphasize.
- It is remarkable what coordination chemistry and inorganic chemistry can do. It is a shame that we are unable at this time to go into details in our classes here in these fields of chemistry. To have the students see that there is more to chemistry than merely gen chem and organic would be great.
- Math counts!
- Please note the "Update"...I'd say that the original scientist made quite the analytical error...one teaspoon versus 10 L!
- What kind of delivery device would have to be used in order for this to be effective for "breathing underwater"? I suppose you could just have smaller tanks containing the oxygenated crystals, but then how would it be "activated" for release via either heat or light when underwater?
- I noticed that there was no discussion on the binding affinity (i.e. dissociation constant) for oxygen. If it binds the oxygen too tightly, you'd still suffocate (or at least experience hypoxia before the compound would release the oxygen).
- I became nostalgic for SuperFriends! Now if they could only solve that telepathy with animals issue....
The fact that there is a chemical compound that possesses the ability to absorb oxygen from a room or a pool of water, is awesome. Would I want to use these crystals as a substitution for a scuba diving oxygen tank? Probably not if I have to bring 10 whole liters of it (I do not know how she mixed up 10 liters with one tablespoon). I’m not sure how much 10 L of [{(bpbp)Co2II(NO3)}2(NH2bdc)](NO3)2 * 2H2O is, but if it’s going to weigh as much as a bucket of sand or rocks, I have no desire to take it into the ocean with me anytime soon. But then again, an oxygen tank weighs about 20 lbs.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much a “little heat” is that will be applied crystals in order for the compound to release the absorbed O2. Breathing in hot air seams uncomfortable, and if that heating element decides to break during your ocean exploration, you are screwed.
I do not get the point of knowing if sunlight can trigger O2 release from the crystals, except that they could possibly use it for agriculture purposes as a quick way to oxygenate poor soil.
PS. I'd rather be the Little Mermaid than Aquaman.
I am not a Little Mermaid fan :)
DeleteThis finding is quite amazing. I agree, I would love to learn more about these fields of chemistry. It's a shame that I'll probably have graduated before things like this are added. It seems as though the delivery device used to allow one breathe underwater would have to resemble the oxygen tanks and masks that we have now. If the crystal were kept in some sort of smaller and lighter tank, the tank would also need to include a small heating element to release the oxygen. I'm assuming the heating element wouldn't have to be too large, as the article mentioned that only a small amount of heat is needed. There would obviously need to be some kind of tubing attached to a mask to deliver the oxygen from the tank to the diver's mouth. As Heather mentioned, hot air is very uncomfortable to breathe in. The tubing or mask itself might also include a cooling element. Although, this may cause the crystal to absorb the oxygen again, which would pose a major problem. As I am not an engineer, this would be my best guess for a successful delivery device. On another note, I am also confused as to why photoactivation is being tested. Are they looking into this simply for the knowledge, or are there other implications if successful?
ReplyDeleteGood points.
DeleteNow this is a cool discovery! Reading about the technological advancements we've made reminds me of the old days when divers wore the bulky Jules Verne-style helmets, like some valiant underwater knights. Since then, technology has allowed for much greater mobility and range of motion in diving equipment. Once the ability of these crystals is harnessed more effectively, bulky oxygen tanks will probably become obsolete. I'm also very interested to see how this discovery may benefit hypoxic patients. It's funny that the "Brief Update" had to be added to clarify that a whole bucket (and not merely a teaspoon) is needed to bind oxygen effectively. That's a huge range of error to blame on a simple math error! I'm still wondering, What alternate light source could the researchers use for photoactivation of the crystals? I don't think using bioluminescence or biofluorescence would work, but I don't know for sure.....How these crystals are refined and developed for human use is extremely interesting and I'm very excited to see what becomes of this technology in the near future.
ReplyDeleteGreat Jules Verne reference!
DeleteAs someone who swam competitively for nine years, I can honestly say that the development of something like this would be incredibly useful. I remember constantly attempting to swim across the 25-meter pool without having to come up for air and being upset when at first I couldn’t make it. In competitions, having to take a breath through a swim stroke can really slow you down. Thus, the implications surrounding this are huge. Not only with swimming in competitions, as that is only a small part of it, but also with diving. It sounds as if this is currently being looked at (or pre-maturely marketed) in a more recreational manner, but imagine the implications of scientists and researchers being able to explore the sea without heavy equipment to slow them down. There has been a statement from NASA saying that we have better maps of the surface of Mars than we do of the bottom of the ocean. (1) The ability to use something like this for research purposes with respect to the ocean would be huge. They also mentioned the idea of cancer patients being able to use this rather than an oxygen tank. That would be an incredible improvement to the quality of life for many cancer patients. Though we are quite a ways from that being the case, there are important bioethical issues that may need to be considered even now.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to competitions, this may be something that would have to be regulated. It may give some competitors an unfair advantage and thus may have to be prohibited in major competition, such as the Olympics. Furthermore, I agreed with your disdain over the observation that they did not discuss binding affinity. Since the affinity of Hemoglobin has been a recent topic in Biochemistry, this was something that I was interested in hearing more about. The delivery method was also interesting to me. They mention all of these viable implications, but the means by which to get there are not so quickly mentioned. Laboratory conditions are not always replicated in everyday life. There would definitely need to be some intricate design placed into delivery devices, especially since failure of these devices to work would quite literally be life or death. Could these crystals, if delivered in the wrong fashion, also rob your body of its oxygen and suffocate you?
I can’t very well leave this comment without making some mention of the fact that they’re calling it the “Aquaman Crystal”. Given my love for superheroes, I thought that was just awesome. There is a lot of development that still needs to go into these crystals and the devices that would potentially deliver them; however, there is one thing that does not need development… The name. Nailed it.
1. http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/oceans-the-great-unknown-58_prt.htm
This was quite remarkable discovery by that research team. What amazed me the most about the compound was its ability to draw oxygen from air and water. It is amazing to think about what these crystals could do for underwater exploration. It was interesting to see the medicinal value of the crystals for people with diseased lungs. I wonder what other potential applications these crystals could be used for. I believe that these crystals could greatly benefit astronauts in space at some point in the future. I was somewhat disappointed that they did not show a structural image of the compound. It would’ve been interesting to see how the cobalt interacts with oxygen in such an efficient manner. However, due to my little experience in inorganic chemistry, I doubt I would have been able to fully appreciate the properties of the compound. I also thought it was amusing that the calculation error was so drastically off.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome concept! Pulling oxygen from the surroundings (in this case the ocean) and concentrating it for release and use by divers is a great idea. However, several issues come to mind when considering a delivery mechanism. First, in order for the crystals to be able to pull oxygen from the water, the tank that contains the crystals must allow water to come in contact with the crystals. Once the oxygen is bound by the crystalline compound, there must be a way to introduce heat or light to the container to release the oxygen. Heat would be difficult to produce without making the diving apparatus more bulky and cumbersome - which is exactly what the crystals are supposed to replace. I would imagine, then, that light would be the preferred method. If so, there would need to be the addition of a battery pack to the apparatus, to ensure that the light does not cease functioning. Light is also easy to contain in waterproof plastics, so this should not be a big issue. So if light is used to induce the crystals to release their oxygen, there must then be a way to collect this oxygen and transport it to the regulator. However, this could be tricky. Because the crystals must be in contact with water to bind oxygen, and the oxygen they release must pass to the diver without simultaneously transporting water, there is a dilemma. I would imagine a pressure-controlled system could be implemented to ensure that the gaseous and liquid phases each get where they need to go.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought that just came to mind is this. If all of the above could be figured out in a semi-open system (water into a tank, oxygen into the regulator) that would likely be a good deal smaller than a typical SCUBA tank, is there a possibility to design a type of wetsuit on the same principle? Imagine this: A double-layer wetsuit, where the thin outer layer contains strategically-placed (perhaps sewn-in place) packets of crystals. The inner layer is pressure-regulated, perhaps by a pager-sized or slightly larger pack worn on the hip, and the wetsuit itself is hooked up to the regulator. Water passes through the wetsuit, oxygen gets pulled out and transported by flat rubber tubes between the wetsuit layers into the regulator itself. Goodbye heavy SCUBA tank, goodbye crystal-containing backpack. This has the potential to provide divers with greater flexibility and dexterity, and the potential for longer dives depending on the effectiveness of the crystals. This is probably a bit sci-fi sounding, but I am still excited to hear of this awesome discovery and I'm curious to see how it will be applied in the future.
What an interesting article! When I read this I automatically thought of how this would have helped back in my swimming days. If this were to be easily accessible, would it be considered as a performance enhancer, thus prohibited to use in competitions? Would it be considered unethical to do so?
ReplyDeleteThe other applications for this seem remarkable as well. It appears as if it will be able to give rise to a new form of treatment to the diseased. Maybe this will patients more ease and comfort than the current treatments that are available to them
Furthermore this could make sea exploration more efficient and less strenuous for the diver's body.
While this article is extremely fascinating (because it's the first step into being Aquaman, though for gender purposes I would probably be Mera), the entire time I read it I couldn't help but wonder a few things.
ReplyDelete1. As Heather mentioned, it might end up being just as heavy as the tank or heavier, especially if submerged in water (wet sand is dauntingly weighty).
2. The machinery, at the current point if it's using heat, would have to be able to filter water into the system then back out once it was done. Then heat would have to be added somehow, presumably without sharing any heat with the surrounding water or person. Would the chemical need to be dry or would it be fine if the heat is added when it is wet?
3. If a mechanism is found where there is light added and it releases then it would also have to be in a closed system so that the diver isn't a human beacon for whatever might be hungry and curious about the strange disco light swimming nearby.
4. And finally, what would happen to the remaining H2 once the oxygen is filtered out. Generally H2 reacts with 02 and we get water (yea!), but, would the H2 then rise when it is released back into the ocean in a gaseous form (causing bubbles and also making the diver into an oddity to be checked out by predators)? And if it does and more water is made when it reacts with the oxygen in the atmosphere would it make enough to be a cause of concern (as no salts will be added in this process the ratio of salts to water will become diluted) or would the reaction happen far enough away not to be a problem?
These difficulties aside this is a brilliant idea and I look forward to reading more about it. If they are going to make super powers though they really need to get on invisibility, I want an invisible jet...although I would settle for the Lasso of Truth.
I personally have a fear of oceans, so being able to breathe underwater in Florida would not be a personal interest of mine. Others, however, may find this new use for crystals a breakthrough in science. Marine Biologists could observe marine life first hand without massive amounts of equipment. The issue of hypoxia frightens me. With a careful balance needed to sustain life, too much O2 could be just as harmful as too little. Ocean aside, this new device could help those burdened with difficulty breathing. Eliminating the cost of oxygen tanks and instead using this new crystal technology could become a new, lower cost alternative to my patients at the assisted living. Altogether, this is a topic I look forward to reading more about.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting! This discovery could open so many doors! I especially think the "Aquaman" crystal would be beneficial to those who have to carry a bulky oxygen tank around daily. Thinking on a grand scale -- what if civilizations could live underwater and function as a normal society thanks to this organic compound? Imagine if humans had the ability to live below the surface of the deep for extended periods of time where they could harvest fish and other eatable products or perhaps even learn more about our oceans' wildlife by making significant discoveries due to the fact that they could stay underwater for longer periods of time. It would be amazing if humans could possess enough oxygen supply so that they could even explore the Mariana Trench to it's deepest depths. However, I also wonder if this striking discovery could be used as a weapon. If a bucket full of this crystal could suck all of the oxygen out of a room, then does this mean that it could be used as a terrorist weapon to deprive targets of their oxygen supply? None the less, this is still quite an interesting discovery.
ReplyDeleteI think this really good discovery but i am wondering how Aquaman which is human, not a fish. Now I don't know how human being we survive at depths over 10000 feet below the sea level. fish, however, can because their bodies are aquatic and flexible, not made out of the tough materials like humans.
ReplyDeletePoor aquaman never got enough recognition, but this topic was super interesting. So many questions and so little answers. I mean how would they even make this into some sort of breathing machine. They talked about those who need an oxygen tank, but I don't really understand how they would get them to not have one. The implications of this research are huge, but I think they still have a long way to go.
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely a interesting. There was a particular scene in Star Wars episode One where Qui Gon Jinn applied an underwater respirator that was the size of his palm (Image link below) and then they conducted an underwater trek to an underwater city. This has the potential to allow for all of these things which would be a dream come true for me. However, even beyond the questions that were mentioned by Dr. Day-Storms, I also want to know at what rate will the oxygen be released? If it is a rapid release that must be monitored by a constant and specific temperature then this technology would not only be impractical for divers but also dangerous. One area that I did think that this could really be useful for was military medical aid. On the battle field there are many soldiers that die from hypoxia because of some sort of injury. Having a small amount of this compound would be a great type of battlefield first aid.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, I think that this would be of great use for weaponization. If there is such a high amount of oxygen content then I would assume it would probably be extremely flammable and this would make for a great impromptu explosive device. Although I can't claim credit for this one (read it in the comments section of the original article) it might help with oxygen tanks for the colonization of mars!
No matter how this particular compound is used, it is loaded with potential and might I say, "it is a breath of fresh air".
http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131112154739/starwars/images/1/1a/A99_breathers.png
I must admit that I am not into the whole superheroes thing, however, I do find this intriguing. I wonder what it would be like for this ability to actually take affect. This will take a while though, considering there is such little studying done on becoming sort-of like aquaman. Although interesting, much research will have to continue to be done for humans to actually survive under such stressful conditions.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very interesting concept. Seeing the practical applications of Chemistry motivates me to not only excel in my classes but to truly understand the science behind the topics that are being covered. It's interesting to notice the trend that we as ascientific research community are moving towards, and that is for thing to decrease in size excluding our phones, which seem to be getting bigger. Previously, I had only thought of this to simply be due to aesthetics, but this articles shows me some of the practical implications for condensing the size of our technology.
ReplyDeleteThis article was so interesting to me because I am fascinated with the underwater world. Ever since I was little I was always in the water snorkeling and discovering what the underwater world was all about. I actually had an amazing opportunity in Barbados to explore 3 sunken ships, however we were only able to use a snorkel. If something like this were to actually come available it truly would change a divers world. I think 2 of the main things to worry about with this new concept is the cost and how much oxygen it would be taking from the water that fish and other living creatures underwater depend on. Other than that it sounds like chemists are on the road to discovering something very helpful to divers and marine biologists.
ReplyDeleteWow, The things scientists come up with astound me! Having the "Aquaman crystal" could have so many positive commercial applications. For instance, by having these crystals available to all public and private pools, lakes, and oceans across America, the mortality rate from water related deaths would decrease. Also, this could boost the economy because many people would definitely want to get their hands on this leading to jobs being created to produce this magic crystal. However, further studies should be done to see how this affects the environment around a person using this crystal, since it is sucking all the oxygen out of an area. I hope scientist do this “Aquaman Crystal” to the public for commercial use. It sounds like I could have many fun adventures underwater.
ReplyDeleteBeing an avid diver, I absolutely love this article. One of the most annoying things about scuba diving is the hassle of making sure your oxygen tank is full, loading them on the boat and monitoring your oxygen consumption levels as you are down there. I am concerned about the effects of Decompression Sickness with this new way of delivering oxygen. I for one have never been "bent" and I do not intend on it! However, if these crystals can hold the insane amount of oxygen that the scientists says they can, the amount of time us divers could spend underwater would be greatly increased. I for one appreciate every minute I can scrape together underwater. If these crystals could be manipulated to give oxygen to a regulator it would revolutionize a lot more than recreational diving. The military would want to use it as well as let's say an underwater welding company. The possibilities are absolutely endless! Hopefully the price would be reasonable and hopefully the supply can match the demand that will come with it. I am definitely intrigued by this and will be checking up on the progress.
ReplyDeleteI have found this article really interesting even though I'm not really into they super hero thing. The best part of this article to me is that the crystal could be valuable for lung cancer patients who must carry heavy tanks around with them. This crystal will not only be an advantage to make us breath under water but it will
ReplyDeletebe an advantage to health care.
I find this research study quite interesting and impressively brilliant! First, I like the fact that a spoonful of Aquaman Crystal can absorb the oxygen of an entire room! Awesome! Also, I like that it can store the gas at a much higher concentration than oxygen tanks. Indeed, this discovery is going to be a huge relief for lung cancer patients who must carry heavy tanks around with them. However, I hope further research studies can focus on finding out if the release of oxygen can be triggered by light or any other factor aside pressure.
ReplyDeleteThe idea alone of creating a more efficient mode of oxygen containment is interesting. What makes it even more interesting is its applications in the area of diving as the article mentioned that the crystals were able to pull oxygen from the water. Even though the article mentions a mistake in the amount needed that fact remains that this substance could in a sense continuously provide air to a diver given that there is enough air in the water surrounding them. There still seems to be a need for more research but the idea is there and the Aquaman like ability of "breathing underwater" is possibly within reach.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fascinating topic. I love watching superhero movies, so this would be incredible if we can use these crystals to breathe underwater. There is an amazing world underwater, and being able to use these crystals instead of carrying large oxygen tanks would make it more accessible for people to witness it. I would love to use these crystals, so hopefully they become available in the near future.
ReplyDelete