iPod running out of juice?

Bungleau · 11-30-2008, 07:09 AM

Get an onion!

Check the story here.

Short version: Mix an onion and an energy drink and you can plug a USB cable into the onion and charge your iPod.

Anyone willing to test it out? Where's Mythbusters?

*edit* Hmmm.... apparently some folks have been checking it out, and while the science might be valid, the execution is apparently not. Here's one counterpoint, and I'm sure there are others.

wellard · 12-01-2008, 03:34 AM

I can't believe you let your guard against bull.hit down there Bung

mind you I get sucked in now and then by some photoshop or trick photography, the net is a dangerous place

Bungleau · 12-01-2008, 05:42 AM

Coming across it on "regular" media made it more plausible... but the BS detector kicked in almost immediately

Hence the quick search to find corroborating evidence... and still, I'd like to see it on Mythbusters. Wonder what you'd really need?

Iron Greasel · 12-01-2008, 07:41 AM

You'd need the right voltage to avoid frying the iPod, but that should be marked on it somewhere. Then it's just the matter of chaining enough onions, and maybe adding a resistor somewhere along the way for fine tuning.

Oh, and you need to stick two wires made of different metals into the onion. Copper and zinc are popular, but in theory, any two will do. Then the magic of chemistry will cause a difference in electrical charges between the wires, and if you connect them, current. That's how all batteries do it.

*EDIT*
According to Wikipedia, the USB specification allows for between 4.75V and 5.25V. And according to my good old high school chemistry book, a single copper-zinc pair gives 1.1V. So chaining five onions together would give us a theoretical maximum of 5.5 volts, which probably wouldn't start any fires. Probably. After that you'll just have to mutilate an USB cable and figure out which wires are for power.

11-30-2008, 07:09 AM	#1
Bungleau 40th Level Warrior Join Date: October 29, 2001 Location: Western Wilds of Michigan Posts: 11,752	iPod running out of juice? Get an onion! Check the story here. Short version: Mix an onion and an energy drink and you can plug a USB cable into the onion and charge your iPod. Anyone willing to test it out? Where's Mythbusters? edit Hmmm.... apparently some folks have been checking it out, and while the science might be valid, the execution is apparently not. Here's one counterpoint, and I'm sure there are others. __________________ B Save Early, Save Often Save Before, Save After Two-Star General, Spelling Soldiers -+-+-+ Give 'em a hug one more time. It might be the last. Last edited by Bungleau; 11-30-2008 at 07:18 AM.

12-01-2008, 03:34 AM	#2
wellard Dracolisk Join Date: November 1, 2002 Location: Australia ..... G\'day! Posts: 6,123	Re: iPod running out of juice? I can't believe you let your guard against bull.hit down there Bung mind you I get sucked in now and then by some photoshop or trick photography, the net is a dangerous place __________________ fossils - natures way of laughing at creationists for over 3 billion years

12-01-2008, 05:42 AM	#3
Bungleau 40th Level Warrior Join Date: October 29, 2001 Location: Western Wilds of Michigan Posts: 11,752	Re: iPod running out of juice? Coming across it on "regular" media made it more plausible... but the BS detector kicked in almost immediately Hence the quick search to find corroborating evidence... and still, I'd like to see it on Mythbusters. Wonder what you'd really need? __________________ B Save Early, Save Often Save Before, Save After Two-Star General, Spelling Soldiers -+-+-+ Give 'em a hug one more time. It might be the last.

12-01-2008, 07:41 AM	#4
Iron Greasel Fzoul Chembryl Join Date: July 13, 2004 Location: Finland Age: 35 Posts: 1,701	Re: iPod running out of juice? You'd need the right voltage to avoid frying the iPod, but that should be marked on it somewhere. Then it's just the matter of chaining enough onions, and maybe adding a resistor somewhere along the way for fine tuning. Oh, and you need to stick two wires made of different metals into the onion. Copper and zinc are popular, but in theory, any two will do. Then the magic of chemistry will cause a difference in electrical charges between the wires, and if you connect them, current. That's how all batteries do it. EDIT According to Wikipedia, the USB specification allows for between 4.75V and 5.25V. And according to my good old high school chemistry book, a single copper-zinc pair gives 1.1V. So chaining five onions together would give us a theoretical maximum of 5.5 volts, which probably wouldn't start any fires. Probably. After that you'll just have to mutilate an USB cable and figure out which wires are for power. __________________ Last edited by Iron Greasel; 12-01-2008 at 07:59 AM.

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