Cities to be Lit by Bioluminescent Trees

  • Thread starter Thread starter Greg Bernhardt
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Trees
AI Thread Summary
A laboratory at Stony Brook University, in collaboration with designer Dann Roosegaarde, has created a glowing plant by integrating luciferin, the chemical responsible for firefly luminescence, into a common plant. This innovation raises exciting possibilities for bioluminescent houseplants and urban landscapes. Discussions also touch on the potential for glowing corn, which could serve practical purposes like nighttime harvesting, though its novelty remains a point of debate. Researchers have explored the idea of engineering plants to bioluminesce in response to pests or diseases, as well as the potential for glowing fruits to indicate ripeness or spoiled meat. While the concept of bioluminescent organisms is intriguing, concerns about ecological impacts and societal acceptance of such genetically modified products persist. The conversation highlights both the fascination with bioluminescence and the ethical considerations surrounding its application in nature.
Greg Bernhardt
Admin
Insights Author
Messages
19,787
Reaction score
10,738
Future Cities Lit by Beautiful Bioluminescent Trees
http://blog.suny.edu/2014/03/future-cities-lit-by-beautiful-bioluminescent-trees/

A laboratory at Stony Brook University, working with designer Dann Roosegaarde, has developed a glowing plant by merging luciferin–which is the chemical that enables fireflies to glow–with a simple plant. The result is a plant, in dirt, that glows. Naturally.
And it is awesome.
 

Attachments

  • article-2540474-1AAD01CF00000578-26_634x402.jpg
    article-2540474-1AAD01CF00000578-26_634x402.jpg
    15 KB · Views: 882
Last edited:
Biology news on Phys.org
How about house plants? We could light our homes with them!
 
http://climatevoices.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/4m30_dscn1363.jpg
 
There is a large chemical company that has a huge experimental farm near me. There is actually a guard shack at the entrance, it looks like a military compound. One night, a few years ago, as I was cresting a hill near the farm, I noticed that one of their cornfields had an eerie green glow. I googled and found references to experiments to make corn glow, no idea what I saw.
 
Evo said:
There is a large chemical company that has a huge experimental farm near me. There is actually a guard shack at the entrance, it looks like a military compound. One night as I was cresting a hill near the farm, I noticed that one of their cornfields had an eerie green glow. I googled and found references to experiments to make corn glow.

What is the upside to glowing corn? Novelty popcorn?
 
Greg Bernhardt said:
What is the upside to glowing corn? Novelty popcorn?
You can pick corn at night. :-p I guess it was just to see if it could be done. Of course, they could have placed green glowing lights all through the field, you could not see the fields normally, they are surrounded by high walls.
 
Last edited:
Greg Bernhardt said:
What is the upside to glowing corn? Novelty popcorn?

At one point, researchers were discussing making plants that bioluminesce in response to injury from pests or disease. I have no idea if anyone has gone forward with that idea.
 
  • #10
How about engineering it into fruit, so they'll glow at a perfect time to eat. Or in animal muscle tissue, to glow when meat is spoiled. Possibilities are endless, but will society let such freak products free into nature?
 
  • #11
Sheldon Cooper already got his goldfish which glow in the dark.
 
  • #12
The result is a plant, in dirt, that glows. Naturally.
I don't subscribe to the views of the people depicted in nsaspook's post, but I don't agree that the the adjective "naturally" applies here.
 
  • #13
I see this thread was actually posted on April 1st, April Fools day, but I just had to respond that I want one of those trees. NOW!
 

Similar threads

Civilization of millions of rings.
Replies
3
Views
4K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top