Could ancient technology be the answer to sustainable energy production?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential of an ancient battery discovered in Iraq, which is claimed to generate 0.8 volts. Participants explore the feasibility of using such technology for sustainable energy production on a large scale, while also addressing the reliability of the sources discussing this discovery.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the practicality of scaling up the ancient battery technology, suggesting that economic factors may limit its feasibility compared to modern energy sources like nuclear plants.
  • Concerns are raised about the reliability of the sources discussing the battery, with one participant noting that the website linked is associated with fringe theories and may not provide credible information.
  • There is a discussion about the nature of batteries, with a participant clarifying that batteries do not generate energy continuously and will discharge when used.
  • Humorous remarks are made regarding the implications of the battery's existence, including a joke about time travel and the historical context of Iraqi science, which some participants argue reflects presumptions about ancient capabilities.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the dating of the battery and its intended use, suggesting that it may not have functioned as a battery at all.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views, with no consensus on the reliability of the ancient battery's potential for sustainable energy production or the credibility of the sources discussing it. The discussion remains unresolved, with competing perspectives on both the historical context and practical implications.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the uncertainty surrounding the dating and function of the ancient battery, as well as the credibility of the sources referenced in the discussion. The conversation also touches on the broader implications of ancient technology in modern contexts, which remains speculative.

corra
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<link deleted>
It details the discovery of a 2300 year old battery found in Iraq.

basically it is a pot with some wiring and a copper rod in the middle add some grape wine and you have have a battery capable of generating 0.8 volts.

so here is my question: if this would be cheap to maintain once you have the battery constructed. why can't this be done on a massive scale?
thousands of pots generating 0.8 volts of energy continously.
 
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It would require an awful lot of wine that I'd rather drink...
 
corra said:
so here is my question: if this would be cheap to maintain once you have the battery constructed. why can't this be done on a massive scale?
thousands of pots generating 0.8 volts of energy continously.

Um, I don't know... maybe, economics? Consider how much such an apparatus would cost to operate, per MeV of production, compared to say, a nuclear plant.

- Warren
 
What this really proves is that Allessandro Volta had a time machine and taught the Iraquis how to build a battery... How come no one is talking about the real story here!
 
corra said:
<link deleted>
It details the discovery of a 2300 year old battery found in Iraq.

basically it is a pot with some wiring and a copper rod in the middle add some grape wine and you have have a battery capable of generating 0.8 volts.

so here is my question: if this would be cheap to maintain once you have the battery constructed. why can't this be done on a massive scale?
thousands of pots generating 0.8 volts of energy continously.

Did they mention how they dated this apparatus?
 
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A source of reliable information? Alas, not!

I think someone should point out that <link deleted> is a fringe site which offers material on "pyramidology", "ancient-astronauts", and so on, so it is not a good place to go for information which corresponds to mainstream knowledge. (I'd like to think this will be obvious at a glance, experience has taught me that young students are sometimes fooled until they gain more experience--- it's not really a question of intelligence, but a matter of knowledge and experience.)

The WP http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baghdad_Battery&oldid=130381089 has been the subject of controversy at Wikpedia due to apparent pushing of fringe points of view. For example, IIRC, some fringe websites have claimed that this alleged device provides "proof of time travel"! In fact, it is by no means universally accepted in archaeology that this artefact even functioned as a battery, and if so, what use it was intended for. Although electroplating seems a reasonable guess, to the best of my knowledge no objects have been found from that time and place which appear to have electroplated, so there are good grounds for scepticism. It's also possible that the object belongs to a later time but has been misdated by having been buried in a hole at some much later date that 2300 BC. Baywax, it's not so easy to date ceramics or metals--- the putative date of the alleged "battery" is based upon dating items found in the same stratum of dirt. The version of the WP article I cited seems pretty decent (apart from referring readers to fringe sites without comment) and addresses your question. (Previous versions have suffered from POV-pushing.)

IMO, further discussion of such controversies should definitely move to the Scepticism and Debunking forum.
 
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corra said:
so here is my question: if this wou... of energy, if that is what you are implying.
 
chemisttree said:
What this really proves is that Allessandro Volta had a time machine and taught the Iraquis how to build a battery... How come no one is talking about the real story here!

Even though that is a joke, it reflects quite a presumption.
What do we know about the history of Iraqi science? Not a lot...
 
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Tosh said:
Even though that is a joke, it reflects quite a presumption.
What do we know about the history of Iraqi science? Not a lot...

What joke? I think it is pretty clear cut... A development as important as the first electroplating shop would result in the kingdom being filled up with battery jars! Think of the money that could have been made! These battery jars should be lying around like cobblestones! We find only a few 'prototypes' obviously provided by the time traveller.

What presumption? That the ancient denizens of the Middle East couldn't invent something that would be utterly useless to them? And that they couldn't carefully bury their mistake? I'm sure the next thing we'll find is buckyballs and carbon nanotubes in the soot of their ancient cooking fires! (proving the truly advanced nature of their composites industry!)
 
  • #10
Considering the website in the original post is NOT a reliable source of information, and that we prohibit "free energy" discussions here, and that this is turning into nothing more than jokes since being shown to be completely implausible, I'm locking this thread to further discussion. The link to the questionable website will shortly be deleted from all posts here.
 

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