Using humans as batteries: is this movie quote accurate?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the accuracy of a quote from the movie The Matrix regarding the energy generation of the human body and the feasibility of using humans as an energy source. Participants explore both the scientific validity of the claims made in the quote and the implications of using humans in such a manner, considering both theoretical and practical aspects.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant argues that the quote is mostly "technobabble" and claims that the human body generates between 300-2000 BTU/hr, challenging the accuracy of the 120-volt battery comparison.
  • Another participant suggests that while humans can be considered an energy source in ecological terms (e.g., as food for predators), the idea of using humans as a sustainable energy source is not feasible.
  • A different viewpoint highlights that the original concept in the movie may have been intended to portray humans as a network of biological computers, rather than a straightforward energy source, which some participants find misleading.
  • One participant notes that if humans were to be used as batteries, keeping them in a comatose state would be more efficient than having them in an active dream state, raising questions about the ethical implications of such a scenario.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express disagreement regarding the accuracy of the quote and the feasibility of using humans as an energy source. Multiple competing views are presented, with no consensus reached on the scientific validity of the claims or the practicality of the concept.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight limitations in the assumptions made in the quote, particularly regarding the energy output of the human body and the sustainability of using humans as an energy source. There are unresolved questions about the definitions of energy generation and consumption in this context.

tragedienne
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Hi there

I have just re-watched The Matrix (great movie) and one quote really stuck out to me:

"The human body generates more bio-electricity than a 120-volt battery and over 25,000 B.T.U.'s of body heat. We are, as an energy source, easily renewable and completely recyclable, the dead liquified and fed intravenously to the living."
-Morpheus(The Matrix)

My questions are:
- Is the actual quote regarding the human body and what it generates accurate?
- Could using humans as an energy source ever be possible now or in the future?


Sera Lea
 
Biology news on Phys.org
Welcome to PF!

It is mostly technobabble and what isn't technobabble is just wrong. A person gives off about 300-2000 btu/hr of heat depending on the activity. The stuff about "a 120-volt battery" is just gibberish.
 
Humans are an energy source -- whenever a human gets eaten by a lion it's an energy source.

Feeding the dead to the living in a closed system is obviously not sustainable or efficient.
 
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The original idea was that the machines were using a network of human brains as a distributed biological computer, but the folks making the movie thought that audiences wouldn't really understand that. The power source thing was supposed to be more relatable or something. Completely bogus.

Speaking of which, the human brain is a huge consumer of chemical energy. If you really wanted to use humans as a battery, you'd want to keep them comatose with minimal brain activity, not in an active dream state.
 

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