Becoming Team Slime

Coming to terms with reality, we have redesigned and simplified our approach to the final task. Having only 38 days until the grande finale (thanks to John Marshall for the ticking reminder), and accepting the fact that whatever our product is will exist inside a gallery we have abandoned the algae powered helibot. However, we have not jumped off of the algae train. It was proposed that we farm and harvest algae for combustible biofuel, rather than attempt to extract hydrogen for live fuel. A framework, modules containing algae, and heliotropic surfaces would create a system in which the algae would have maximized potential for growth. Because algae reproduces at a considerable rate, the system would include a dumping mechanism, or means of algae removal. This might involve human interaction. To enhance this interaction and add spectacle, a sensory mechanism will reveal the removal portal when approached.

As with all ideas, this one was met with some hesitation. Admittedly I wanted a little something more. Dumping the algae and taking it to another destination to be burned and used to fuel some unknown thing is not the ideal outcome I had envisioned. There was little disagreement that ideally we would be creating a closed system.

I try to operate under a set of unwritten rules as far as teamwork goes. One of these rules goes that if you are unhappy with a decision or plan to disagree with an idea you should only do so if you are able to articulate what is wrong or bad with what is being proposed, and in turn have an alternative solution or idea. Team 4 addressed the need for this rule in their presentation on Friday. So, being that I wasn't totally happy with the proposal I worked through the rule. I wasn't fully on board with the plan because I felt it lacked closure. Not only is the system somewhat open, but the end is undetermined. Then I had an Aha! moment. During the day (12 hrs of sunlight) bio-luminecent algae produces energy through photosynthesis, and at night (12 hrs of darkness) it glows blue, much like the lights on the emergency phone stations throughout campus.

For sake of prototyping we have requested strains of both green algae (unspecified) and of bio-luminescent algae.

On a side note- only 4 members of the team were present at the time of this proposal... Tomorrow we will see how it is received. I am excited to continue the evolution of our project and even more so to begin developing a physical model.