An Impossible Technology
The other day I happened to meet a self-described mad scientist. He looked the part with his intense eyes and his unkempt appearance. He claimed to have discovered a technology to convert simple air and water into food and a strong, long-lasting building material. The world needs food and good building materials, he explained. He asked if I wanted to know more about his technology.
Wait, what? My blunt reaction emphasized my skepticism.
You have a technology to do what? Air is invisible, water is clear, and both are fluids that I can wave my arms through. For food you need sugars, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, vitamins, and protein. Where are these things hiding in water and air? For food you need flavor. Where would the flavor come from? Need I remind you that water and air are two fluids with zero calories and no solidity? Which brings us to building materials. Where would the solid materials come from? No one can build a house with water and air!
And that reminds me. Every production facility needs energy. What energy source will you need? To this, he quietly answered just regular sunlight. No propane, natural gas, gasoline, or diesel. No piped in power company electrical lines. No solar panels. No generators. No batteries.
At this response I just stared at him and I said, “you’re crazy.” This will never in a million years work. And even if it could somehow work, it would be outrageously expensive. How would his technology compete with readily available foods and building materials? And what about dangerous byproducts? You’ll need a plan to handle those.
He looked at me calmly and said that it has already worked. He added that it’s working right now, as we spoke. Disappointed, he turned to walk off. After he walked thirty feet, he stopped, put his hand on the trunk of a tree, looked up at it, then turned to me and smiled. “Quod erat demonstrandum,” he said. Then he walked away and I never saw him again.
He was right. Darned if he wasn’t right.
Of course, trees and plants need small amounts of minerals from the soil, but 95% to 99% of their mass comes from water and air. Photosynthesis from sunlight, which does the rest, is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
After that, I never looked the same at fruits, nuts, vegetables, grains, beans, spices, maple syrup, lumber, firewood, and all growing plants. For that matter, I had a new appreciation for simple air, water, and sunlight. I wave my arms through them and consider the fruits, vegetables, and lumber they could produce. I still can’t believe it.