The next grand fuel

Plants are inspirational. The green color gives you energy that can make you jump around and dance…or invent a super cool discovery that can change a lot of things in this world! The MIT scientists made a MAJOR discovery to unleash solar revolution. Solar energy now can be used as a mainstream energy source. Yay! We're saved!

Until now, solar power has been a daytime-only energy source, because storing extra solar energy for later use is prohibitively expensive and grossly inefficient. The ideas came considering the facts that there are problems of climate change and global warming due to carbon emissions, there is a dramatic rise in the cost of petro-chemical energy, and then the political instability in regions having large oil supplies. There are geo-political and economic ramifications of being dependent on imported energy or on being economically dependent on the export of energy from dwindling energy reserves.

Inspired by the photosynthesis performed by plants, Nocera and Matthew Kanan, a postdoctoral fellow in Nocera's lab, have developed an extraordinary process that will allow the sun's energy to be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. Later, the oxygen and hydrogen may be recombined inside a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity to power your house or your electric car, day or night.

The key component in Nocera and Kanan's new process is a new catalyst that produces oxygen gas from water; another catalyst produces valuable hydrogen gas. The new catalyst consists of cobalt metal, phosphate and an electrode, placed in water. When electricity -- whether from a photovoltaic cell, a wind turbine or any other source -- runs through the electrode, the cobalt and phosphate form a thin film on the electrode, and oxygen gas is produced.

Combined with another catalyst, such as platinum, that can produce hydrogen gas from water; the system can duplicate the water splitting reaction that occurs during photosynthesis.

The new catalyst works at room temperature, in neutral pH water, and it's easy to set up, Nocera said. "That's why I know this is going to work. It's so easy to implement," he said.

Sunlight has the greatest potential of any power source to solve the world's energy problems, said Nocera. In one hour, enough sunlight strikes the Earth to provide the entire planet's energy needs for one year.

Currently available electrolyzers, which split water with electricity and are often used industrially, are not suited for artificial photosynthesis because they are very expensive and require a highly basic (non-benign) environment that has little to do with the conditions under which photosynthesis operates.

More engineering work needs to be done to integrate the new scientific discovery into existing photovoltaic systems, but Nocera said he is confident that such systems will become a reality.

"This is just the beginning," said Nocera, principal investigator for the Solar Revolution Project funded by the Chesonis Family Foundation and co-Director of the Eni-MIT Solar Frontiers Center. "The scientific community is really going to run with this."

Nocera hopes that within 10 years, homeowners will be able to power their homes in daylight through photovoltaic cells, while using excess solar energy to produce hydrogen and oxygen to power their own household fuel cell. Electricity-by-wire from a central source could be a thing of the past.

Being a scientist rocks, doesn't it? Regret the times when you called that kid who likes to stay in the lab a nerd. He can change the world, and you can't. Ha!

Sources:
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/oxygen-0731.html
http://web.mit.edu/space_solar_power/
By Raida A. K. Reza

Graduation night

Graduation day at Sir John Wilson School came like a sudden blast to the past after I've gotten used to seeing newer faces around me. It was nostalgic yet refreshing to see people I've known for so long, after a gap of around four months. Sitting at a table with friends I had not seen for months made me realize how far I've moved on. Seeing all my old teachers made me feel the same way.

We were all given graduation sashes to wear. Initially, I was the only one sporting semi-formal clothes, whereas most others were in formal wear. Thankfully, a few of my friends arrived somewhat casually too and evened the evening out.

The cultural event put together by students from the junior section was enjoyable, and the performance of Phil Lewis' "Another Day In Paradise" touched everyone's hearts. Then, the words from our class teacher Ms. Morjina, and the principal, and the chairperson of Impact, gave us all encouragement for our futures.

Then it was time for us to go on stage one by one to receive our graduation certificates from the chairperson of Impact, and our principal. Each name was called, with a few words on the student's achievements and qualities.

Then, it was time for some refreshments and food. Apart from regular food, there were many cakes sent for us - some from teachers who had left ages ago and gone abroad. It felt nice to be remembered and loved.

Lastly, we spent a huge amount of time posing for a huge amount of group photographs.

In the end, the teachers actually almost had to kick us out of school - we were that reluctant to leave.

Don't worry SJWS, I'll be back. We all will be. SJWS will always be all my friends' and my second home.

By Satotya Kafil

MLIS Drama Club goes to DU!

On the 24th of August, the Management Club of Dhaka University celebrated its second anniversary by a holding a function at TSC (Teacher Student Centre). Fortunate for Maple Leaf Drama Club, they were chosen as one of the performers. The function started at two, and the excitement and fear in the backstage started increasing as time passed. The drama titled 'Joga Khichuri' written and directed by Sadat Shams and Debojit Saha was to be performed in the TSC auditorium, with eight hundred people as the audience. It was their first ever performance outside the school premises.

The story of the drama was a normal day at FDC, with the typical Bangla movie director (played by Mohd. Ishtiak Hossain), the 'handsaam' actor (Sourabh Kabra), actress (Tasmia Tazrin), and how can I forget to mention the usual antagonist (Akib Ishraque) and his followers. The story proceeds as Tahsan (the singer, parody by Mofazzal Ahmed Sahi) comes to the set to ruin things and gets beaten up by the people on set. The story ends with a fight of Osama Bin Lenden (parody, by Sheikh Raiyan) and Masud Rana (Jafa Mahmud). A story of a typical weird day at a weird place, FDC we mean.

After the performance kick started, it was quite obvious that it very well had the audience's attention. Laughter filled the auditorium when the director demonstrated the 'snake' dance moves to the actor! Imagine, two guys doing a snake dance in front of so many people!! Another brilliant scene included the villain, Akib, doing the 'Jab Se Tere Naina' dance with his lungi and pochafying Ranbir Kapoor from the movie Saawariya in the process.

All in all, it was a great performance. Everyone had fun and it surely must have taken a lot of guts to pull off all those stunts! Surely, it takes weeks of rehearsing and hard work and after such an act, we hope to see more of them and would like to wish them all the best!

By Nayeema Reza and Raida Kifait Reza

The bands that played were: Powersurge, Black Priest, Kral, Eclipse, Opus, Xoroastrian, Inanimate, Addy Llama and Dhroho. Unfortunately Inanimate & Addy Llama backed out and & MirrorBlaze & Auflader filled their slot in.

Not going into that much of the details of all the bands, Dhroho started the concert. Xoroastrian had the guitarist of Powersurge who came up with sum extra ordinary covers from Dream Theatre like Hell's Kitchen, Overture and November Rain by Guns'N Roses. And there was eclipse, another band of the famous show D rockstar who came up with Pull Me Under, Hollow Years by Dream theatre and one of their own composition which had an outstandin guitar works and spectacular solo!

Then came the one of the most anticipated moment when Black Priest came in. The ex-Stentorian was back in Bangladesh after a long time and so the crowd started chanting, 'Torsha Torsha'! It was really interesting to see. They covered Holy Diver Dio, Leather Rebel Judas Priest, Children of Grave Black Sabbath. And then when they sang Odrissho Juddha, the whole of RCC was in front of the stage, literally banging their heads with Black Priest!

At last, the main band, Powersurge came. This was PowerSurge's first performance after their album launch and they started off with Intro Song from their album, which made all the crazy kids go crazy…Then they sang Auprostut Juddho, and some other songs.

The concert went off well, and the crowd was satisfied. All the talented musicians are coming out, which looks like a really positive side for Bangladesh! the last concert before Eid went of well, indeed!

By Raida Kifait Reza and Irfan Noor

Its all about Men

1 What is the thinnest book in the world?
"What Men Know About Women"
2 How many men does it take to change a roll of toilet paper?
We don't know .... it's never happened.
3 What do you do with a bachelor who thinks he's God's gift?
Exchange him.
4 What are the two reasons why men don't mind their own business? 1. No mind. 2. No business.

5 Why do men like love at first sight?
It saves them a lot of time.
6 Why don't men have mid-life crises?
They stay stuck in adolescence.
7 Why is it so hard for women to find men who are sensitive, caring, and good looking?
Because those men already have boyfriends.
8 How do men sort their laundry?
"Filthy" and Filthy but wearable"
9 What's the difference between men and government bonds?
Bonds mature.

Compiled by Monty Python