a breath of fresh air

Human kind, as a species, is never content with the status quo. We always want to do more, go further and extend our boundaries. The sea has always created a sense of awe, and if you’re sane, a reasonable amount of fear. It has also always been unconquerable. No matter how much we wanted to investigate it, learn about it, and discover its untold depth, we have never been able to get around the fact that breathing underwater is impossible. We’ve been limited by tanks that can only hold a set volume of air, and by submarines that have to surface to recycle air supplies. Those days could be at an end, as two different men have taken steps in two different directions, to solve the respiration conundrum.

Alon Bodner, an inventor from Israel, has come up with an ingenious solution that imitates the way that fish breathe underwater. Fish don’t have to use complicated processes to split water into its hydrogen and oxygen components to obtain the air necessary to breathe. Instead, they simply absorb the air that’s already present in water.

Bodner applied the Henry Law of physics, that states that “the amount to gas that can be dissolved in a liquid body is proportional to the pressure on the liquid body.” Lower pressures cause more gas to be released. Bodner’s application uses a centrifugal force to create pressure within a small chamber to be carried on divers’ backs. The chamber contains sea water, which releases its oxygen when the pressure is applied. The centrifugal force is generated by rechargeable batteries, with a one kilogram lithium battery, providing one hour of diving time.

Meanwhile, an experiment is being carried out in Australia, that is testing the possibility of creating a sustainable underwater living environment. Lloyd Godson, a marine biologist, will live in a sealed box for two weeks with only some algae and a stationary bike for company. The algae will be used to produce oxygen and as a source of food. The bike will be used to generate electricity. High-tech gas monitors will keep an eye on oxygen levels and air quality. Back up air supplies will be available should the algae prove ineffective or insufficient.

Godson intends to demonstrate that all human needs can be met by engaging with nature in a mutually beneficial cycle. He aims to emphasise the importance of plants as air suppliers and raise awareness that unless we preserve plant life, we risk our own lives. While his theory is sound, Godson has faced ridicule from members of the public for what they claim is a pointless publicity stunt. One critic stated that we already live in a sealed container, the Earth, and so he failed to see the point of the experiment. Not all commenters are detractors. There are many people who agree that the time has come to recognise the significance plants have for our continued existence, and the need to act now to preserve our future by ensuring theirs’.

Recommended sites:

http://www.isracast.com/articles/63.aspx

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/man_underwater.php