The beautiful team

Hydrogen + Oxygen = Electricity + Water Vapor Cathode : O 2  + 4H +  + 4e –   →  2H 2 O Anode : 2H 2   →  4H +  + 4e – Overall : 2H 2  + O 2   →  2H 2 O A fuel cell is a device that converts chemical potential energy (energy stored in molecular bonds) into electrical energy. A PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) cell uses hydrogen gas (H 2 ) and oxygen gas (O 2 ) as fuel. The products of the reaction in the cell are water, electricity, and heat. This is a big improvement over internal combustion engines, coal burning power plants, and nuclear power plants, all of which produce harmful by-products. Since O 2  is readily available in the atmosphere, we only need to supply the fuel cell with H 2  which can come from an electrolysis process (see Alkaline electrolysis or PEM electrolysis). There are four basic elements of a PEM Fuel Cell: The anode, the negative post of the fuel cell, has several jobs. It conducts the electro...

Dream and reality  The significance of future studies is often advertised by the slogan: future is important, since we shall spend there the rest of our lives. In the same vein, sleep research can be easily motivated by pointing out that we spend in sleep one third of our lives. The 11th European Congress on Sleep Research ! which starts its work today (July 6, 1992) in Helsinki ! will certainly give a convincing proof of the theoretical and practical significance of studies in such phenomenon as the sleep-wake cycle, pharmacology and sleep regulation, sleep disorders, snoring, sleep apnea syndrome, daytime sleepiness, and narcolepsy. Following the scientific tradition, these studies are based upon objective empirical measurement of such physiological and behavioral factors as body temperature, blood pressure, EEG, eye movements, etc. A philosopher cannot even try to compete with these physiological and medical investigations. Of course I could claim that I do have a ...