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29 Comments
- mike_p, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1FiReaNG3L, rather than getting upset and whining about a story you submitted earlier (because you, I and everyone else know it happens very often) just take note about how much simpler and straight-forward this headline is compared to yours... Bacteria or Microbes? Hmmm... I'm going with bacteria... I know they're referring to same thing but "bacteria" is a term more people can connect with. Also, the Scientific American article is slightly better.
Not making a "digg" at you... but I digg this. - theMangledOne, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0But wouldn't using bacteria pose health concerns? I mean, I would REALLY encourage using them to get rid of our waste, but since we're talking bacteria, think all the negative connotations associated with them. Like mutations, bioterror etc.
- ghobii, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I rember reading a sci-fi novel when I was a kid like this. I think it was called "The plastic eaters". About some mutant strain of bacteria that ate plastic causing all kinds of disasters everywhere. Planes fell out of the sky, all kinds of things blew up...
- hoodedrobin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Hopefully this will help our ever overflowing landfills... Styrofoam last forever, but maybe now it doesnt.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Maybe someone can clarify, but I seem to remember that styrofoam wasn't recyclable (I might be wrong). However, I definitely remember a high school science lab demo where we dipped styrofoam into an acid and (according to the teacher) it came out as plastic. Highly impractical for use in the industry, so I'm glad someone found an easier way to manage the build-up of styrofoam we have in today's landfills.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0they call it acetone
- fuckingstudent, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0They finally achieved something at the Stillorgan Airport eh?
- trevorsm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is great, but I think most people are still just going to throw their styrofoam (along with paper, plastic, etc) in the trash anyway, recycleable or not.
Sounds like a pretty simple process though: toss a bunch of stryofoam in a big retort, heat it up and let it decompose (charcoal style), and feed it to some bacteria. - beervolcano, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Regardless of the outcome of this.. I'm just glad that scientists are actually working to reduce global waste. Even if it's a small step.. it's a step none-the-less
- Midnightbrewer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"NOT cool. We're not supposed to throw away these materials. We should recycle them."
If you read the article, you'll see that the subsequent plastic can then be used to make other things. - J3bu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is good news for the enviroment!
- Cglass, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0lol @ bioterror, i love digg
- GrinningFool, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"But wouldn't using bacteria pose health concerns? I mean, I would REALLY encourage using them to get rid of our waste, but since we're talking bacteria, think all the negative connotations associated with them. Like mutations, bioterror etc."
Erm... you /do/ know that humans have had a symbiotic relationship with bacteria since humans have existed, right? - 525600, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0the acetone thing isn't really "plastic" - it's still polystyrene, just it's no longer expanded. We can't recycle polystyrene, no - and in most cases, re-use just isn't an option - that's why we use it like we do...
that's what makes a really cool process
Fair play to those out in Stillorgan Polytech. - Elohir, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0No-ones asked the most important question.
How expensive is it? Or, how much cheaper is it than throwing it all in the bin? - Cander, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0But what about the byproduct of the bacteria? Anything that eats something creates a waste product that can be harmful itself. Like cows and methane.
Does the bacteria produce any possibly hazardous byproduct? - UniCollLDN, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The bacteria in question is a VERY common soil bacteria, therefore it is my opinion that it will pose no Bioterror threat, and for it to even work the the polystyrene must be in the distilled oil form. please check d8a before making mad crazy loopy notions,lol
- stoops, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Alright, we'll start you off at $7.95 an hour and see how things go okay?
- HarryBauzonia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It's more fun to burn it.
- fluffyturtle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0"just take note about how much simpler and straight-forward this headline is compared to yours... Bacteria or Microbes? Hmmm... I'm going with bacteria..."
Wow. I didn't know the majority of digg users were 3 years old. Oh noes Microbes are teh confusing! - ToadPedestal, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Wait, does that mean "bacteria reclassifies styrofoam as biodegradable?"
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Very cool.
- mglmouser, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0NOT cool.
We're not supposed to throw away these materials. We should recycle them. - 9x19mm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0God damn it, Styrofoam is a trademark of the Dow Chemical Corp!
"...common disposable items are typically white in color and are made of expanded polystyrene beads. They do not provide the insulating value, compressive strength or moisture resistance properties of STYROFOAM products. In order to protect the Dow trademarked name “STYROFOAM”, such other material should be referred to by the generic term 'foam.'"
Get your facts straight. - CronicusX, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Wow. Nice.
- keane, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Irish scientists remind me of that Family Guy episode.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k92q6oocNuY - kadillacjack, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0that is SO cool
- FiReaNG3L, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Yeah, especially when it was submitted 3 days ago with almost no diggs.
http://digg.com/science/Microbes_convert_Styrofoam%E2%84%A2_into_biodegradable_plastic - noneloud, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0"Yeah, especially when it was submitted 3 days ago with almost no diggs.
http://digg.com/science/Microbes_convert_Styrofoam%E2%84%A2_into_biodegradab"
I guess digg users didn't were too lazy to look up ubiquitous.
