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[Moghjubar]

So... Klotho.

http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21601809-potent-source-genetic-variation-cognitive-ability-has-just-been

http://www.cell.com/cell-reports/abstract/S2211-1247%2814%2900287-3

Life Extension Factor Klotho Enhances Cognition

Who wants to have a Klotho doping party?

[Sergarr]

Genes of intelligence? Time to construct me some ubermenches.

[Arx]

Fresh air and sunlight converted to kerosene.

Apologies if it's already been posted. If that source isn't reliable, there are others- that's just the one that showed up first when I searched, having seen it somewhere and forgotten.

[i2amroy]

IIRC the big problem with that process was that the level of CO₂ purity required was high enough that the only current way to make it economical was to use pure CO₂ piped in from other sources, not stuff that was actually taken from the air itself.

Or at least that was the problem with the (I think it was British) company that was looking into this process a year or two back.

[Sheb]

Still pretty cool depending on the efficiency of the system. Plug it into a power station, and you effectively get twice the energy per unit of carbon pumped into the atmosphere.

[Arx]

As far as I know, they're working on increasing the efficiency of this to 15% as a long-term goal. The awesome thing about it is that there are almost no running expenses; you put capital in and get money out, with only the price of maintenance. As far as I understand it.

[Descan]

I'm really REALLY hoping we get a drop-in solution like that, making fuel from water and atmospheric/loose CO2 using renewable energy. We can fuel our infrastructure, make it green again, without needed to overhaul the entire system like with electric cars. Plus, run oil plants on converted fuel for a baseline, when the winds aren't roaring and the sun isn't shining~

[Helgoland]

I'm a great fan of methanol fuel for precisely those reasons: Easy to manufacture from captured CO2, liquid for easy transportation and refuelling, and with roughly similar characteristics to existing fuels, allowing current engines to switch fuels without too big a hassle.

[10ebbor10]

It can work as a replacement for fossil fuels, but not as an energy carrier to make up for renewables unreliableness. I mean, a fossil fuel plant only has a 40% efficiency , and the syn fuel process is even worse.

Besides, we can't even produce enough renewable power for our electricity needs. Replacing fossil fuels for transportation might be premature.

[scrdest]

I'm a great fan of methanol fuel for precisely those reasons: Easy to manufacture from captured CO2, liquid for easy transportation and refuelling, and with roughly similar characteristics to existing fuels, allowing current engines to switch fuels without too big a hassle.

And unlike ethanol, there is very little risk in people trying to drink it. At least in the long term. (I've actually been very amused by learning that methanol is called 'screensaver' in some circles, for obvious reasons).

[Il Palazzo]

(I've actually been very amused by learning that methanol is called 'screensaver' in some circles, for obvious reasons).

"Let's hurry up drinking, it's getting dark."

[Helgoland]

It can work as a replacement for fossil fuels, but not as an energy carrier to make up for renewables unreliableness. I mean, a fossil fuel plant only has a 40% efficiency , and the syn fuel process is even worse.

Just an example of a drop-in replacement, my dear.

[i2amroy]

Still pretty cool depending on the efficiency of the system. Plug it into a power station, and you effectively get twice the energy per unit of carbon pumped into the atmosphere.

This would effectively be the best way to do it. Elsewise you run into needing

captured CO2

Which, to quote Wikipedia:

Extraction (recovery) from air is possible, but not very practical.

In a sense we've already got most of the technology we need to turn CO₂ into fuel as a drop solution; but we are missing most of the technology we need to actually pull said CO₂ out of the air.

That said I'd be fully up for something like this; if we could get it working on a large scale inefficiencies it could very easily solve/revert a large chunk of climate change without us needing to actually change anything else.

[10ebbor10]

Anyway, just as a note you don't get twice the energy per unit of carbon pumped into the athmosphere.

All synthetic fuels are energy carriers, not energy producers. Basically, the cycle is this.

Fossil Fuel --> Power plant = Energy + Co²
Co² + Energy --> Conversion plant = Fuel 

[i2amroy]

Anyway, just as a note you don't get twice the energy per unit of carbon pumped into the athmosphere.

Point, though it would allow for much higher solar energy utilization because we would have a more easily stored and widespread form of solar energy than through electricity/water.