While we might not be able to drink all that ocean water, maybe we could do with some extra electricity. A new paper released by Nano Letters posits that electricity can be generated by the ocean's saltiness. While we might not be able to drink all that ocean water, maybe we could do with some extra electricity. A new paper released by Nano Letters posits that electricity can be generated by the ocean’s saltiness.When salty ocean water and freshwater meet at a river’s mouth, the difference in salinity causes an exchange of ions, and naturally creates energy. The same exchange of ions occurs in a battery, except that nature does not have electrodes necessary to capture the resulting electrons and convert it into usable electric power.The Nano Letters paper’s “mixing entropy battery” process hopes to fix that problem by capturing the energy using manganese dioxide and sliver electrodes. With a constant cycling of freshwater and saltwater at 40 cubic meters per second, the proposed device could theoretically generate up to 100 megawatts. Now, that’s not a lot of power compared to the hydro-turbine numbers we are used to seeing at Niagara Falls (2 terawatts) or the potential power we could generate from the Mississippi, but a little more renewable energy is better than nothing.[Nano Letters via Ars Technica] Like this? You might also enjoy…How Did Vikings Navigate? Sunstones, Say HistoriansAT&T’s Portable Cell Tower Is Useful in Natural DisastersTiny Transistors Could Pave The Way For Power-Sipping TechGet your GeekTech on: Twitter – Facebook – RSS | Tip us off Related content news analysis Companies are already feeling the pressure from upcoming US SEC cyber rules New Securities and Exchange Commission cyber incident reporting rules don't kick in until December, but experts say they highlight the need for greater collaboration between CISOs and the C-suite By Cynthia Brumfield Sep 28, 2023 6 mins Regulation Data Breach Financial Services Industry news UK data regulator warns that data breaches put abuse victims’ lives at risk The UK Information Commissioner’s Office has reprimanded seven organizations in the past 14 months for data breaches affecting victims of domestic abuse. By Michael Hill Sep 28, 2023 3 mins Electronic Health Records Data Breach Government news EchoMark releases watermarking solution to secure private communications, detect insider threats Enterprise-grade software embeds AI-driven, forensic watermarking in emails and documents to pinpoint potential insider risks By Michael Hill Sep 28, 2023 4 mins Communications Security Threat and Vulnerability Management Security Software news SpecterOps to use in-house approximation to test for global attack variations The new offering uses atomic tests and in-house approximation in purple team assessment to test all known techniques of an attack. By Shweta Sharma Sep 28, 2023 3 mins Penetration Testing Network Security Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe