Re^2: Someday "everything" will be powered by...

[Perl Mouse]

Actually, that isn't true. There are a few (experimental) power station that get their power from the temperature gradient of the earth crust - usually by making use of hot water. The inner earth isn't heated by the sun - it's hot because of gravity and tidal forces (and tidal forces are caused by gravity as well). And if you look deep enough, than sunlight is caused by gravity as well. So, everything is powered by gravity. ;-)

[inman]

Generating electricity from nuclear fission is also non-solar and has progressed beyond the experimental stage.

[herveus]

Howdy!

...well, where did those heavy elements that fission piles use come from? Extreme sunlight! (supernovae, after all, are just sunlight gone way over the top...)

[Limbic~Region]

herveus,
Actually, I am pretty sure that it is due to quantum tunneling which needn't have come as a result of a supernovae.

[serf]

There are a few (experimental) power station that get their power from the temperature gradient of the earth crust

There are more than "experimental" - In Nuclear Free New Zealand we've been seriously using the Wairakei Geothermal power station since 1958, and we are currently increasing the amount of geothermal electricity we generate.

It's a "sustainable" resource, but it's sadly not a renewable one.

Remembers... Hmmm Wairakei and Perl are linked for me... I first learned Perl in a tutorial at a Uniforum conference in the hotel at Wairakei (just around the corner from the powerstation) :o)