Computer heater

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by skewbe

It still needs a temperature differential to work.

That's what I mean by "Use a Peltier effect plate backwards" --- give a thermocouple a current, it will make a temperature difference :P Give it a temp. difference, it will make a current

So is there anything special about a solar cell in this regard? What if you could make one that responded to infrared radiation, would it care if it was bathed in heat?

PV panels in space aren't bathed in heat

In any case, you can do some interesting things by using LEDs in reverse Give a red LED some red light - and you should get a voltage over the leads This has been used for simple multi touch experiments among other things

[rh77]

Does this have anything to do with the 2nd Law of Thermodyamics...

I took a lot of bio-science classes instead, darnit

RH77

EDIT: Crap, I can't edit the Title -- OK, I thought it was the third until I looked it up...my bad

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by rh77

Does this have anything to do with the 2nd Law of Thermodyamics...

I took a lot of bio-science classes instead, darnit

Pretty much

The second law says - you create entropy until you reach equilibrium and max entropy happens to be at the point of equilibrium.... Or something along the lines of - system order can not increase in a closed system (given no external energy source, you slowly diverge to disorder) - you know - no free lunch

So put a cup of hot coffee next to a glass of ice water... And you're an entropy terrorist! Contributing to the ultimate destruction of the universe


Although, if you destroy the universe (and thus space-time) - did the universe ever exist given the absence of time o.0 I mean, "infinite" and "forever" are until time ends - which is theoretically finite