[thedoc (OP)]

Milly Dekker  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
If sexually active people had cupro-nickle swivels implanted in their hips and connected themselves to the Grid during sex, this, according to my calculations, should meet not just most of the U.K.'s energy needs, but a lot of the world's.

Also, this would solve the co2 problem, there wouldn't be any.

Of course, it would mean thousands of people losing their jobs at power stations but we would need a lot of extra surgeons, so they could be re-trained.

I think I've thought of everything.

Best wishes.

What do you think?

[syhprum]

I think technology would be a better place for this or maybe the trash bin!

[RD]

If sexually active people had cupro-nickle swivels implanted in their hips and connected themselves to the Grid during sex, this, according to my calculations, should meet not just most of the U.K.'s energy needs, but a lot of the world's.

"The typical average continuous power that can be generated by pedalling is about one-sixth horsepower or 125 watts, more or less, depending on the weight, strength, and endurance of the person pedalling."

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2003/WeiLiangMok.shtml

125Watts for an hour is 0.125 Kwh

A person in the developed world uses about  6000 Kwh per day ... http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.USE.ELEC.KH.PC

So moving legs vigorously for an hour could only supply 0.002% of their daily electricity consumption.

[Bored chemist]

You don't even need to look at the numbers to show that this is silly.
much of mankind's energy requirements go into producing food.
The energy from people's muscles can't produce exceed that which they get from the food.
If the proposed system worked, it would be a breach of the law of conservation of energy.

[RD]

Some electricity generation by human activity is possible ...


http://www.bikeradar.com/beginners/news/article/boston-ma-gym-powered-by-spin-bikes-33573/

[ Someone could trip over one of those cables and sue for much more than the total value of the energy ever produced by the bikes]

[yor_on]

A interesting proposal. Now I just need to find a starry eyed maiden to propose it to
All for it I am, beats war.

[Bored chemist]

AArgh!
Will someone please stop journalists coming up with nonsense like this
"Energia’s co-founder, Mike Curnyn, noted that the average hour-long workout on one of the bikes creates about 110 watts, which is enough to power two laptops. An hour long spin class could also generate enough power for 50 florescent lights."

[RD]

"An hour long spin class could also generate enough power for 50 florescent lights."

The "spin class" could mean all of the bikes, 8 are visible in the photo,
 so the energy produced would be around 1kWh, so could power "50 florescent lights" each 20Watt for that hour.


[ but I agree the "human-powered gym" is more of a gimmick than anything else ]

[Bored chemist]

A class could produce enough power for 40 lights or
An hour long class could produce enough energy to run a thousand fluorescent lights (for about a minute)

Can someone please hit these people with lengths of fire hose until they either learn the difference between energy and power, or learn to ask someone who does know.

(while they are at it can someone get them a spell checking routine- perhaps a fluorescent one.)

[chris]

A person in the developed world uses about  6000 Kwh per day ... http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.USE.ELEC.KH.PC

That figure was per annum, not per day! 6000 kWh per day would be really quite impressive...

[RD]

A person in the developed world uses about  6000 Kwh per day ... http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.USE.ELEC.KH.PC

That figure was per annum, not per day! 6000 kWh per day would be really quite impressive...

oops  [:I] , I did think "0.002%" looked too small when I wrote it.
So the correct answer would be close to a negligible 1%.

Unless one does not have easy access to other sources of electricity "human powered" electrical devices are an expensive a gimmick ... http://news.cnet.com/8301-13512_3-9779334-23.html

[DonQuichotte]

Weird...

[alancalverd]

In answer to the original question, who needs electricity during sexual intercourse? Nobody. And I don't see why my efforts should benefit others - I pay enough tax already to keep the lights on in the houses of slackers. Get real, Milly. And if your conclusion really was the result of your best calculation, get a job in climatology or economics, where plausibility doesn't matter - never mind accuracy!