One of the most important renewable energy resources is solar energy that is converted into electrical energy in solar cells. However, there are efficiency limits of solar cells which originate from the fundamental laws of statistical mechanics and quantum physics, says Dr Veljko Janković of the Institute of Physics, Belgrade in the 30th volume of the popular science video series ‘The Garden of Physics’, in which he explains how imitation of natural processes can further the increase of energy efficiency.
Physicists have noticed amazing similarities between the conversion of solar into electrical energy, and primary processes of natural photosynthesis, states Dr Janković, adding that nature uses quantum effects to achieve efficiency in energy transfer, therefore for the last several years, quantum biology has been intensively developed.
Nowadays, quantum biology is a multidisciplinary science intertwining knowledge of physics, chemistry, and biology. ‘Just as philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said that his language limits were the limits of his world, each researcher introduces their language into this field and tries to interpret things from their own perspective’, says Dr Janković.
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Authors: Marija Đurić and Slobodan Bubnjević
Scenario: ’Science Through Stories’
Camera/drone: Zoran Veljanoski, Bojan Živojinović (Twotech Solutions)
Production associate: Jovana Nikolić
Directing and editing: Bojan Živojinović
Produced by: Insitute of Physics, Belgrade, 2021[:]