<p>When an aquarium in Japan planned their holiday displays for Christmas, they decided to harness the natural talents of one resident: the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_eel" title="">electric eel</a>. The lights on one small Christmas tree are powered by the eel's natural electricity, which is picked up by two aluminum panels in the tank that act as electrodes. The eel-powered Christmas tree has been a fixture at the aquarium for the past few years, but <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLNE6B001R20101201" title="">Reuters reports</a> that this year the aquarium broadened its alternative energy experiment by adding a dancing Santa powered by stomping human feet. As we admire the tree, let's also take a moment to appreciate Kazuhiko Minawa, the inventor of this marvel and a spokesman for the Enoshima Aquarium. He says in the 2008 video below: "If we could gather all the electric eels from all around the world, we would be able to light up an unimaginably large Christmas tree." Oh Mr. Minawa, we can imagine it. Related Content: The Loom: <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/11/23/two-fish-families-evolved-electric-powers-by-tweaking-the-same-gene/" title="">When Love Shocks</a> Not Exactly Rocket Science: <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/11/23/two-fish-families-evolved-electric-powers-by-tweaking-the-same-gene/" title="">Two fish families evolved electric powers by tweaking the same gene</a> Science Not Fiction: <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2010/11/23/how-to-conduct-the-worlds-first-electric-fish-orchestra/" title="">How to Conduct the World’s First Electric Fish Orchestra</a> Science Not Fiction: <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2010/10/23/electric-fish-plug-in-and-turn-their-zapping-into-music/" title="">Electric Fish “Plug in” and Turn Their Zapping Into Music</a></p><div class="vert-display-toggle collapsible relative flex flex-col items-center "><div class="vert-unit mt-4 mb-3 top-20"><div ad-type="mobile-desktop" class="ad-wrapper vert min-h-boombox flex items-start justify-center" data-ad-mapping="inline" data-ad-slot="Discover/inline-ad" id="div-inline-ad-0"></div></div><span aria-label="Advertisement" class="text-ad mt-1 text-[11px] uppercase">Advertisement</span></div><p><em>Image: </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Electric-eel.jpg" title="">Wikimedia Commons</a></p>

electric-eel.jpg

Discover the electric eel Christmas tree lighting up the holidays with natural energy and a dancing Santa! Explore this captivating experiment.

Technology

I'm Dreaming of an Eel-Illuminated Christmas

Article

News

Eliza Strickland

Science

When an aquarium in Japan planned their holiday displays for Christmas, they decided to harness the natural talents of one resident: the electric eel. The lights on one small Christmas tree are powered by the eel's natural electricity, which is picked up by two aluminum panels in the tank that act as electrodes. The eel-powered Christmas tree has been a fixture at the aquarium for the past few years, but Reuters reports that this year the aquarium broadened its alternative energy experiment by adding a dancing Santa powered by stomping human feet. As we admire the tree, let's also take a moment to appreciate Kazuhiko Minawa, the inventor of this marvel and a spokesman for the Enoshima Aquarium. He says in the 2008 video below: "If we could gather all the electric eels from all around the world, we would be able to light up an unimaginably large Christmas tree." Oh Mr. Minawa, we can imagine it. Related Content: The Loom: When Love Shocks Not Exactly Rocket Science: Two fish families evolved electric powers by tweaking the same gene Science Not Fiction: How to Conduct the World’s First Electric Fish Orchestra Science Not Fiction: Electric Fish “Plug in” and Turn Their Zapping Into Music Image: Wikimedia Commons

Discover Magazine’s award-winning journalism inspires and informs, delivering thought-provoking content that sparks meaningful conversations. With a focus on groundbreaking developments in science, technology, and the world around us, Discover highlights the impact of these innovations on our daily lives.

我梦想着一个鳗鱼点亮的圣诞节

新闻简报

Eliza Strickland

社交媒体和搜索引擎现在可以预测疾病爆发

社交媒体如何创造了 Z 世代和婴儿潮一代之间的代沟

天哪！表情符号的历史可能会让你大吃一惊

如何击败社交媒体算法

人工智能语音复制正在改变《星球大战》及其他媒体

人工智能语言模型是否已达到心智理论？

辨别 AI 生成照片的 4 种方法

社交媒体不应为面对面交流减少负责

像 ChatGPT 这样的人工智能语言模型能否解锁神秘的古代文本？

4 款形似人类的机器人

科学解释减肥应用的4种方式

数字员工对人类劳动力意味着什么

机器人与人工智能的古老神话起源

5项意外发现的发明

“智能”护齿器正在帮助科学家研究橄榄球运动员的头部创伤

保持好奇

加入我们的列表

订阅杂志