Yesterday, we conducted our last online troubleshooting session for this school year. We enjoyed chatting with many of you and also sharing those videos about microbes. There is a lot of exciting research with the MFC globally. In the future, maybe Calgary and Alberta can be one of the hubs for MFC research.
As you have noticed during your experiments, there are many different ways to increase the production of electricity by the MFC. However, doing too much can reduce the production of electricity. We also need to have patience when conducting experiments. Working together in teams can also be very helpful since others have ideas that you might not have. For example, although many of you focused on trying different soil additives, some tried placing their MFC in warmer environments. Keep reading and thinking of new ways to produce more electricity with the MFC. We will be repeating the initiative next year, and you can participate again.
Many of us learned that troubleshooting problems is more effective when you have a more systematic approach. For example, some MFCs were not blinking because the wiring was not connected. In one instance, the LED Blinking Circuit was damaged. So being aware of what might go wrong and then checking one issue at a time can be very helpful. Interestingly, that is also stated in the Scientific Method. With the Scientific Method, experiments should only change one manipulated (Independent) variable at a time. So we hope that everyone will take a more scientific and systematic approach to solving problems in the future.
Although we are not conducting any future troubleshooting sessions, if you still have questions, please reach out. You can contact us at [email protected] with your questions.