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Flashy fish: electric eel powers Tennessee aquarium’s Christmas tree | Flashy fish: electric eel powers Tennessee aquarium’s Christmas tree |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Special system connected to Miguel’s tank enables his naturally occurring shocks to power strands of lights on nearby tree | |
Visitors to the Tennessee aquarium may be shocked to learn that the Christmas tree is being powered by an unusual renewable energy source – an electric eel. | Visitors to the Tennessee aquarium may be shocked to learn that the Christmas tree is being powered by an unusual renewable energy source – an electric eel. |
The flashy fish goes by the name of Miguel Wattson and has his own Twitter account, @EelectricMiguel. | The flashy fish goes by the name of Miguel Wattson and has his own Twitter account, @EelectricMiguel. |
A special system connected to Miguel’s tank enables his naturally occurring shocks to power strands of lights on a nearby tree, the aquarium said in a news statement. Miguel releases low-voltage blips of electricity when he is trying to find food, aquarist Kimberly Hurt said. | |
That translates to a rapid, dim blinking of the Christmas lights. When he is eating or excited he emits higher voltage shocks which cause bigger flashes. | That translates to a rapid, dim blinking of the Christmas lights. When he is eating or excited he emits higher voltage shocks which cause bigger flashes. |
Wattson’s Twitter account allows him to share tweets generated by his sparky self, courtesy of coding by Tennessee Tech University’s iCube center, an innovation unit for students and faculty. | Wattson’s Twitter account allows him to share tweets generated by his sparky self, courtesy of coding by Tennessee Tech University’s iCube center, an innovation unit for students and faculty. |
“They combined electrical engineering and emerging business communication to give the eel a voice,” center director Kevin Liska said. | “They combined electrical engineering and emerging business communication to give the eel a voice,” center director Kevin Liska said. |
In between Miguel’s tweets boasting statements like “SHAZAM!!!!” and “ka-BLAMEROO!!!!!,” a video posted to the account shows Miguel shaking in his tank as lights on the nearby tree sputter on and off. | In between Miguel’s tweets boasting statements like “SHAZAM!!!!” and “ka-BLAMEROO!!!!!,” a video posted to the account shows Miguel shaking in his tank as lights on the nearby tree sputter on and off. |
The aquarium hopes the Christmas tree will be a powerful appreciation for the often feared electric eel and underappreciated eels of all kinds. | |
The lighting-up ceremony earlier this week – dubbed by some “shocking around the Christmas tree” – inspired a widespread glow of affection for Miguel and his extraordinary powers to illuminate can be seen in full effect from now until Christmas. |
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