# The Risk of Artificial Photosynthesis?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-risk-of-artificial-photosynthesis/995981>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [January 11, 2024, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-risk-of-artificial-photosynthesis/995981 "2024-01-11T23:37:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-risk-of-artificial-photosynthesis/995981/21 "2024-01-12T23:49:37Z")

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> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
>
> And it stays completely contained like other hazardous chemicals.

Famous last words…

[![](https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3775168752_10.jpg) ](https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3775168752_10.jpg)

That sentiment is probably about a billion times _more true_ when applied to algae than to velociraptors 😛

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**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2024, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-risk-of-artificial-photosynthesis/995981/22 "2024-01-13T00:03:42Z")

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Yeah, and I thought of exactly that when I posted it.

Still we do a lot of bioreacting today with stuff that we need to keep out of the wild, so there is precedent. Perhaps it could be engineered to need a nutrient that doesn’t exist in the wild… Where have I heard that before?

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**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2024, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-risk-of-artificial-photosynthesis/995981/23 "2024-01-13T01:45:34Z")

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> [@Sam\_Stone](#):
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> If plants are constrained by sun energy, then maybe. If they are constrained by something else, then I would expect more efficient photosynthesis to reduce the size of the leafy area. Or increase the leafy area of some and decrease it in others.

Or, the size/quantity of the leaves stay the same and that energy is put into things like fruits and roots.

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**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2024, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-risk-of-artificial-photosynthesis/995981/24 "2024-01-13T11:28:02Z")

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> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#):
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> And after all this time, they will be looking high and low for the Entwives!

Blowing their Entwistles to lure them.

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**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2024, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-risk-of-artificial-photosynthesis/995981/25 "2024-01-13T12:22:39Z")

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Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

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