MIT researchers have developed a device that draws water from the air using solar power, writes David Morris for Fortune. The device could serve as a possible solution for regions facing issues with water access, and “could unleash massive growth in regions where it’s still a problem, both at home and abroad,” concludes Morris.
Joe Palca of NPR reports on a device developed by researchers from MIT and the University of California at Berkeley that uses a new technique to extract water from the air. Palca explains that the device uses “less power and works in drier environments,” than other technologies designed to turn water vapor into drinking water.
A device co-developed by Prof. Evelyn Wang can remove water vapor from the air, producing almost 3 liters of water a day, writes Robert Service for Science. The device could eventually be used to provide homes in the driest parts of the world with “a solar-powered appliance capable of delivering all the water they need, offering relief to billions of people.”
Prof. Evelyn Wang and her colleagues have developed a device that can remove water from the air, writes Sam Lemonick for Forbes. “The technology could be a boon to people living in arid regions or places where there is extreme drought,” writes Lemonick.
Newsweek reporter Hannah Osborne writes that researchers from MIT and the University of California at Berkeley have developed a device that can extract drinking water from the air using power generated by sunlight. “Because this device is passive you can really reach out to remote areas that don’t have infrastructure,” explains Prof. Evelyn Wang.
Amit Kumar, a research scientist at MIT and director of strategy and impact for the MIT Energy Club, speaks with Marshall Brennan of Nature Chemistry’s “Sceptical Chymist” blog. Kumar notes that he hopes his research will “help provide environmentally sound and sustainable solutions to the pressing need for clean water and energy.”
Writing for The Huffington Post, Peyton Fleming spotlights MIT alumna Kate Cincotta’s efforts to improve drinking water in northern Ghana. Fleming writes that through her startup Saha Global, Cincotta aims to empower “local women in extremely poor villages like Yepala to treat the contaminated water - and make a little money in doing so.”
Melissa Lott writes for Scientific American that MIT researchers have created a device that generates steam using sunlight and does not require mirrors or lenses to concentrate the sun’s heat. The device could provide an “inexpensive option for applications ranging from the large scale (e.g. desalination and wastewater treatment) to smaller applications (e.g. residential water heating).”
FOX News reporter Rob Verger writes that MIT scientists have created a new device that can boil water without electricity. The device can “heat water to 212 degrees under just the heat of the sun, and could be used for applications like sterilizing medical tools in settings without electricity.”
Researchers from MIT and the Masdar Institute of Technology have created a new bubble-wrapped, sponge-like device that can turn water into steam using energy from the sun, reports Mary Beth Griggs for Popular Science. The researchers hope that the design “could one day be used as a component in small desalination or wastewater treatment plants.”
IEEE Spectrum reporter Charles Choi writes that researchers from MIT and the Masdar Institute of Technology have developed a new floating system that can boil water using energy from the sun. "Our demonstration shows a new approach to producing low-cost solar thermal devices," explains graduate student George Ni.
Writing for Science, Robert Service describes how MIT researchers have developed an inexpensive, bubble-wrapped device that could help purify water in developing countries. The device was able to “boil and distill water with no extra solar concentrator,” Service explains, which could pave the way for the development of “large-area solar stills for about one-twentieth the cost of conventional technology.”
Prof. Elfatih Eltahir speaks with the BBC’s Ed Butler about whether desalination could be an effective remedy for water shortages in the Middle East. Eltahir notes that current desalination methods use “a lot of energy to basically distill water…and could have very high costs and could contribute to the potential for global warming.”
A study conducted by researchers with the Singaore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology examines how coal use could cause water strain in parts of Asia, writes Audrey Tan for The Straits Times. The study’s findings suggest that higher coal use “could suppress rainfall in China, India and across South-east Asia,” explains Tan.
Tech reporter Karleigh Moore speaks with Matt Damon, MIT’s 2016 Commencement speaker, about technology, the film industry and how graduates can help make the world a better place. “Start with…what speaks to you and what feels like something you want to spend your time on,” Damon advised. “It requires so much work and so it helps if you love it.”