Water Vapor Plumes May be Present on Europa

Posted on September 27, 2016 by IE Article Contributor

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of what may be water vapor plumes erupting off the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. Europa’s ocean might be able to harbor life in the solar system, and the plumes, should they exist, could provide scientists a way to understand and sample Europa’s subsurface. The plumes themselves are estimated to rise about 125 miles (200 kilometers) before, presumably, raining material back down onto Europa's surface. Europa’s ocea...

Battery that self destructs in Water in 30 Minutes

Posted on September 11, 2016 by IE Article Contributor

A breakthrough invention in developing transient batteries has been developed: a self-destructing battery that completely dissolves in water without leaving behind any trace. Researchers at Iowa State University have designed a one-millimeter-thick, five-millimeter-long and six millimeters wide battery that use typical lithium-ion technology. The transient battery is made up of eight layers, including an anode, a cathode and the electrolyte separator, all wrapped up in two layers of a polyvi...

The Product That Makes Water Taste Like Juice

Posted on January 7, 2016January 7, 2016 by IE Article Contributor

Imagine if water tasted like juice—without the calories. The Right Cup, a new product featured on Indiegogo, promises to do just that. The Right Cup takes the same FDA approved aromatic fruit flavors which beverage companies use in their drink and using proprietary Encapsulated Aroma Release technology, the makers insert them into the Right Cup to create a scented inner lining. During the process, the aroma and flavor become part of the cup itself but the plastic characteristics of the cup ar...

Penguin Anti-Ice.

Posted on December 23, 2015 by adminedit

Scientists studying penguins’ feathers have revealed how the birds stay ice free when hopping in and out of below zero waters in the Antarctic. Penguins living in the Antarctic are highly evolved to cope with harsh conditions, their short outer feathers overlap to make a thick protective layer over fluffier feathers which keep them warm. Under their skin, a thick layer of fat keeps them insulated. The flightless birds spend a lot of time in the sea and are extremely agile and graceful swimmers, ...

Microbe Powered Robot

Posted on December 19, 2015 by adminedit

A new robot created by researchers at the University of Bristol has the mission of cleaning ponds and lakes. Powered by the microbes it scoops up from the water and digests, it doesn't need any recharging to keep going. The Row-bot is inspired by the water boatman insect and uses a similar mechanism to glide across the surface of water, in the robot's case, a paddle powered by a 0.75 Watt DC motor. Both bug and robot maximize surface area when making a power stroke and then minimize surface area...

This Saltwater-Powered Lamp can also charge your cell phone!

Posted on December 11, 2015 by adminedit

Lighting is something that we take for granted in the developed world, but there are still many areas around the globe where people lack reliable access to light at night. Around one-fifth of the world’s population has no access to electricity. They often use kerosene lamps, which contribute to indoor pollution and have to be refilled with oil regularly. Also they are bad for the environment and human health. To solve this problem, an engineering start-up called SALt(Sustainable Alternative Ligh...

Pluto Ice Volcanoes

Posted on December 4, 2015 by adminedit

Pluto may have two ice volcanoes that spew water ice, nitrogen, ammonia, and methane onto the dwarf planet's surface, NASA announced today. The potential volcanoes were spied near Pluto's South Pole, in images taken by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft during its July flyby. NASA scientists used the photos to measure the mountains, they are several miles high and tens of miles wide, with large holes in their summits. "On Earth that generally means one thing a volcano," said Oliver White, New Horizo...

New, inexpensive way to clean water from oil sands production

Posted on December 4, 2015 by adminedit

Researchers have developed a process to remove contaminants from oil sands wastewater using only sunlight and nanoparticles that is more effective and inexpensive than conventional treatment methods. Frank Gu, a professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo and Canada Research Chair in Nanotechnology Engineering, is the senior researcher on the team that was the first to find that photocatalysis , a chemical reaction that involves the absorption of light by nanoparticles ...

Hydrogel superglue is 90 percent water.

Posted on November 28, 2015November 28, 2015 by adminedit

Nature has developed innovative ways to solve a sticky challenge. Mussels and barnacles stubbornly glue themselves to cliff faces, ship hulls, and even the skin of whales. Likewise, tendons and cartilage stick to bone with incredible robustness, giving animals flexibility and agility. The natural adhesive in all these cases is hydrogel, a sticky mix of water and gummy material that creates a tough and durable bond. Engineers at MIT have developed a method to make synthetic, sticky hydrogel th...

Desalination

Posted on November 28, 2015 by adminedit

MIT has developed a new and more efficient way to desalinate water. The process, called shock electrodialysis, filters water through a material made of small glass particles, according to an MIT News report. When an electric current is introduced to the system, the water divides into areas of high or low salt concentration. Once the current reaches a certain point, a shockwave is produced that divides the streams and allows the salty and fresh waters to be separated by a physical barrier. The pr...

Using Holography to better understand clouds.

Posted on November 21, 2015 by adminedit

Scientists have just made a breakthrough in understanding how clouds interact with the surrounding air by studying clouds in unprecedented detail. Raymond Shaw, a professor of physics at Michigan Tech, looks at the smallest part of clouds, droplets. To understand groups of droplets, Shaw and the NCAR team flew airplanes through fluffy, cottonball cumulus clouds in Wyoming and Colorado. Aboard the plane, the team took detailed 3-D images with an instrument called the Holographic Detector for Clou...

SlingShot: Quest to solve the world’s safe water crisis.

Posted on November 20, 2015 by adminedit

Kamen's SlingShot (so-named after the Biblical David & Goliath story) device is an energy-efficient "vapor compression distiller," and one possible answer to the safe water crisis. The SlingShot is designed to take virtually any unfit source of water, such as contaminated well water or seawater, and turn it into clean water, without requiring a filter (which regularly need to be replaced) or using any chemical additives (which have to be purchased). The device does use combustible fuel to po...

Egyptian method filters seawater in minutes

Posted on November 10, 2015 by adminedit

Researchers from the University of Alexandria have developed a cheaper, simpler and potentially cleaner way to turn seawater into drinking water than conventional methods. This could have a huge impact on rural areas of the Middle East and North Africa, where access to clean water is a pressing issue if social stability and economic development is to improve. Right now, desalinating seawater is the only viable way to provide water to growing populations, and large desalination plants are now a f...

NASA’S New Horizons finds blue skies and red water ice on Pluto.

Posted on October 20, 2015 by adminedit

Images sent back by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft last week reveal that Pluto has blue atmospheric hazes and water ice on its surface. Pluto’s haze layer shows its blue color in this picture taken by the New Horizons Ralph/Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC). The high-altitude haze is thought to be similar in nature to that seen at Saturn’s moon Titan. The source of both hazes likely involves sunlight-initiated chemical reactions of nitrogen and methane, leading to relatively small, ...

USF team’s invention turns waste into clean water, energy and fertilizers.

Posted on October 13, 2015 by adminedit

The NEWgenerator converts waste into nutrient fertilizers, renewable energy, and clean water, providing a modular and self-sustaining machine that operates completely off-grid (no water, power or sewer system required). Dr. Daniel Yeh and the creators of the NEWgenerator, will see their device head to India later this month. This invention that got its start in a University of South Florida lab could be a game-changer for developing countries “It’s a resource recovery machine,” said Dr. Danie...

The hot tub Hydro Hammock

Posted on October 9, 2015 by adminedit

The Hydro Hammock is a first of its kind hammock. It uses a water heater system that heats water from a garden hose or other water source to fill into the hammock and gives consumers the ability to create a hot tub on the fly wherever they are, whether it be at the beach or on a mountaintop. It also has two USB chargers for your devices so that you can charge your smartphone while you’re relaxing in your hammock. Made from high-tensile, marine quality, sealed material, it is capable of retaining...

HidrateMe tracks your water intake and glows to remind you.

Posted on October 6, 2015 by adminedit

Sleek and stylish HidrateMe is a connected water bottle that will glow when you need to take a sip. It aims to help you fill up on your H20 with a sensor that monitors your intake and syncs that information up with an app on your smartphone. Should you need more water than you are ingesting, the bottle will glow. Water is an essential part of our daily lives, and we need it to maintain health and fitness. More than 750 million people around the world don’t have access to adequate amounts of s...

Cool Oculus – innovative ways to make buildings comfortable

Posted on October 6, 2015 by adminedit

Spiraling and swiveling, the large, metal structure currently sitting in the lobby of Princeton University’s School of Architecture opens and closes like a blossom. An aluminum blossom with sharp, louvered blades for petals. It’s a Cool Oculus, a high-tech chimney prototype that uses passive cooling techniques to keep a building comfortable in a desert climate. It integrates two passive cooling strategies into one architectural system.These complement one another on a day-night cycle in a des...

NASA Confirms Evidence That Liquid Water Flows on Mars

Posted on October 5, 2015 by adminedit

New findings from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provide the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars. NASA researchers using an imager aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter confirmed the watery flows by looking at light waves returned from seasonal dark streaks on the surface, long suspected to be associated with liquid water. They detected signatures of hydrated minerals on slopes where mysterious streaks are seen on the Red Planet. The...

The Reveeco EcoVéa recycling shower

Posted on October 5, 2015 by adminedit

Possibly the world’s most intelligent shower, EcoVéa recycles water within your shower to push the limits of water conservation. The EcoVéa is a revolutionary ecological shower system that provides considerable water and energy savings, whatever the length, flow, or temperature of the shower. You can now enjoy long, comfortable, guilt-free showers. Promising a savings of up to 80% on both water and energy, the Ecovea system recycles water for immediate reuse, letting you shower in a sort of g...

The BoomBottle: A Water-Repellent, Bike-Friendly Speaker

Posted on September 28, 2015 by adminedit

The BoomBottle uses a compact, bike-friendly Bluetooth speaker that repels water. The Scosche BoomBottle made of waterproof housing along with a thermoplastic polyurethane construction can take even the roughest of mountain treks. It is designed to fit in the bottle holder of your bicycle and with its rugged rubberized look claims to be tough as nails. The speaker connects to your phone or iPod via Bluetooth and the battery lasts for up to 10 hours. There are plenty of water-resista...

The White Goat – Office Machine that Recycles Office Paper into Toilet Paper

Posted on September 13, 2015 by adminedit

Japanese company Oriental invented a revolutionary and innovative White Goat machine which converts normal paper into toilet paper. The machine recycles office paper into toilet paper right in your office. All you have to do is put paper and water in the machine and 30 minutes later out comes a roll of toilet paper. The machine shreds the paper, dissolves it in water, thins it out, dries it and winds it around a roll. Paper is thrown into a hopper and the machine untangles, shreds and u...

Amazing Water Drop Lenses

Posted on September 8, 2015 by adminedit

A new discovery has led to the creation of liquid optical lenses. Bruno Berge, physicist and inventor, has created liquid optical lens by a process known as electro-wetting. In this process, a water drop is deposited on a metal substrate and covered by a thin insulating layer. When a voltage is applied to the metal, it modifies the angle of the liquid drop. The liquid lens is comprised of two liquids, water and oil; one is a conductor while the other is an insulator. A variation in the ...

Atmospheric Water Generators that Make Water from Air

Posted on September 8, 2015 by adminedit

The WaterMill WM-200 is unlike any other water collection device. It is an intelligent system that can regulate itself to produce pure water for a healthy family and environment. Johathan Ritchey has invented this novel device, which is essentially an atmospheric water collection device that condenses water vapor and purifies it. Originally designed for areas that do not have clean drinking water, the Watermill is for households that need an eco-friendly, cost effective alternative to bot...

Sponge-like “Swelling Glass” absorbs toxins in contaminated water

Posted on September 8, 2015 by adminedit

A new glass has been developed that swells up like a sponge to clean contaminated groundwater. A company called Absorbent Materials has used nanotechnology to create a nanobot particle made from glass that can absorb pollutants from dirty water. The glass particles act like sponges by attracting and binding contaminants to themselves and expanding eight times in size during the process. However, unlike a sponge, these nanobots are hydrophobic, meaning they don't absorb water. This new s...

Portable water purification device for the ultimate traveler

Posted on September 6, 2015 by adminedit

Inventor Micheal Pritchard has found a solution for safe drinking water with a handheld water purification device that creates fresh water instantly. The LifeSaver bottle provides refreshing, germ free water anywhere. The bottle itself is designed to be uncomplicated and user friendly. This bottle consists of long lasting cartridges which help remove viruses and bacteria from contaminated water. One just needs to pump the products manually a few times and pristine drinking water will start t...

A unique self-healing bio plastic

Posted on September 3, 2015 by adminedit

Scientists at Pennsylvania State University have create a power plastic that sticks together with a drop of water. This mold-able polymer heals itself when exposed to water. It was observed that all squids around the world had proteins in their system which allow them to self-heal. This observation was the basis for creating this polymer. The yield of these proteins is quite low per squid meaning that many animals would have to be processed in order to obtain a usable amount for use in pol...