Collaborate Disseminate
If you want to know how much water a plant is taking up, one of the best places to look is in its leaves. A new material known as AquaDust could help scientists more easily do so, without harming the plant.Continue ReadingCategory: ScienceTags: Cornell… Continue reading AquaDust gel reveals water levels of plant leaves
The old saying “like water off a duck’s back” is well-earned – the water-loving birds have specialized feathers that keep them from getting too wet. Now, engineers at Virginia Tech have investigated the physics behind how they work and developed synthe… Continue reading Synthetic duck feathers could help ships glide through the water
The phosphate found in the Earth’s crust is a key ingredient for the growth of aquatic plants and animals, but human activity is washing far too much of it into our waterways. One consequence of this is the algae blooms that coat the surface of some la… Continue reading Adaptable sponge soaks up phosphate from polluted waterways for reuse
The Greenland Ice Sheet is associated with a range of environmental issues, but now researchers have discovered a surprising new problem that hadn’t been considered before. Glacial meltwater was found to be unexpectedly high in mercury, which could hav… Continue reading Surprisingly high mercury levels detected in Greenland glacier meltwater
Water scarcity is one of humanity’s most pressing problems. Now engineers at Caltech have developed a new system that can tap into two different sources to produce fresh drinking water, by purifying dirty water during the day and collecting droplets fr… Continue reading “Micro-tree” hybrid harvester purifies water and wrings it out of air
In a way, the magic of a soil moisture sensor’s functionality boils down to a simple RC circuit. But of course, in practice there is a bit more to it …read more Continue reading Soil Moisture Sensors, How Do They Work?
Pipes, instruments and surfaces that come into contact with salty water usually end up with a corrosive layer of salt and other dissolved minerals caked on, which needs to be scraped or washed off. Now, engineers at MIT have developed a new method for … Continue reading Strange salty “crystal critters” help thwart fouling of metal surfaces
Desalination is an important technology that may help expand the world’s supply of drinking water. Now, engineers in China have demonstrated a new, relatively simple design for a solar still with a high efficiency and low cost.Continue ReadingCategory:… Continue reading Efficient solar desalination unit uses titanium-coated diaper material
In many parts of the world there may not be much precipitation, but there is a fair amount of water vapor in the air – particularly at night. An experimental new device draws in that vapor, then uses it to irrigate edible plants.Continue ReadingCategor… Continue reading Self-contained SmartFarm grows plants using water drawn from the air
Researchers at the University at Buffalo have developed a new method for 3D printing graphene aerogels that work well as water filters. The team says this technique helps make graphene aerogels scalable and stable enough to be used over and over.Contin… Continue reading 3D-printed graphene aerogel makes efficient, scalable water filter