Any of you ever read the novel Dune?
The story concerns a desert planet with virtually no free water to be found. The humans which colonized the place rely on technology to distill water out of the air for use in their hidden cities.
Strategypage.com reported that an American company named Aqua Sciences had developed a system to get water out of the air, which would greatly reduce the logistical requirements of troops serving in desert climates.
Science fiction is now
(Sure, the original SP post was put up last year so I'm coming rather late to the party. But it is the first time I heard of it, so you guys just have to suffer for my lack of attention.)
Comments (4)
Technically the stillsuit doesn't draw water out of the air (since there's so little of it there it's not worth the effort), it very efficiently recycles all of the water the wearer emits. It catches the sweat and liquid waste, of course, but with the face mask it also catches the water vapor from your breath (ok, so that is 'from the air').
They caught the water out of the air with 'dew traps' that efficiently collected and saved any condensation that might happen.
I think that a stillsuit would work pretty well if anyone cared to make (and wear) one - I believe we actually output more water than we take in, what with breaking down our food and all.
Hmmm....
Combine the water plant with Toshiba's new home nuke plant and you're two-thirds of the way to self-sufficiency.
Posted by KCSteve | December 21, 2007 1:37 PM
Posted on December 21, 2007 13:37
I just can't read anything like that without being reminded of Ted Johnson.
Posted by jed | December 21, 2007 7:43 PM
Posted on December 21, 2007 19:43
William Gibson is credited with this quotation: "The future is already here. It just isn't evenly distributed."
Posted by Kevin Baker | December 23, 2007 10:02 PM
Posted on December 23, 2007 22:02
Science fiction is now, only it's not Dune, it's Star Wars. The character of Owen Lars ("Uncle Owen") is a moisture farmer, who basically makes his living by setting up "moisture vaporators" ("condensators" would have been more accurate) that trap what litle moisture can be gathered from the air of Tatooine, and selling it.
Posted by Jurjen S. | February 2, 2008 7:18 AM
Posted on February 2, 2008 07:18