Stillsuits? We don't need no freakin' Stillsuits...

[Kaido]

MIT harvests fog:

http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/16/mit-harvests-fog-to-make-water/

In the Atacama experiment, they're good enough to produce half a gallon of water a day for every 10 square feet of mesh. That's not a lot, but it's sufficient for watering gardens of edible plants like aloe vera.

This is just the start, too. In time, MIT hopes to boost efficiency to the point that a mesh can collect three gallons of water in the same surface area. More importantly, the technology is already cheap and easy to maintain. If the mesh technology reaches mass production, it could quickly improve the quality of life for some desert dwellers -- they wouldn't have to worry as much about basics like clean water and healthy crops.

Reminds me of these guys: (indoor/outdoor humidifiers w/ water purifiers)

http://www.islandsky.com/

 

[Markbnj]

+1 for Dune reference.

 

[Jeff7]

Interesting choice of aloe. That's not normally something I think of as being edible.
That's a nice and simple idea though, and great if it can be cheaply deployed to suitable parts of the third world.


Moringa is another desert-dweller, and it's supposed to be quite nutritious. I have no idea what it tastes like though, or if it has texture like shredded peat moss biscuits.



Source: (The name of the site makes me think it might be biased. 😀)

Raw Moringa leaves, have a slight "bite", reminiscent of watercress or radish. Both the Moringa Oleifera and the Moringa Stenopetala that we grow, have that "bite", but it is more pronounced in the Moringa Oleifera. When cooked, the "bite" goes away, and Moringa tastes like "pecany" spinach, at least to us! It only takes a few minutes to wilt and turn an intense green. Served up with a touch of butter, garlic, and salt, it is an epicurian delight!

If they want "bite," aloe ferox would also do the trick.

 

[BudAshes]

The enormous California coastal redwoods have already mastered this. They are so tall they can't get water to their tops from their roots so they instead absorb it from the foggy coastal air.

 

[Dirigible]

The enormous California coastal redwoods have already mastered this. They are so tall they can't get water to their tops from their roots so they instead absorb it from the foggy coastal air.

It doesn't rain all summer here, but the fog drip under the redwoods pretty much creates rain most mornings.

 

[surfsatwerk]

+1 for Dune reference.

I concur, but I get angry at the same time by being reminded of the abortions his son produced.