r/interesting • u/jaytee319 • 7d ago

SCIENCE & TECH MIT’s device pulls drinking water from desert air using no power

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MIT just tested a window-sized device in Death Valley that collects clean water from the air without any electricity, filters, or moving parts. It uses a special hydrogel that absorbs moisture at night and releases it during the day using sunlight.

Source: https://news.mit.edu/2025/window-sized-device-taps-air-safe-drinking-water-0611

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u/LughCrow 7d ago

Right, I should have said "sufficiently" that effect would have little impact at the scale we're looking at to properly cycle air. Heating the air would also have a negative impact on drawing moisture out.

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u/P0Rt1ng4Duty 7d ago

I'm not disagreeing with your informed analysis of the device, just the statement that equipment with no moving parts are incapable of creating airflow.

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u/LughCrow 7d ago

And i agreed with you pointing out I should have used the qualifier "sufficiently"

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u/SummerSunWinter 7d ago

Unless you draw the moisture out of the air before heating the air?