5/23/2025 at 12:25:29 PM
> a new class of nanostructured materials that can pull water from the air, collect it in pores and release it onto surfaces without the need for any external energyAs a similar comment note, it's like a high tech Dehumidifier bag. https://www.amazon.com/Wisesorb-Moisture-Eliminator-Fragranc... The bags have Calcium Chloride and absorb water from unsaturated air and make small drops of water. It's obvious that they get depleted, and to use them again you must buy a new one or boil all the water to get the crystals again.
In this new material, the droplets are attached to the material. To remove them you must use energy. They don't just drop to a bucket bellow the device magically. You can't use it to "harvest" water without energy. You can sweep the droplets with a paper towel, but now to remove the water from the paper towel you need energy.
> With a material that could potentially defy the laws of physics in their hands
This does not break the laws of physics. It would be nice that the PR department of the universities get a short course explaining that if they believe the laws of physics are broken, then they must double check with the authors and then triple check with another independent experts. Tech journalist should take the same course.
Note that the bad sentence and the misleading title is from the university https://blog.seas.upenn.edu/penn-engineers-discover-a-new-cl...
by gus_massa