

Cheap Drinking Water from the Sun, Aided by a Pop of Pencil Shavings - sizzle
http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2014/09/05/342469699/cheap-drinking-water-from-the-sun-aided-by-a-pop-of-pencil-shavings

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hackplus
This should be the paper mentioned in the article

[http://app.mnt.metu.edu.tr/system/files/images/ncomms5449.pd...](http://app.mnt.metu.edu.tr/system/files/images/ncomms5449.pdf)

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kwhitefoot
So why not just focus the sun on the surface of the water in a narrow necked
container? (This is not a rhetorical question, I really would like to know.)
High tech materials are not likely to be available in the environment where
such things are needed. Someone needs to re-read Viktor Papanek's book on the
subject of appropriate technology.

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hrjet
The article does address it. Read the text around this quote:

"It creates steam at a low concentration of solar energy," Ghasemi says. "So
you don't need such expensive optical systems to concentrate the solar
energy."

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kwhitefoot
Not really, he is still referring to the small holes in the graphite.

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lern_too_spel
Graphite is not exactly a high tech material. Maybe you're thinking of
graphene? The process they use to create the small holes is also very cheap.

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kwhitefoot
Graphite is high tech if you are living in a place where there is no mains
electricity. And if you had mains electricity you would be able to use a
simple electric still. So I'm still not convinced that this is actually useful
in the real world.

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taejo
There are plenty of places in Africa (and no doubt Asia too) with shops
selling factory-made goods, but no electricity.

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hrjet
"We took graphite and put it into the microwave for seven seconds," Ghasemi
says. The gases in the mineral cause the outer layer to expand and pop. "It's
exactly like a popcorn!"

Is this a safe experiment to do at home? Is there a chance of sparking?

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abcd_f
Oh, common! Where's your spirit of scientific discovery? Next thing you say
you never microwaved a burning match to get the plasma sparks :)

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kordless
Or a grape cut in half.

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tlarkworthy
or a CD

