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Water trapped in tiny glass beads on the Moon could hydrate future settlements
China’s Chang’e 5 rover has found tiny glass beads containing water in an impact crater on the Moon. Samples collected from a 2020 mission found beads with water content as high as 2,000 parts per million (PPM).
Water recycling technologies developed for space are helping a parched American west
To ensure humanity has enough to drink, some of NASA’s cutting-edge in-orbit water recycling research is coming back down to Earth.
What you’ll need to survive the California wildfires this summer
Gear and strategies to help you ride out this summer’s fire season. Good luck.
China's Chang'e-5 probe finds on-site evidence of water on the Moon's surface
China’s Chang’e-5 lunar lander has found water on the surface of the Moon, marking the first-ever time scientists have found on-site evidence of the substance on Earth’s satellite.
Microsoft details plans to slash water use at its data centers
It hopes to save up to 5.7 billion liters each year as part of plans to become 'water positive' by 2030.
Google says it will replenish 120 percent of the water it consumes by 2030
Google has announced a new water stewardship target that will see the company commit to replenishing on average 120 percent of the water it consumes at its data centers and offices by 2030.
NASA's first lunar rover will scour the moon's south pole for water in 2023
If we're ever going to establish a permanent human presence on the moon, we'll need water, and lots of it. NASA's VIPER lunar rover is going find it for us.
A nanofiber membrane could help solve the drinking water crisis
Researchers from the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology have created a nanofiber membrane that can desalinate water for up to a month.
YSL's at-home lipstick maker lets you create thousands of shades
When L'Oreal showed off its Perso Smart Skincare system last CES, it was still just a prototype. Today, the company is announcing that the Perso system will finally be available for consumers to buy under the Yves Saint Laurent brand. Instead of making different formulations of skincare though, the Rouge Sur Mesure will create a new shade of lipstick each time you need it.
Early Solar System meteorites might explain how Earth got water
Scientists have discovered that meteorites from the early Solar System held water until relatively recently, possibly contributing to life on Earth.
NASA confirms presence of water on sunlit surfaces of the Moon
Astronomers have long been aware of water ice present on the surface of the Moon, but it had only ever been discovered in deep, perpetually shadowed impact craters at its poles.
Microsoft details its plan to become ‘water positive’ by 2030
Microsoft plans to replenish more water than it uses by 2030.
Facebook used 86 percent renewable energy in 2019
In 2019, Facebook's operations used 86 percent renewable energy, up from just 35 percent in 2015.
There could be as many as six billion Earth-like planets in our galaxy
The findings could have a big impact on future space missions.
Sony 'Fortnite' leak all but confirms a flood theme for Chapter 2 Season 3
'Fortnite' Season 3 looks like it's gonna be wet and wild.
Alphabet's next moonshot: protect the ocean
Alphabet's moonshot factory is turning its attention back toward the ocean. But whereas Project Foghorn looked to turn seawater into a carbon-neutral fuel, the newly-announced Tidal has a broader mission to protect the sea and its aquatic inhabitants. "This is a critical issue," Neil Davé, general manager for Tidal said in a blog post. "Humanity is pushing the ocean past its breaking point, but we can't protect what we don't understand." The team, which operates under the company's "X" lab for now, is starting with a camera system that can help fish farmers monitor and, hopefully, better understand every living creature inside their pens.
Moen's voice-activated faucet gives cooks precise amounts of water
Moen, one of the biggest faucet companies in the US, was last spotted at CES showing off its shower "concierge," but now it's turning its attention to more traditional sink fixtures. This year, it announced the U by Moen Smart Faucet -- a voice-activated faucet that helps you do everyday kitchen tasks hands-free. From preparing a baby's bottle to filling a pasta pot, just tell the faucet how much water you need, and at what temperature, and it'll dispense it on command. You can set unlimited personalized presets for specific cooking tasks, and activate water flow through voice control, a wave sensor, or via a good old fashioned button. Moen hasn't announced pricing for its latest addition, but it's likely to cost a substantial amount more than old-fashioned mechanical faucets.
Floating LED art illustrates the quality of NYC's water
You don't have to check a website to find out whether or not New York City's water is healthy -- for the next few months, you just have to take a look at some art in the water itself. Playlab, Family New York and Floating Point have debuted a floating art installation, + POOL Light, that displays the water quality in NYC's East River using LED lights. The 50x50 feet sculpture glows blue if all is well, but it turns teal if a sensor detects pathogens and pink when those levels venture beyond safe swimming standards. The brightness, frequency and sharpness of the lights respectively indicate the oxygen, turbidity (the cloudiness based on particulates) and pH levels, while the light animation changes to reflect the current's direction.
Americans consume an alarming amount of microplastics
Americans consume tens of thousands of microplastic particles every year -- and that's just from the food we eat. Microplastics are also found in the air we breathe and the water we drink. Thanks to a study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, we have a better idea of just how much plastic Americans consume.
Dust storms may have stolen all of Mars' water
In May 2018, Opportunity had been doing science on Mars since 2004, and there was no reason to think that the plucky rover wouldn't carry on. Then, a dust storm hit that completely obscured the planet from view. After fine dust coated Opportunity's solar panels, the rover apparently lost power and was declared dead by NASA in February 2019. Now, scientists think similar storms may have also delivered a coup de grace to water on Mars, stripping it from its surface for good.