This Portable, Solar-Powered Device Purifies Seawater on Demand

Good News Notes: “Imagine having the ability to purify water anywhere, any time, with one solar-powered device. While that may not be of key importance to many in wealthy nations, it is for the 785 million people around the world who, as of 2017, lacked access to clean drinking water. A group of researchers at the…

Tackling air pollution with autonomous drones

Good News Notes:  “Hovering 100 meters above a densely populated urban residential area, the drone takes a quiet breath. Its goal is singular: to systematically measure air quality across the metropolitan landscape, providing regular updates to a central communication module where it docks after its patrol, awaiting a new set of instructions. The central module…

Lab grown wood could mean no more deforestation, say scientists

Good News Notes: “Tables and chairs grown in a lab could help to slow deforestation, according to a study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The concept is similar to lab grown meat. Scientists create structures made of plant cells that mimic wood, but without needing to chop down forests in the process. The wood-like…