Astronaut and chemist Dr. Don Pettit does physics demos that are out of this world. Currently on board the International Space Station, Dr. Pettit presents fantastic physics that can only be demonstrated in micro-gravity.

Episode 13: Astro Puffs

Challenge Question: How does volume affect how the spheres react to the waves? Read more

The development of a simple point-of-use water filtration technology by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) is said to be effective for producing drinking water at a low-cost, using nanomaterials to filter and clean the water.

The new device, which is not yet under production, uses a two stage process to purify the water, first removing biological contaminants such as bacteria and viruses, and then using silver nanoparticles to remove chemical and heavy metal pollutants.

The filtration system is claimed to be able to remove lead, arsenic, and other hazards from water, at a cost of just $2.50 (USD) per year per family.

The critical problem in achieving this is the synthesis of stable materials that can release silver ions continuously in the presence of complex species usually present in drinking water that deposit and cause scaling on nanomaterial surfaces. Read more

Everyday millions of gallons of expensively treated potable water is flushed down the toilet in the UK. Ideally we would all use rainwater to flush our toilets however this is not considered a practical option for most people. An alternative is to reduce the amount of water used in each flush.

Modern toilet cisterns use around 7-8 litres of water per flush, with pre-1993 models typically getting through 9-12 litres. This is far more than is actually necessary to flush a toilet fully and so one of the following products can be used to reduce the amount of water used per flush by 1-3 litres. Read more

Most of us know the importance of saving energy, and many know the importance of saving water. But few of us connect that by saving one, we also save the other.

A large amount of energy is required to treat water and pump it to your home, just as a vast amount of water is needed to cool the power plants that generate electricity.

It takes around 15,000 litres of water to produce enough electricity to power a 60 watt light globe for 12 hours per day over a year.

In the home, heating water for showers, shaving, cooking and cleaning also uses a considerable amount of energy. Read more

Water is essential for all socio-economic development and for maintaining healthy ecosystems. As population increases and development calls for increased allocations of groundwater and surface water for the domestic, agriculture and industrial sectors, the pressure on water resources intensifies, leading to tensions, conflicts among users, and excessive pressure on the environment. The increasing stress on freshwater resources brought about by ever rising demand and profligate use, as well as by growing pollution worldwide, is of serious concern.

What is water scarcity? Imbalances between availability and demand, the degradation of groundwater and surface water quality, intersectoral competition, interregional and international conflicts, all contributes to water scarcity.

Scarcity often has its roots in water shortage, and it is in the arid and semiarid regions affected by droughts and wide climate variability, combined with population growth and economic development, that the problems of water scarcity are most acute. Read more