Water the Chances

Big Picture Science

Science, Technology

4.5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 25 July 2011

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Water, water everywhere. But most of it is sea water - you can’t drink it. Discover the most promising technologies for desalination and why solar cells are key. Also, how astronauts filter “water-closet water” to drink it, and how to turn a salt pond back to a wetland. Plus, from Roman aqueducts to modern-day pumps: a history of quenching human thirst. And, why NASA strives to “follow the water.” Guests: Brian Fagan - Anthropologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, author of Elixir: A History of Water and Humankind John Bourgeois - Biologist and Executive Project Manager, South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project Michael Meyer - Lead scientist for the Mars Exploration Program Farouk El-Baz - Geologist and Director of the Center for Remote Sensing, Boston University Michael Flynn - Principal investigator for NASA’s advanced life support branch, Ames Research Center Descripción en español Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media Podcast.
0:05.0	This episode is brought to you by Revolute.
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0:28.1	Until 18th of June 2024, 18 plus, T's and C's apply, exchange fees and fair usage limits supply.
0:35.0	Tech moves fast.
0:38.0	So keep pace with the Daily Crunch Podcast from Tech Crunch.
0:42.0	With new episodes every day, this podcast Crunch new tech, regulations, and more.
0:53.0	Listen to Tech Crunch Daily Crunch now, wherever you get your podcasts.
0:58.0	That's Tech Crunch Daily Crunch, wherever you get your podcasts. You're an animal, you're an animal you animal you that means you're more than 90% water but if that isn't enough you surround yourself with the stuff
1:20.5	How else are you going to get the cheese off the lasagna pan?
1:24.0	Or the salty sweat off your back, to ensure that you're inoffensive at parties.
1:28.0	Or when the mercury hits 80 plus, keep your cool.
1:32.0	There's no other trio of atoms in this case, two hydrogen and one oxygen, that is as essential to survival.
1:40.0	But before you can surround yourself with this useful liquid, you have to get to it or get it to you,
1:48.0	and that's not easy for everyone.
1:55.0	Take a glass of clear mountain water and add a cup of salt.
1:58.0	The result, well, you, you, you might gargle with it, but you can't drink it.
2:06.1	So can we get the salt out? I'm Seth Shostak.
	...

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