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Surprising Science

With Cyborg Water Storage Upgrades, We’d Need Just 0.1 Cups of Water per Day

A Japanese design studio has created a coordinated artificial organ system that conserves the body’s stores of water, necessitating that humans drink just 0.1 cups of water per day. 
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What’s the Latest Development?


A Japanese design studio that was asked to build a water bottle suitable for use after natural disasters has gone one (big) step further. The company designed an artificial organ system that would preserve the body’s own water stores, requiring the consumption of only 0.1 cups of water per day. “Inserts that go in our noses convert moisture in the air we breath into water, and other inserts at the ends of our renal and digestive systems keep water from leaving by those routes. A collar on our neck helps prevent perspiration by turning our body heat into electricity, so it doesn’t make us perspire, losing precious liquid.”

What’s the Big Idea?

Called the Hydrolemic System, the water preservation scheme is obviously designed for something more serious than an extended power outage caused by a tsunami or earthquake. While visions of a post-apocalyptic future may seem like a subject for science fiction, companies are currently hard at work developing patents for water purification technologies. And with new research published in Nature indicating that half the Earth’s landmass is about to be disturbed by humans, potentially upsetting the balance of natural ecosystems, would you have a water-saving system installed preemptively? 

Photo credit: Shutterstock.com

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