Solving The World's Water Problems  

Bruce Sterling has a post on "The Segway for Water" (I'm not sure the Segway is a good comparison to use when promoting something, but whatever) - a small scale water purification unit at a low price from Segway inventor Dean Kamen. As usual, Bruce's interjections are the bits marked "(())".

More at Wired Science - it sounds like the device works in conjunction with Kamen's other new invention, a Stirling engine based power generation unit - and Red Ferret.

(((Wired Science, these guys rock. I can't wait to see what they get up to when we've got an Administration that doesn't hate, fear and attack science.)))

"There has been much buzz about the water purifying machine that Segway inventor Dean Kamen demonstrated on the Colbert Report last week (even taking on the bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos that Colbert added). Everyone has been trying to find out more about his claim that "you stick a hose into anything that looks wet ...and it comes out...as perfect distilled clean water."

"So far as I can tell however, it is true..."

(((The kicker:)))

"The slingshot is a David and Goliath reference aimed at putting water and power back in the hands of the individuals."

"The most interesting comments I came across were to the effect that inventing something great is only half the problem. The other half is getting it to the people who need it in a way that works. Luckily, as Gizmodo commenter enginblue points out, if units came down to $1,000 each, this new wave of micro-lending could have people pooling money to purchase units for groups of entrepreneurs wanting to bring this to their village."

((("Village," hell! For the cost-overruns on Austin's water-treatment plant we could buy a zillion of these. If it's a matter of a thousand dollars, I'll buy one myself and give disease-free distilled water to the neighbors. I'd make the money back in lowered medical costs to my community.)))