MIT to the rescue!

The planet is afire. Well, not literally. Not yet, anyway. However, with all the things that are constantly going wrong all over the world, perhaps, that day isn't far. And what we need more than anything else right now is a way to undo things.

In that light this new technique developed by  MIT to magnetically separate oil and water is going to go a long way to help in the cause of our oceans that are suffering from increasing amounts of oil spill every year. The team claims their method to be so efficient that the oil can even be reused after separation. There has, of course, been a good deal of research that has been undertaken in the field before. However, this team contends that while the research so far was good, it would be unlikely to work in situations of oil spills in oceans etc as they fundamentally depend on the concentration of the ferrofluids remaining constant and being known in advance which is likely to differ widely in an oil spill.

The new method developed by the scientists from MIT which uses magnets to separate the ferrofluids, by their contention, sounds much simpler just as its meant to and promises to be a lot more effective. They also contend the method can be implemented on a larger scale and employed at sea for days or weeks even in places where there's no electricity and no maintenance available.

And we can almost hear the oceans sigh in relief. 

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Fishing for plastic

If you were to be wandering around the Botafogo Beach in Rio around now, don't be surprised to see two giant fish rearing out of the sand and seemingly aiming for the sky.Glittering with the reflection of the sun's rays or if it's a little later in the evening, glowing a warm blue and red (thanks to little LED lights), juxtaposed against the scenic backdrop of Rio's mountains, they might look like something your beauty-drunk brain made up on its own. But they're real, alright. Well, not real fish but real enough otherwise. 

Image by Ascom Riotur

Made out of plastic bottles, these gorgeous fish are not only a spectacular tourist attraction for the duration of the  United Nations Conference of Sustainable Development or the Rio +20. They are also intended to remind us, not least of all, thanks to their sheer size, of the threat of over-consumption of plastic bottles to the planet. Each day human beings around the world use millions of these disposable plastic bottles that are ironically, not disposed of correctly, ending up at land fills instead of being recycled. Unsurprisingly our rivers and oceans are also victims of this over-consumption, directly affecting the marine life which is choking under all this plastic. 

The giant sculptures are meant to impress people, in many ways, of the the threat plastic and our careless attitudes towards its use pose to the ecosystem, and more specifically to marine life. And the bottles used for this are barely an infinitesimal portion of the real problem facing us. 

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Fishing Out Trouble

Now here’s some technology we can all be thankful for and which was sorely needed given the condition of our seas.

European group BMT has introduced a new fish in the seas of Spain and this is one fish that’s not ending up on your dinner plate anytime soon! The Robo-Fish has been designed to swim even in the deepest parts of the ocean to detect pollution in the waters. This 1.5 m long fish has been made to emulate its real-life counterparts in every detail so as not to scare these inhabitants of the deep. Of course, its fish-like shape is the most suitable for its task since it is the most hydro-dynamic shape in nature whereas if the machine had been outfitted with propellers and the like there would be more chances of it getting snagged in the weedier depths.

So, this new Robo-fish works on several levels towards the cause of pollution detection. Not only can it swim to unprecedented depths to look for the presence of pollutants in the water, check salinity and oxygen levels; it provides constant real-time detection as opposed to periodic checks at harbours in which case it is often too late to check the spread or trace the culprits. The Robo-fish can also be fitted with detectors for different types of pollutants depending on the waters it is scouring.

With the construction cost of each fish at about £20,000, the robot is currently on its test swim in the waters of Spain. If it proves to be successful it is hoped to be seen in more countries across the world. 

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Living in the deep, blue sea

Fancy living in a hotel where you wake up to, not the sun, but coral reefs outside your window? Well, your wish might just be Dubai's command.


Polish firm Deep Ocean Technology has unfurled Dubai's latest underwater ambition - the Water Discus Hotel.Though this isn't Dubai's first attempt at a place like that, this one is aimed at being slightly different from the earlier plan; whether or not it will ever see the light of day remains to be seen.


The hotel will comprise of a series of discs, one of which will be positioned about 21 stories underwater, offering the guests a view directly into the Persian Gulf. These discs are also interchangeable and if that particular area of Dubai were to fall out of fashion for any reason, well, DOT has thought of that too. “If any changes in environmental or economic conditions occur, the Water Discus modules can be transferred to a different place. This offers a unique opportunity to live underwater on a permanent basis with unlimited options to change locations.”  


What this also apparently means is that any interior design changes or other things could actually take place offsite.

 What is also interesting about the design is that the above-water discs have “positive buoyancy, which means they can be used as lifesaving vessels after being detached from the main body of the upper disc.”

And, if for reasons unforeseen , the hotel is not constructed in the planned location, Deep Ocean Technology have made the design plans adaptable to varying sea levels.

The hotel is also to include a diving center, underwater tourist vehicles, a spa, garden areas, an above-water terrace, and a helipad for guests.

Now, all that remains is to see if these plans will come to fruition or go the way of the Hydropolis or Dubai's famous but now sinking island atlas.

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