A device can produce light using seawater

It may be difficult to believe, but a shocking number of people in the world do not have access to electricity. There are around 770 million people in the world with no electricity in 2023, mostly living in the global south. That's just under 10% of all people on Earth.

One innovation that could help provide power to those currently without it is courtesy of a Colombian company named E-Dina, which has developed a lantern that can produce light using only seawater.

Named WaterLight, the smart little device can take half a liter of salt water and produce an impressive 45 days of light. 

The saltwater reacts with the magnesium in the WaterLight that causes a simple chemical reaction that generates electricity. 

Two cups of water give the WaterLight enough to be powered for around 45 days, based on the kind of usage its users put it through, according to Pipe Ruiz, an executive creative director for Wunderman Thompson Columbia, a creative agency that collaborated with E-Dina in the creation of WaterLight. 

In the end of this process the water and salt get separated. So when the WaterLight is no longer able to illuminate, the water that’s remaining in the light can be used for cooking.

For those who don't live near the sea, a WaterLight can even produce energy from urine.

Ref: Grunge; IEA; E-Dina