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Brilliant! MIT develops a 'paper towel' for oil spills

web.mit.edu — MIT develops a mat of nanowires to soak up oil spills.

Bury
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  • trustspot, on 05/31/2008, -27/+3New tool in the cleanup of oil pollutants!
    • starfisch, on 05/31/2008, -0/+26man, i'm glad you said it, the story was pretty vague.
  • philodygmn, on 05/31/2008, -21/+1http://www.rossenvironmentalproductsltd.co.uk/
    ***** gnat-brained Diggers act like what hits the front page is the first thing to ever be said on the subject. You know something, this sponge product doesn't use nanotinkering, either, which, if you'd actually read a _speck_ of research, means it isn't _apocalyptically toxic_:

    http://www.etcgroup.org/upload/publication/116/01/ ...
    • sockpuppets, on 05/31/2008, -0/+4Your anger only makes the oil monster in my basement seethe with sympathetic rage.
    • Cougaboy, on 05/31/2008, -1/+131. The product you linked can absorb 6-7 times its own weight in oil; the product from MIT can absorb 20 times its own weight and be reused, allowing the oil to be reclaimed rather than wasted.
      source: http://www.rossenvironmentalproductsltd.co.uk/abso ...

      2. The Nanotech safety article you linked details the results of an experiment using buckyballs, not potassium manganese oxide nanowires as in the MIT article
    • PathDaemon, on 05/31/2008, -0/+23. Things that start with "nano" aren't apocalyptic, damn it.
    • thealec, on 05/31/2008, -1/+04. He read nanowires and crapped his pants; posting his comment to mask his own fear :o
  • rpi22, on 05/31/2008, -19/+13Brilliant!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWqGLVaITsk
  • TomPlansMedia, on 05/31/2008, -5/+58is it a sham-wow?
    • Hockey13, on 05/31/2008, -0/+9Has anyone ever used DVR to analyze those sham-wow commercials? That part where he pours soda or coffee or whatever onto that square of carpet is the ultimate scam. In one frame, there's a giant puddle of liquid dripping out of that carpet and getting bigger. In the next frame, suddenly the entire surrounding area is dry and there's only a tiny stain on the top of the square. No wonder the bottom of the square is "dry" when no moisture ever got there.

      Still, it's quality entertainment.

      BEWARE OF SHAM-WOW IMITATORS!
      • TomPlansMedia, on 05/31/2008, -0/+17so it's a sham? wow.
      • Anpheus, on 05/31/2008, -2/+1The gasoline in the video disappeared in what appeared to be 1 frame and shaky-cam action isn't doing this scientific achievement any justice whatsoever.

        Throw out that piece of ***** video, buy a tripod and record a larger sample of gasoline being absorbed in high-speed so we can actually see something happen other than something reminiscent of poor-man's CGI.
      • kenkyomausu, on 05/31/2008, -1/+1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJEKqI1e714&feature ...
      • theRIAA, on 05/31/2008, -0/+5I love how he seems like he's treating not only you like an *****, but also the camera guy:

        "you followin me camera guy? hu ya little bitch, no don't tell me your name, i don't give a *****"
    • TVarmy, on 05/31/2008, -1/+3No, it's a ZorBee!

      It's better because Billy Maes sells it.
    • BTraina, on 06/01/2008, -0/+2yes, except you don't need to wear a ridiculous headset to use it.
  • kookbutt, on 05/31/2008, -5/+120Those people at MIT are some smart little buggers
    • monoa, on 05/31/2008, -11/+1I saw no indication of their size or sexual preferences in the article.
    • andrewtheart, on 05/31/2008, -9/+5Yes, Asians are generally very intelligent.
    • zephyr42, on 05/31/2008, -0/+3I dunno... everything they're coming up with is involving "nano wires" or "nano tubes" I'm of a mind to think that they *found* a ton of these things and started trying everything, see what actually did something different.
  • Alix7, on 05/31/2008, -9/+11It's just too bad that in order to make this material we need to destroy 800 mountains...
  • KingGorilla, on 05/31/2008, -5/+7I think it is our duty to clean up the sweet sweet ass of mother nature
    • AzureRise, on 05/31/2008, -0/+10And then tap it?
      • ep53, on 05/31/2008, -4/+3Haha its funny because its about oil.


        /Im sooooooooooo highhhhhhhhh rightttttttttt nowwwwwwwwwwwww... Yayyyyyyyyyy
      • GeekyGerge, on 05/31/2008, -0/+1No, you do that before.


        Giggity.
      • smartass007, on 05/31/2008, -1/+1tapping your mother's ass....hmmmmmm...calling dr. freud
  • hokie47, on 05/31/2008, -16/+11Great, now only if MIT could get my wife to clean the house sometimes. I guess science has its limits.
  • kgibby, on 05/31/2008, -4/+19The Quilted Quicker Picker Upper....

    MIT?
    • Alix7, on 05/31/2008, -0/+29The Quantum Quilted Quicker Picker Upper
  • kitaljevich, on 05/31/2008, -2/+2nanotech is the cure.
  • echolyean, on 05/31/2008, -3/+2Sounds familiar...

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=eUp8F4hEtPM
  • vikblazin, on 05/31/2008, -2/+57thank god, now hot sex involving canola oil will be such an easy clean up!
    • xdevit, on 05/31/2008, -2/+8I see the price of canola oil shooting up Monday.
      • withincontext, on 06/01/2008, -0/+8I certainly shot up after reading that.
  • adam07, on 05/31/2008, -2/+3MIT just keeps coming out with more and more amazing innovations.
  • analogkid01, on 05/31/2008, -1/+40nano- will become what e- was in the 90s and what i- is now.
  • Acglaphotis, on 05/31/2008, -3/+5MIT is so cool.
  • HiKevinRose, on 05/31/2008, -6/+3Can someone link that video elsewhere, it refuses to load for me. :(
    • HiKevinRose, on 06/01/2008, -2/+2The ***** are you digging me down for, assholes. The video won't load.
  • Enron1985, on 05/31/2008, -3/+1Great technology, I can't wait to see it put to good use.
  • TritonVision, on 05/31/2008, -2/+1Great! When will it be put in use?
  • surfslider, on 05/31/2008, -6/+0more demos here:
    http://tinyurl.com/5g5g2o
    • BrendanSheehan, on 05/31/2008, -1/+2What the ***** are you talking about? Stop spamming the comments.
  • McpDontknow, on 05/31/2008, -4/+1Don't they already have this??? I don't know what it's called, but there is a roll of towels that resist water and soak up oil.
    • GrantRobertson, on 05/31/2008, -0/+4But what they already have doesn't allow you to recover the oil and have a fresh clean "towel" to use again. You just end up with a huge pile of hazardous waste.
      • McpDontknow, on 05/31/2008, -0/+0I see...
        So with the new towel you will just have a huge "puddle" of hazardous waste.

        Much better than a "pile".
        • itspuddingtime, on 05/31/2008, -0/+2The point being you can actually re-use the oil with the MIT system.
    • Pake, on 05/31/2008, -0/+3PIG Mat is what you're thinking of and if looked into, I'm sure there's probably a way to recover the oil from the towels, but no one's taken the time to do such research.
  • Morghin, on 05/31/2008, -3/+2Holy *****, this is huge!
    • Marinium, on 05/31/2008, -3/+9That's what she said! HA! Sorry the urge to type that was COMPLETELY overwhelming.
    • lolwutpear, on 05/31/2008, -2/+1No, silly, nanoscale means tiny!
      /s
  • jayrok, on 05/31/2008, -1/+5If only this had been around in the days of Jheri curls.
  • GrantRobertson, on 05/31/2008, -3/+35Note the following:
    "Two key properties make the system work. First, the nanowires form a spaghetti-like mat with many tiny pores that make for good capillarity, or the ability to absorb liquids. Second, a water-repelling coating keeps water from penetrating into the membrane. Oil, however, isn't affected, and seeps into the membrane."

    The Flying Spaghetti Monster truly is everywhere and will solve all of our problems. ;^)
    Ra-men
  • bassman12593, on 05/31/2008, -1/+8MIT, what will you think of next?
  • RedMoonGenie, on 05/31/2008, -3/+23I went to an MIT frat the other day for a "rager" they threw. You had to sign in.
  • kmalik, on 05/31/2008, -7/+1Al Gore is getting a hard on!
  • Cashmoney504, on 05/31/2008, -2/+2I can clean all garage oil spills now?
  • webmastercorey, on 05/31/2008, -1/+1Spectacular idea.
  • shaymein, on 05/31/2008, -7/+2side thought...

    i expected MIT's website to be a little better than that...
    • BrendanSheehan, on 05/31/2008, -0/+1You think that's bad, click the homepage it's very very "green"!!
    • shaymein, on 05/31/2008, -0/+1that's the one i was referring to!
    • modernhumorist, on 06/01/2008, -0/+1The home page changes every day with a "spotlight" on a different area of research. It's not that ugly all the time, but changes based on whatever research they are currently spotlighting.
  • dafragsta, on 05/31/2008, -2/+4It's not like there wasn't an oil spill paper towel before this. I've read a few times that mats made from human hair are excellent at picking up oil slicks out of water, but I guess once nanotech production ramps up, this will be easier to attain than several tons of human hair.
    • SceptreData, on 06/01/2008, -1/+1Where the hell did they learn that?

      Aushchwitz?!
    • JackOpfor, on 06/02/2008, -0/+1Just look at what happens to sea otters and other animals that live in the water durring oil spills. Their hair is designed to repell water and hold natural oils, The advantage of the nanotubes or whatever are that they can be heated to release the oil that has been cleaned up. A oil absorbent mat made of hair would burn. Peww!!!
  • TyrannousDotNet, on 05/31/2008, -2/+5already been done by nature!
    http://matteroftrust.org/
    http://fungi.com

    youtube documentation:
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=BelfLIJErek

    and:
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=mKSq2fyOb40
    • CaviMike, on 05/31/2008, -2/+1I can't imagine how time consuming that is and the oil isn't recoverable.
      • TyrannousDotNet, on 05/31/2008, -0/+2please research the links before you respond with your short sighted criticism.
      • TyrannousDotNet, on 05/31/2008, -1/+2if you cannot imagine it, and did not research it, please do not ***** on it.
  • CaviMike, on 05/31/2008, -4/+2For some reason I'm in the mood for a Guinness.
  • Dr3w, on 05/31/2008, -3/+2I wonder how many people think that digging this will be their good deed for the day.
  • jotate, on 05/31/2008, -1/+2This is why we need to invest more in science and research. Still plenty of awesome ***** to be discovered and invented.
  • zephris, on 05/31/2008, -1/+1Someone important please see this comment and use it to clean up the oils in the floating plastic island in the pacific. We can recycle the trash and use this to clean up the rest...
  • Lammin, on 05/31/2008, -2/+1You can just set fire to the oil, i mean it was going to get burnt anyway?
    • Trots, on 06/01/2008, -0/+1Oh yeah, that will really help out the environment.
  • exomni, on 05/31/2008, -1/+2Mr. Clean is not happy.
  • TyrannousDotNet, on 05/31/2008, -1/+2humans already have this on their head.
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=mKSq2fyOb40
  • zeromancer, on 05/31/2008, -6/+1what about sex involving hot canola oil?
  • dralezero, on 06/01/2008, -2/+2Is it quilted by nano grannies?
  • Jacolyte, on 06/01/2008, -2/+6Thanks again science. You've performed millions more miracles than Jesus has.
  • StanleyKoolPrik, on 06/01/2008, -1/+1Coming to a Maxipad near you.
  • skemindee, on 06/01/2008, -1/+0this is a great breakthrough... good to see some great solutions to a big ecological problem
  • kday, on 06/01/2008, -1/+1Why not just use hair mats and oyster mushrooms to clean up spills?
  • DeFex, on 06/01/2008, -2/+3nanotubes. the new asbestos.
    • dood, on 06/01/2008, -0/+1I am curious about this statement. Can you elaborate?
      • kristoaster, on 06/01/2008, -0/+1There was some research suggesting that nanotubes are dangerous in the same way asbestos is, ie they make your lungs itch. Which no one needs.
  • pyrewyrm, on 06/01/2008, -3/+1What a joke... we've had stuff like this for years in the marine industry made of must less expensive materials for more than a decade. It's use to clean up hydraulic and fuel oil spills. It even rejects water. Congrats MIT... way to build a more expensive wheel.

    But what about the chunks? More oil bubbles out of the ocean bottom in the Gulf of Mexico every year than is spilled by a good margin... The oil is easily dealt with... Its the other materials suspended within it which may prove harmful.
  • aserer511, on 06/01/2008, -1/+1this won't take millions upon millions to manufacturer and perfect...
  • ianhobbies, on 06/01/2008, -3/+1great! let's go to vegas MIT people! hehe :)
  • tennis43267, on 06/01/2008, -2/+0these inventions always make me feel like a complete failure lol
    but then i realize i'm on digg and they're at MIT, and digg>MIT FTW
  • dadguy, on 06/01/2008, -0/+0nice!!

    Now just make a roll of toilet paper than can do the job with one sheet and I'm a believer!

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