MIT researchers have developed a portable, easy-to-use, and energy-efficient desalination unit that can turn seawater into drinking water that exceeds WHO quality standards. The suitcase-sized unit cleans water primarily through ion concentration polarisation (ICP), which takes advantage of positive and negative charges to repel salt molecules, bacteria, and viruses. Because it doesn’t require a powerful pump to push water through filters, the desalination unit only needs 20 watts of power per litre of clean drinking water. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
