The effects that massive oil spills have on our oceans are disastrous, but what if we could clean them up in a flash using a sponge? This far-fetched idea is actually becoming a reality as researchers at Australia’s Deakin University have developed a new sponge-like material that’s capable of absorbing oil separate from water. What’s best about the new material is that it uses boron nitride as its main building block, a non-flammable substance ideal for transporting volatile chemicals like oil. The team of researchers are now set to work with companies to produce the sponges on a larger scale so that they can be deployed to minimize the effects of future oil spills.
Researchers create magic sponge to clean up oil spills
More of Today's Solutions
Why turning support into action matters on International Women’s Day
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM International Women’s Day arrives each year with a familiar mix of brightness and gravity. On March 8, communities ...
Read MoreDaylight saving time and kids: how to help babies and toddlers adjust without...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every spring, clocks jump forward by an hour and parents everywhere brace for impact. Daylight saving time has ...
Read MoreTel-Aviv could soon follow Amsterdam in adopting Doughnut Economics
In April 2020, we wrote about Amsterdam’s decision to implement a new economic model that seeks to meet the core needs of all humanity ...
Read MoreLargest number of fin whales seen feeding together in over 50 years
Fin whales are the second-largest in the world, growing up to 85 feet (26 m) long and 160,000 pounds (72.3 metric tons). In 1976, ...
Read More
