The truth about engineering majors
Even if you don’t choose engineering because of a secret urge to become part of Skynet, most technologically inclined people cannot help their interest in cyborgs and the augmentation of the human body using technology. There are already massive communities of “Wetware Hackers,” who are using our current technology to enhance normal biological function. You may even want to join them, or just warn them of the dystopian possibilities.
While many people don’t believe the Mayans were predicting the end of the world with their calendar, it does seem that much of society is now obsessed with doomsday scenarios.
Zombies? Global Warming? Nuclear annihilation? Aliens? Supervolcanos? Rise of the machines?
These are certainly very interesting theories, and no doubt they have all produced some great movies for our enjoyment! But, should we be preparing for an inevitable disaster?
Takram, a design-engineering firm in Japan, was tasked to design a water bottle of the future. Luckily for us, these engineers reached a rather uncanny solution; why not reduce the amount of water necessary for survival?
Wetware to save humanity
Takram’s Hydrolemic system was created to solve a problem that has long been a concern of futurists: post-apocalyptic survival. Whether nuclear war has reduced livable area to a handful of cities and decimated the flora and fauna of the world, or global warming has wiped out all sources of fresh water, sustenance is a key issue.
In a survival situation, the bare minimum for a human to survive is one gallon (roughly 3,785 mL) of water per day. By reducing the amount of water wasted by the body, the Hydrolemic system reduced this amount to a mere 32 mL, a roughly 99.15% reduction.
How does it work?
Nasal cavity inserts prevent the moisture from air that you’re breathing from leaving your body, turning it back into water.
The heat irradiant neck collar radiates heat efficiently from the body, keeping you cool and preventing sweating.
Arterial-jugular heat exchangers convert body heat into electricity, which is sent to the collar and then released as heat and dissipated.
The urine concentrator and renal fecular dehydrator recycle liquid from waste to prevent loss of water.
The kit also includes “Rubedo Candies,” a hard-shelled, liquid-centered candy. Five of these candies contain the daily-required intake of nutrients and water.
While we could always hope this solution is never needed, it is better to have it and not need it! Check out our list of 10 Radically Innovative Engineering/Science programs to get a taste of the colleges that are leading the pack in advancements. Michigan State University even has a class to help prepare you for zombies, “Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse: Catastrophes & Human Behavior.”
Maybe we should also make a list of “10 Schools Most Likely to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse”?