Alien abductions, water bubbles and odor-eating underwear.

A big hello to the 74 water enthusiasts who joined us since last month, and welcome back to the other ~4,000 of you!

This is November’s edition of "At Water’s Edge" – the only newsletter that makes H2O sound as exciting as H2Whoa ??

..and I may include a few personal updates too ??

Water, Water Everywhere... But Can You See It?

You know how magicians pull rabbits out of hats? Well, scientists just witnessed something maybe even more magical… the creation of water.

Researchers at Northwestern University just witnessed water being born. No, not in a cloud or a raindrop, but at the freaking atomic level!

The Ultimate Matchmaker: Palladium

Enter palladium, the rare metal playing cupid in this atomic love story. It's like the Tinder of the periodic table, bringing hydrogen and oxygen together and saying, "You two crazy elements should hook up!"

Remember Matt Damon making water on Mars in "The Martian"? This research is bringing us one step closer to that reality. Except instead of risking blowing himself up, future space explorers might just need some palladium and a couple of gas tanks.

It's like a cosmic chemistry set – "Just add palladium and poof! Instant water!"

The Bubble That Broke the Internet (Almost)

The researchers were so shocked when they saw these tiny water bubbles forming, they thought they were hallucinating. Good thing they had it on video, or their colleagues might've thought they were hitting the lab equipment a bit too hard.

What's Next? Water Cooler Talk Gets Real

While we won't be seeing palladium-powered water fountains anytime soon, this research opens up some pretty cool possibilities.

splash some water

What do you think? Tell me in the comments!

Water World Roundup

1. Tropical storms are radioactive: Thunderstorms: now with bonus gamma rays!
2. Cleaner water saves Reef: Water quality offsets are keeping coral colorful
3. Zooplankton’s cleaning fails: Turns out, zooplankton are terrible janitors.

What I'm Up To

It’s been a whirlwind month - lots of travel for conference season - where I saw many of my water family at WEFTEC in New Orleans, and many more at Autodesk University in San Diego. If you’re feeling FOMO, don’t worry - here’s the link to a presentation I gave on our work with BRK Ambiental, a large water utility in Brazil, and their use of generative design in the wastewater treatment process.

Did you know?

Time for some water wisdom that's wetter than your average trivia:

1. There's a giant "ocean" hidden 400 miles beneath North America. It's not exactly swimmable though - this water is trapped inside a blue rock called ringwoodite. (read more)

2. In 2011, a company in Japan created odor-eating underwear using... wait for it... water. They used titanium oxide, the stuff that makes white paint white, to create a water-based deodorizer. Talk about a fresh idea! (read more)

3. Scientists have discovered a form of ice that's hot and can remain frozen at thousands of degrees Fahrenheit. It's called superionic ice and might exist in the cores of Neptune and Uranus. Ice so hot it's cool! (read more)

Got any water facts that I should include in the next newsletter?

Send 'em my way here!

Splashy Quiz: Water You Waiting For? (answers at the bottom of the newsletter)

1. Why is phosphorus removal important in wastewater treatment?

A) It prevents corrosion in pipes.

B) It reduces the risk of eutrophication in water bodies, which can lead to excessive growth of algae.

C) It enhances the taste of treated water.

D) It increases water clarity.

2. What is greywater?

A) Contaminated water from industrial processes

B) Water that contains human waste

C) Used water from sinks, showers, and kitchens

D) Rainwater collected from rooftops

3. Which of the following is NOT typically a byproduct of wastewater treatment?

A) Biogas

B) Sludge

C) Potable water

D) Treated effluent

*Answer key towards the end of the newsletter.

MEME OF THE WEEK

Have some slippery memes on you? Want your story featured in the next issue?

spam me memes

That's a wrap for this month's At Water's Edge!

Hate it? Love it? Have a cool story for the next issue?

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*Water Quiz Answer Key:

1 - B

2 - C

3 - C