This Nobel Prize–winning chemist dreams of making water from thin air
The article profiles Omar Yaghi, a Palestinian-Jordanian chemist who won the Nobel Prize. It focuses on his childhood experience of fetching water and his current work on developing materials that can extract water from the atmosphere.
Why it matters
Yaghi's work on water-harvesting materials could provide a novel solution to global water scarcity, especially in dry regions.
Key Points
- 1Omar Yaghi grew up in Amman, Jordan without electricity or running water
- 2As a child, he was tasked with the vital chore of fetching water for his family
- 3Yaghi is now a Nobel Prize-winning chemist working on materials that can extract water from the air
Details
The article describes how Omar Yaghi, a quiet and diligent child, was responsible for fetching water for his family in Amman, Jordan, where most homes lacked electricity and running water. This early experience shaped Yaghi's later work as a chemist, where he has focused on developing materials that can extract water directly from the atmosphere. Yaghi is a Nobel Prize winner known for his pioneering work on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are porous materials that can capture and store water molecules. His goal is to create affordable and scalable solutions to water scarcity, especially in arid regions. The article highlights Yaghi's passion for this challenge and the potential impact of his research.
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