Our reliance on air conditioning, however magical an innovation, has become a serious environmental burden. Which is why researchers in Barcelona designed a material they say can naturally cool rooms by about 5 degrees Celsius, using a moisture-absorbing polymer that “sweats” much like our own body…
At the core of the idea are hydrogels, magic little boba-like polymers that can expand up to 400 percent when absorbing any moisture around them. Then as the water evaporates, the hydrogels shrink, releasing the water and cooling the area around them.
via Gizmodo
