I think the real news here is that the aerogel cleans the water.
But the article is very confusing. For example it says the aerogel turns the water into steam but later it states the sun does this.
But the article is very confusing. For example it says the aerogel turns the water into steam but later it states the sun does this.
They have developed a clever mechanism for giving the aerogels an efficient structure for capillary transport, and the nanotubes make an efficient evaporator, but the article does not give any reason why the water needs to be raised before being evaporated (trees do it because they are in a competition for light, and maybe to get away from big herbivores.)