Chris Gupta of New Media Explorer reports:
This is Mohammed Bah Abba's Pot-in-pot invention. In northern Nigeria, where Mohammed is from, over 90% of the villages have no electricity. His invention, which he won a Rolex Award for (and $100,000), is a refrigerator than runs without electricity.
Here's how it works. You take a smaller pot and put it inside a larger pot. Fill the space in between them with wet sand, and cover the top with a wet cloth. When the water evaporates, it pulls the heat out with it, making the inside cold. It's a natural, cheap, easy-to-make refrigerator.
How much is the ice-maker attachment?
Posted by: Jake | July 21, 2008 at 05:09 PM
I've seen this work with clay water storage jars - I'm surprised that no one came up with this invention sooner. It's funny how ideas sit around for a long time before someone finds a way to use them, or use them better - like the ancient Greeks having steam power but thinking it was just a cool toy.
Posted by: BillyDinPVD | July 21, 2008 at 09:27 PM
This is not a new invention except at this scale. Butter bells are based on the same idea as a way to keep butter spreadable but not spoiled in the summer in a jar on your counter.
Good that it's being used in this way.
Posted by: Jill | August 19, 2008 at 08:35 AM