What Is That You Are Drinking?
Written by: Tom Sawyer
“Water is a precious commodity when you leave Earth.”
I’m sure most of us would agree that water is a precious commodity or earth too – just go for a couple of days without it and water’s importance will be evident. If I told you I had a machine that would turn your urine into drinking water, would you be interested? If your answer is no, I don’t blame you!
For the life of me I can’t see why on earth I would want to drink some processed urine. But what if we were not on earth and turning urine into water was actually efficient?
The crew on the International Space Station has been collecting urine, waiting for the Space Shuttle Endeavour to deliver the new Water Recycling Unit for installation on the space station.
The unit, known as the WRS, was finally installed on the 19th of November and may already be hooked up to the new $19 million dollar toilet that is being added during this mission. It will be used to recycle astronauts’ urine and sweat, and turn it into drinking water. Yes, you read that right – $19 million dollars for a toilet!
I don’t know about you, but it could be boiled, cooked, flipped and rubbed down. I can’t see myself drinking processed urine. It would have to be a serious situation for me to even consider this. This is what Tonight Show host Jay Leno had to say:
“NASA now says their $154 million machine that converts urine into drinking water is not working properly. How would you like to be the astronaut that found that out?”
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:03 am
Every drop of water you drink is processed. This planet recycles all its water. The water that we drink today is the same water that the dinosaurs drank and peed out.
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:10 am
gud article.
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:10 am
gud article.
http://www.subashchandrant.blogspot.com
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:36 am
Uh, 19 million? They couldn’t have gotten that done for let’s say 1 million! Amazing. Shouldn’t we be spending that money somewhere else?
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:37 am
Dinosaur pee? I think I’m gonna be sick!
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:36 am
I’m not sure about every drop, but I get your point. I would still rather someone handle it at a facility that I don’t know about instead of knowing it is my urine or the person’s sitting next to me.
Tom Sawyers last blog post..Black Friday Turns Black
December 2nd, 2008 at 8:18 am
I guess if i had to drink processed urine I’d rather it be mine than someone I don’t know.
Who wouldn’t want to use a 19 million dollar toilet? Now if they made one out of gold I’d be really impressed.
December 2nd, 2008 at 8:43 am
Btw when you drink alcohol or chew gum (with Xylitol) you’re consuming yeast poop.
Yeasts are living organisms, not plants, that consume sugars and produce alcohol (ethanol), carbon dioxide and xylitol (a sugar alcohol used for sweetening).
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Why wouldn’t I be interested? It does what the earth does naturally. I would like to have it, a generator, and a “green” home.
Main question is what is the total cost of ownership?
Mr. Rushs last blog post..Twilight
August 1st, 2011 at 8:59 pm
I’m still learning from you, but I’m making my way to the top as well. I absolutely love reading all that is posted on your website.Keep the aarticles coming. I enjoyed it!