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+--- Thread: From Seawater to Freshwater using the Sun (/thread-31221.html)
From Seawater to Freshwater using the Sun - Henlus - 09-22-2025
Let me shock you today with a story they don’t tell enough.
During World War II, one Hungarian-American woman quietly saved lives with nothing but sunlight. Her name? Mária Telkes.
She invented a simple, inflatable device that could turn salty seawater into fresh drinking water. Imagine being a soldier shot down at sea, no hope, no water… then this small solar distiller keeps you alive. That’s why it was packed into U.S. military survival kits.
But that was just her beginning. Because of this, people started calling her “The Sun Queen.”
In 1948, she went further. Telkes designed the first solar-heated home in Dover, Massachusetts. Not a dream, not a prototype — a real house. She used special chemicals to store the sun’s heat in the day and release it at night. Basically, what we call renewable energy today, she was already doing 75 years ago.
The lesson?
While most of the world was still chasing coal and oil, one woman proved that sunlight could save lives, warm homes, and power the future.
So next time you see solar panels, remember: this game started long ago with a woman they called The Sun Queen.
RE: From Seawater to Freshwater using the Sun - FarmLady - 11-09-2025
Wow. Inspiring
RE: From Seawater to Freshwater using the Sun - Suarus - 11-10-2025
Wow, I had never heard of Mária Telkes before. It’s incredible that one woman was able to contribute so much to renewable energy and even life-saving technology during wartime.
RE: From Seawater to Freshwater using the Sun - CtrlAltDel - 11-10-2025
I feel like we should be telling more young girls about Mária Telkes.
RE: From Seawater to Freshwater using the Sun - CassavaBoss - 11-10-2025
I think what stands out is her vision. In 1948, designing a solar-heated home when the world was obsessed with coal and oil takes serious imagination. She wasn’t just solving a problem; she was thinking decades ahead. That’s true genius.
RE: From Seawater to Freshwater using the Sun - Henlus - 11-10-2025
@CtrlAltDel exactly
RE: From Seawater to Freshwater using the Sun - Techie Farmer - 11-10-2025
It also makes me think about how inspiration comes from people like her. You don’t need massive resources or a huge lab, you need creativity, courage, and persistence. That’s what changed the world in her case.