reflections on the technium

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” — Alan Kay

The Fourth Phase of Water

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States of matter… We’ve been taught that there are three: solid, liquid, and gas (some also add plasma). A researcher and his team in Seattle have added a fourth for water called an exclusion zone. A nether world between solid and liquid that exhibits amazing properties.

Dr Gerald Pollack defines this fourth phase, this exclusion zone (EZ), as “the unexpectedly large zone of water that forms next to many submersed materials, got its name because it excludes practically everything. The EZ contains a lot of charge, and its character differs from that of bulk water.”

An exclusion zone is deceptively easy to create. Whenever water comes into contact with a hydrophilic (water loving) surface a EZ forms. The amazing thing about this is that within the EZ any impurities are squeezed out, plus an electrical potential is created. Even more amazing is the fact that infrared radiation (sunlight) adds energy to the EZ causing it to expand and the electrical gradient to increase.

Essentially he’s identified natures technique for purifying water and making electricity from the sun. Wow!

Dr Pollack has written a book, The Fourth Phase of Water and you can preview some sample chapters here.

Here is a presentation Dr Pollack did on electrically structured water earlier this year: Part 1, Part 2.

Here’s a TEDx talk on the Fourth Phase of Water.

Dr Pollack’s web site and some links to this research are here and here.

Here are some links to patents he’s authored:
Method and system for generating electrical energy from water
<http://www.google.com/patents/US20120067390>

Separating components of aqueous mixtures, suspensions, and solutions
<http://www.google.com/patents/US7819259>
<http://www.google.com/patents/US7793788>

Method and apparatus for collecting fractions of mixtures, suspensions, and solutions of non-polar liquids
<http://www.google.com/patents/US20110036780>

Method and apparatus for generating a fluid flow
<http://www.google.com/patents/US20110097218>

Membrane-electrode assembly for polymeric membrane fuel cell
<http://www.google.com/patents/US20020058173>

oOo

Written by Chuck Petras

June 22, 2013 at 09:08

Posted in innovation

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  1. […] The future will be blessed by abundant free/cheap water and free/cheap energy. Water through the work of Dr Gerald Pollack (UW) and energy due to Dr Dan Nocera (Harvard). Dr Pollack’s re-discovery of the 4th phase of water (he calls it the Exclusion Zone, EZ, for lack of a better term) will permit the commercialization of a filterless water filter based on this effect. The EZ is powered by infrared energy. Why don’t we see this on sale today? Its settled science, now its a matter of getting it to scale. Dr Nocera has been working to perfect an artificial leaf. His leaf, when immersed in water and illuminated, breaks the water down to hydrogen and oxygen. Today this leaf is 7 time more efficient than a natural one. Why don’t we see it on sale today? Again its a matter of getting it to scale. — Chuck Petras […]

  2. […] The future will be blessed by abundant free/cheap water and free/cheap energy. Water through the work of Dr Gerald Pollack (UW) and energy due to Dr Dan Nocera (Harvard). Dr Pollack’s re-discovery of the 4th phase of water (he calls it the Exclusion Zone, EZ, for lack of a better term) will permit the commercialization of a filterless water filter based on this effect. The EZ is powered by infrared energy. Why don’t we see this on sale today? Its settled science, now its a matter of getting it to scale. Dr Nocera has been working to perfect an artificial leaf. His leaf, when immersed in water and illuminated, breaks the water down to hydrogen and oxygen. Today this leaf is 7 time more efficient than a natural one. Why don’t we see it on sale today? Again its a matter of getting it to scale. — Chuck Petras […]


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