(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Astronimation)
Mad scientists recreated "Dune's" stillsuit, and it worked. Although it wasn't a 100 percent replica, it was able to collect the user's sweat and filter it to make it potable.
Dune-Inspired Stillsuit
Engineers at the YouTube channel The Hacksmith have attempted to make their own stillsuits using reasonably basic technology. They made it so the idea is not quite as absurd as it seems.
The DIY stillsuit is a Tyvek suit with an off-the-rack Dune costume worn on top, so it doesn't look nearly as slick as the one depicted in the 2021 film adaptation. However, the engineers collected the body's moisture and allowed team member Darryl Sherk, who wore the experiment costume, to drink it through a tube.
The group employed a thermoelectric cooler, a tiny gridded gadget that passes an electrical charge across two distinct kinds of metal to cool a computer or other equipment.
Like a dehumidifier, the device's chilly side remained within the suit and attracted moisture from the confined air.
Sherk could drink the resultant water using a drinking bladder and an in-line water filter that he had bought from the neighborhood sporting goods store.
According to channel owner James Hobson, the water is vapor distilled and passes through a four-stage filter. Thus, the liquid collected was reportedly cleaner than most tap water.
In the video, Sherk complained that most people thought he was drinking his pee. Hobson asked him how the water tasted and to rate it from 1 to 10.
According to Sherk, he was expecting to give it three, but after the experiment, he would give it a "solid six." He added that the water was "warm" and it "sucks," but it didn't taste that bad.
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Is It Safe To Drink Your Sweat?
Angela Ballard, registered nurse and communications director for the International Hyperhidrosis Society, was asked about her opinion regarding drinking sweat in survival situations. According to her, sweat is made up of water and salt, so drinking it in small quantities is okay. She added, however, that it wasn't recommended.
This is because sweating enough to stay alive would definitely be counterproductive when you're about to pass out from dehydration. According to Ballard, if you were to drink sweat, you should ideally take a bath before collecting it from your skin because sweat and your skin's microorganisms combine.
Since you're out of water, taking a bath is probably not an option, so you're thinking of drinking your perspiration. Additionally, it would be best to drink your sweat right away before any skin-related bacteria can proliferate and grow.
Sweat collection can also go wrong for several other reasons. Ballard says you won't sweat much if you're dehydrated. Furthermore, adding the chore of sweat collection- assuming you're sweating at all to an already stressed body from just trying to survive isn't a wise use of limited energy. Third, it won't help your internal filtration system process a sweat drink if your body is already stressed.
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