Researchers have figured out a new way to use the sun to boil water sans mirrors and lenses.
We're basically talking about a sponge and bubble wrap.
Using the combination, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have devised a way to heat water to its boiling point using natural sunlight.
The device even does the trick when the temps outside aren't scorching, according to MIT.
Researchers say this solar vapor generator--as they call it--is made up of a sponge-like floating foam, bubble wrap and a thin sheet of copper coated with an absorptive film.
The device is reportedly able to concentrate the heat from sunlight--drawing water up into the sponge's pores and converting it to steam.
That bubble wrap, researchers say, helps trap the solar energy within the device.
The inexpensive invention could help with wastewater treatment or residential water heating in the future.
