These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser.
Designed by Colombian renewable-energy startup E-Dina, WaterLight harnesses a chemical reaction between abundant resources salt water and magnesium to create an electrical current for generating light or charging mobile devices. Just a half-liter of saltwater can provide light for up to 45 days. E-Dina recently launched a crowd-funding campaign with the goal of selling more than 100,000 units when it goes into production. WaterLight already has garnered thousands of preorders, along with three patents. “There are [millions of] human beings on the planet who do not have electricity,” says E-Dina founding partner Nicolas Pinzón Cordoba. “We seek to be light where today there is only darkness.”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Cybersecurity Experts Are Sounding the Alarm on DOGE
- Meet the 2025 Women of the Year
- The Harsh Truth About Disability Inclusion
- Why Do More Young Adults Have Cancer?
- Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love
- How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone
- Michelle Zauner Stares Down the Darkness
