奥马尔·亚吉仍在渴望水

This Nobel Prize–winning chemist dreams of making water from thin air. By Alexander C. Kaufman Opposite: Yaghi’s startup Atoco is building machines that use advanced materials to harvest drinkable water directly from the air, even in deserts. OMAR YAGHI WAS A QUIET CHILD, DILIGENT, UNLIKELY TO ROUGHHOUSE with his nine siblings. So when he was old enough, his parents tasked him with one of the family’s most vital chores: fetch- ing water. Like most homes in his Palestinian neighborhood in Amman, Jordan, the Yaghis’ had no electricity or running water. At least once every two weeks, the city switched on local taps for a few hours so residents could fill their tanks. Young Omar helped top up the family supply. …