Tara Smith at Aetiology wrote about some fantastic inventions that can really improve the lives of millions (billions?) of poor people around the world. As she puts it, this is “intelligent design the world really needs.”

Cheap irrigation devices, water filters, and energy solutions are detailed at Design for the Other 90%. These devices are typically quite simple, but ingenious and cheap.

The Pot-in-Pot system consists of two pots, a smaller earthenware pot nestled within another pot, with the space in between filled with sand and water. When that water evaporates, it pulls heat from the interior of the smaller pot, in which vegetables and fruits can be kept. In rural Nigeria, many farmers lack transportation, water, and electricity, but one of their biggest problems is the inability to preserve their crops. With the Pot-in-Pot, tomatoes last for twenty-one days, rather than two or three days without this technology. Fresher produce can be sold at the market, generating more income for the farmers.