Enlisting Cacti to Fight Drought

April 20, 2026

Much of the United States is seeing record drought for this time of year, the AP reports, raising worries about wildfires, food prices, and water supply. In a modest but intriguing look at ways to cope, students at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago describe in Issues their creation of products that mimic how the prickly pear cactus uses its spines to collect moisture. As part of the Biodesign Challenge, the team developed various items such as rooftop collectors as well as “a lighthearted collection of avant-garde cacti-inspired couture gowns” that enable people to capture water from the air or even from their own respiration and perspiration.

Posted by Tom Burroughs