Gallery: This Tower Purifies a Million Cubic Feet of Air an Hour

  • Image may contain Grass Plant Human Person Transportation Vehicle Bicycle Bike Office Building Building and City
    Studio Roosegaarde
    01

    SmogFree ProjectRoosegaarde2

    Daan Roosegaarde worked with scientist Bob Ursem and European Nano Solutions to create the Smog Free Tower.
  • Image may contain Grass Plant Office Building Building Architecture Tower City Town Urban High Rise and Lawn
    Studio Roosegaarde
    02

    SmogFree ProjectRoosegaarde12

    The tower, shown here in Rotterdam, sucks pollution from the air into its chambers and purifies it.
  • Image may contain Grass Plant and Wristwatch
    Studio Roosegaarde
    03

    SmogFree ProjectRoosegaarde10

    The air is sucked in from a ventilation system at the top of the tower.
  • Image may contain Banister Handrail Building Nature Housing Architecture Lighting and Outdoors
    Studio Roosegaarde
    04

    SmogFree ProjectRoosegaarde13

    And then it enters a chamber where the pollution becomes positively charged before latching onto grounded electrodes. The particles then becomes trapped in the chambers while the clean air escapes.
  • Image may contain Human Person Drink Beverage Finger and Alcohol
    Studio Roosegaarde
    05

    SmogFree ProjectRoosegaarde6

    Smog.
  • Image may contain Human Person Accessories Accessory Jewelry Finger and Ring
    Studio Roosegaarde
    06

    Smog Free Ring0

    Roosegaarde is compressing smog particles into jewelry, because why not?
Read More
Staunch Trump Supporters Are Now Asking If He's the Antichrist
The Iran war and a series of social media posts, including one depicting Trump as Jesus Christ, have some conservative commentators and fans suspecting the president may be the antichrist.
Makena Kelly
The Best iRestore Deals on Hair Growth and Red Light Therapy
Today, iRestore is offering up to $900 off select devices and up to $1,550 off bundles.
Boutayna Chokrane
Meta Is Warned That Facial Recognition Glasses Will Arm Sexual Predators
More than 70 organizations, including the ACLU, EPIC, and Fight for the Future, say the AI smart glasses feature would endanger abuse victims, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ people.
Dell Cameron
The Best Fitness Trackers Check Your Sleep, Heart Rate, or Even Your Blood
With almost ten years of hands-on testing, WIRED knows what separates the best fitness trackers from the rest.
Adrienne So
You Should Be More Freaked Out by Shingles
The viral infection leaves millions with chronic pain, increased stroke risk, and lifelong nerve damage—yet vaccination rates remain dangerously low.
Rosie Taylor
BYD’s Fastest-Charging Car in the World Is Astonishing—in Good and Bad Ways
WIRED witnessed the game-changing Denza Z9 GT charge its battery in just 9 minutes. But the pricing for BYD's premium brand looks like a huge mistake.
Jeremy White
The Best Water Filter Pitchers for PFAS- and Lead-Free Living
Water filters promise the moon—but only some back up their claims. Here are the best filtered-water pitchers for those who prefer their water free of heavy metals and forever chemicals.
Matthew Korfhage
The Internet's Most Powerful Archiving Tool Is in Peril
As major news outlets cut off the Wayback Machine, journalists and advocacy groups are rallying to protect the Internet Archive’s vast collection of web pages.
Kate Knibbs
The Dumbest Hack of the Year Exposed a Very Real Problem
Last April, a hacker hijacked crosswalk announcements to mimic Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Records obtained by WIRED reveal how unprepared local authorities were.
Paresh Dave
AI Agents Are Coming for Your Dating Life
The developers of Pixel Societies are using AI agents to simulate social interactions. It's an attempt optimize the process of choosing new colleagues, friends, and even romantic partners.
Joel Khalili
The Audacity Is the Broligarchy Takedown You Were Waiting For
AMC’s new black comedy about a manchild tech titan spinning out of control is a skewering Silicon Valley’s billionaire class deserves.
Miles Klee
A Lot of Shops Won't Fix Electric Bikes. Here's Why
Bike shop mechanics have lost fingers and their shirts while repairing ebikes of dubious origins. Make sure yours is repairable and third-party certified.
Stephanie Pearson