Sunshine in a bottle.

• Position: INVENTIONS - Alfredo Moser bottle lamp - Brief article

Alfredo Moser had grown weary of the frequent blackouts in his neighborhood in Sao Paolo, Brazil. So in 2002, the mechanic came up with a brilliant idea--literally--to create light bulbs that don't require electricity, using old plastic bottles. Now, the eco-friendly and cheap "Moser lamp" is catching on in poor communities around the world. Here's how it works: Clear plastic soda or water bottles are filled with a mixture of water and bleach (to prevent algae) and sealed shut. They're placed rightside up into holes cut through a roof, with part of the bottle above and part below. The water inside the bottle refracts and disperses sunlight, giving off the equivalent of a 50- or 60-watt bulb per bottle. Though the light bulbs work only...