Last weekend, Mark Ruffalo came over to the Nantucket Field Station to speak about an exciting new water technology known as Opflex. Yep, The Mark Ruffalo, also known as Dr. Banner, The Hulk, and now as a true science geek (I mean that in a good way). Mark has created a foundation called Water Defense, which aims “to use technology and public engagement to keep our waterways and drinking water sources free from contamination and industrial degradation.”  Mark stopped by the lab with Scott Smith, the creator of Opflex, to work with Sarah Oktay to create an experiment for a press conference held following day. If you want to know more about Water Defense and Opflex, you can read Sarah’s article. In short, Opflex is a sponge-like material that can come in all shapes and sizes with thousands of small pores that remove oils and other pollutants from water.   A singular inch-by-inch cube, for example, can have a surface area of two feet!
It was a pleasure getting to know Mark and especially inspiring to know that famous people of his status are such strong advocates for environmental concerns. At the press conference, there were several children that work at the field station through the Junior Rangers/Scientist Program. Mark and Scott are strong believers that children should be taught to love science. Children, they believe, will be the environmental defenders of the future. All the young scientists at the field station will have a chance to work with the Opflex and a variety of other techniques as they experiment with ways to keep Nantucket clean.

–Wilkins Ventura, Jake Daniels, and Gabriella Diserio