Cucumber Chemistry: Moisture Capture with Desiccants

Have you ever gotten an electronic gadget wet and had it stop working? It would be great if you could somehow dry it out before the internal parts got damaged, right? There are actually some substances that can absorb water from their surroundings. You might have noticed when you buy new shoes, electronics or beef jerky that often there is a little package inside with the warning: "silica gel, do not eat." This little bag of gel protects the product from minor water damage, such as when it is very humid. Imagine your jerky all moist and slimy—it wouldn't have the texture you were expecting! read more of this post, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cucumber-chemistry-moisture-capture-with-desiccants