Lamp runs on nothing but saltwater A lamp that requires just two tablespoons of salt and a glass of water in order to work could make lighting affordable for people around the world. That's the idea behind the SALt lamp, a product that its developers also call a social movement, reports Phys.org.The lamp works by making use of "the science behind the Galvanic cell, the basis for battery-making, changing the electrolytes to a non-toxic, saline solution -- making the entire process safe and harmless," according to SALt Corp., at their website. Even better, the lamp's power source can also be used to power or charge other devices too. It even comes equipped with a USB port for charging smartphone batteries. In the event that you don't carry a bag of salt with you, and don't want to use your drinking water, you can alternatively power the lamp simply by scooping up ocean water. The salinity of ocean water is high enough to operate the lamp for about 8 hours at a time. This makes the device particularly useful for the 44 percent of the world's population that lives near the coast. For instance, many people who live among the 7,000 islands in the Philippines lack access to electricity. This technology can turn the ocean into their power source, providing lighting without the need for an electric grid. The cost of the lamp is yet to be determined; the development team is still performing a cost analysis. But the idea will be to make it affordable for those who most need it. The "priority is to build lamps for our target communities and for the communities of the NGOs and foundations who will partner with us," they said. "We just need to give these people the chance at life through education by providing them the basic things: the means to provide food to their family, clean water and light," said Aisa Mijeno, co-founder and CEO of SALt Corp. Related on MNN: