Unclassifiable post--function: air conditioning

I've heard that they cool food in Africa by putting an urn inside another urn, with water in between, and the food goes in the inner one.  The sun evaporates the water and the cooling action of that is enough to keep the inner urn cool.

I thought, couldn't you apply the smae thing to air conditioning a small space, like a workspace at a computer?  instead of a fan or solar air conditioner--which is going ot dry you out with that much wind circulating past you all day long, and kind of tires me to be in--it would be moist and cool.  You're sitting in the middle urn, as it were.  How do you get in and out? I guess some kind of door needs to be built of wood, a bit higher up.  

Is there merit in this idea? has it been done?

Another way might be just to get two coolers with the original design above and stick your feet in them while you work.

Thougths?

I do something similar.  I have a tiny house with a floor covered in unglazed clay tiles.  On really hot days, I pour water over the floor from a watering can and sweep it around the place with a soft broom.  

Another tactic is to wash the bedclothes and hang them to dry indoors - just a rinse in plain water is often all they need to get the night-sweat out.

I'm also a fan of wet t-shirts in that kind of weather.  For that job I prefer synthetic ones that don't go see-through or clingy when they are damp.  I just treated myself to a few of these, reduced to clear and made of recycled polyester.

The 2 pot method does work if your humidity is low.  If you can run a fan you can blow air over a hanging towel that has the lower end in water - a swamp cooler.
For personal cooling -  few years ago this super wicking fabric was developed. Keeps you much cooler in the heat. They didn't make clothes from it, they licensed the tech to other companies to make clothes so it goes by a lot of different names. Here are a few places I've found so far. These below are clothes but you could find cooling towels for less.
I have a few shirts now - this stuff is the answer for me - I no longer fear the heat.

http://www.cabelas.ca/search?q=CoolCore
http://www.llbean.com - search for CoolCore
http://women.duluthtrading.com - search Armachillo
http://www.coolcanuck.com/