Science

Did you know that urine has properties that make it a great source of energy? That’s right: peeing in your gas tank might actually do something in the not too distant future.

Gerardine Botte, an Ohio University professor, sees the liquid as a solution thanks to the particular composition of its major component, urea. Its make-up, a 2-to-1 ratio of hydrogen and nitrogen, is convenient because hydrogen can be extracted from nitrogen using much less electricity than that needed to, say, pull apart hydrogen and oxygen. (It’s a matter of 0.037 Volts versus 1.23 Volts, if you really need to know.)

They’re still working on the logistics of it, but I look forward to the day when I’ll be using a toilet that powers the phone I’m using while sitting on it with my own emissions. The future is at hand! [Discovery via PopSci]