Road-trippers everywhere rejoice–Garardine Botte may have just made it possible for you to drive anywhere without stopping to pee, because that’s how you’ll fuel your car.
Here’s the science end of it. The downside of using hydrogen fuel cells is that it takes more energy to extract the hydrogen from water than you get out of it as a fuel. What Botte has done is found an, ahem, alternative source for hydrogen, namely urea. It’s easier to split the hydrogen from nitrogen than from oxygen, which makes urea potentially much more feasible as a fuel source than regular water, which is in far shorter supply than most people realize.
Consider the possibilities. Trucker bombs would be a thing of the past. R. Kelly would be accused of wasting an important resource. Car companies could install attachments that would allow for refueling on the go. Parents on cross-country road trips with bored kids could have a new contest to keep them entertained. The potential for new fashion accessories is limitless.
