Nutritionists call spinach a superfood, because it offers us so many health benefits.
Scientists at American University have found spinach is also pretty super at helping to power fuel cells.
To get energy from a fuel cell, you need a catalyst to start something called an oxygen reduction reaction.
The standard catalyst uses platinum, but the AU team wanted something more sustainable and more cost-effective.
The alternative is a carbon-based catalyst – and guess what leafy green veggie has plenty of carbon?
The researchers say the catalysts that included the spinach turned into ultra-thin carbon nanosheets actually perform better than the platinum ones.
So if one day our homes or cars are powered by fuel cells, it could be spinach that powers those power sources.
In fact, there’s a whole field of research into how a wide variety of plants can help produce renewable energy.
Green power doesn’t get any greener than this.
Definitely one for the record books.
And speaking of books, let’s talk about the new fragrance called Powell’s by Powell’s.
It’s produced by and named for the famous independent bookshop in Portland.
Inside each one ounce bottle is a fragrance that includes hints of wood, violets and biblichor, which is the word for the smell of old books.
Don’t some of us who read a lot already smell like that?
Spinach: Good for Popeye and the Planet (American University)
Powell’s Books creates unisex fragrance that smells like old books (Geekologie)
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Spinach photo by Suzie’s Farm via Flickr/Creative Commons
