HUMAN POO COULD ONE DAY BE FOOD... FOR ASTRONAUTS

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have figured out how to turn human waste into food. Yes, you read that right — human poop can be broken down by microbes to create a protein- and fat-rich substance that looks a lot like Vegemite. And given that food is hard to grow in space — or in a spacecraft — this edible goo is being earmarked for astronauts. Using anaerobic digestion (breaking down organic material in the absence of oxygen, like waste treatment), methane can be produced in a chamber within the spaceship, which, in turn, can be used to grow a microbe called Methylococcus capsulatus. This organism is already being used in animal feed and could potentially become a food source for humans as well. This new method of food production hasn’t yet been perfected, but it could give humankind hope that, when climate change destroys our staple food source, we’ll still have insect flour and human poo spreads to keep us going. [ I think I’ll stick with Vegemite, thanks. — Ed]