* Astronomy

In a paper scheduled to appear in the May 18 2005 print issue of the American Chemical Society's Energy & Fuels, Zhiyu Hu proposes a highly efficient method to convert chemicals into thermal energy and to achieve spontaneous ignition and sustained combustion at room temperature.
The "nano-catalytic reaction" uses nothing but nanometre-sized particles of platinum stuck to fibres of glass wool in a small jar with methanol and air – with no source of external ignition.

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