Mr. Fusion could soon be a reality

Everyone remembers that scene in Back to the Future where Doc refuels the Delorean by dumping some trash into Mr. Fusion. Scientists at Purdue University are getting one step closer to making that a reality. Mind you, this is only a step. This trash-powered generator is approximately the size of a small moving van, so don't expect one on your car anytime soon.

The Purdue University staff members were asked by the United States military to design a portable biorefinery that could turn common waste into a means of producing power in emergency situations. This machine is still in it's testing phase, but the project is coming along quite well with the first prototype producing approximately 90 percent more energy than it consumes.

Portable, trash-powered generator ready for deployment [via cnet]