Scientists may be no closer to getting the answer to the age-old question of why the chicken crossed the road, but they may soon have chicken conquering the roads. This doesn’t have anything to do with people riding chickens, but a lot to do with chicken feathers powering our vehicles.

Richard Wool from the University of Delaware headed the study which revolved around the use of chicken feather fibres for a cost-effective method of storing hydrogen. Chicken feather fibres are high on keratin, the component which makes up the hollow tubes, which when heated have the ability to be highly porous thus offering the possibility of absorbing more hydrogen. Though the use of these carbonized chicken feathers would add $200 to the price of a car, it is especially low when compared to the $5.5 million cost of using carbon nanotubes. Wool’s team is working upon ways to use chicken feather fibres for other products, including lightweight car parts and bio-based computer circuit boards.

This method would also have the added bonus of chicken feathers becoming more than just a waste product. PETA shouldn’t have any problem with, either. After all, no one said anything about killing the chickens.

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Via: UDEL