In what could be one of the most significant discoveries
of recent times, an Erie cancer researcher
has found a way to burn salt
water.
John Kanzius happened upon the discovery accidentally when he
tried to desalinate seawater with a radio-frequency generator
he developed
to treat cancer. He discovered that as long as the salt water
was exposed to the radio frequencies, it would burn.
The discovery has scientists excited by the prospect of using
salt water, the most abundant resource on earth, as a fuel.
The radio frequencies act to weaken the bonds between the elements
that make up salt water, releasing the hydrogen, Roy said. Once
ignited, the hydrogen will burn as long as it is exposed to the
frequencies, he said.
The discovery is "the most remarkable in water science in
100 years," Roy said.
"This is the most abundant element in the world. It is everywhere," Roy
said. "Seeing it burn gives me the chills."
Roy will meet this week with officials from the Department of
Energy and the Department of Defense to try to obtain research
funding.
The scientists want
to find out whether the energy output from the burning hydrogen—which reached a heat of more than 3,000
degrees Fahrenheit—would be enough to power a car or other
heavy machinery.
"We will get our ideas together and check this out and see
where it leads," Roy said. "The potential is huge."