Methane is becoming a prized source of green energy—in fact, we are already harvesting it from alternative sources like landfills and cow manure to meet our energy needs. Along those lines, Professor Bruce Logan at Pennsylvania State University has developed an electronic fart machine that can collect and store energy from gassy single-celled microbes with 80% efficiency.

It works like this: giving small jolts of electricity to single-celled microorganisms known as archea prompts them to remove C02 from the air and turn it into methane, released as tiny "farts." The methane, in turn, can be used to power fuel cells or to store the electrical energy chemically until it's needed.

Thanks Professor Logan. Your knowledge, dedication, and willingness to come home night after night smelling of farts will lead to a brighter future for all of us. . [Discovery via Treehugger via DVICE]

Known Gentleman Randy Sarafan decided to make this office chair to help "accurately document and share [his] life as it happens," which is as admirable a cause as there ever has been to open a Twitter account. The setup is surprisingly complex: A natural gas sensor does the sniffing; an Arduino does the thinking; an Squidbee wireless module does the communicating; Twitter does the sharing. It's a feat, to be sure.

If you, like 131 others (and counting!) feel the need to follow the goings-on around Sarafan's anus, you can follow his tweeted tweets here. Alternatively, you can do the project yourself—it's open source and a build tutorial is on Instructables, thank god. [Instructables via Make]

We know what you're thinking, but the Silent Farter Chair (concept) isn't some Spencer Gifts novelty. It's a well-reasoned solution to a global problem:

Those with excess gas in their abdomen can find it difficult to hold it in sometimes, even at important times such as formal dinner gatherings or meetings. Quietly letting the gas out may be the solution, but although the sound may be muted, the scent is still present. It can often cause misunderstanding and unnecessary embarrassment for the innocent others.This chair announces who the gas is from by amplifying the silent fart exhausted.

Lacking such a chair in my own life, should I fart during a board meeting, I generally raise my hand and politely state, "So everyone in the room is aware and there are absolutely no misunderstandings, I have just farted." And no one says a word. [Alice Wang via Yanko Design]

[Funny or Die via I Am Bored via Neatorama]

Actually, the way the system will work is by triggering one of 100 pre-defined scents on a chip in the phone, which seems less exciting and precise than what people would want to use it for. Yeah, being able to send a generic watermelon scent to someone is cool, I guess, but what if you want to send the specific scent of a dish you're eating to someone? Or, you know, a fart you're particularly proud of? It's a nice thought, guys, but until you figure out how to get the subtleties of my farts expressed with a proper amount of nuance, I'm not interested.

Now, just because I can, here's my favorite comedy sketch relating to farting, from the classic Mr. Show.

[The Local via Slashdot]

Costing about $1 per day per cow, some simple food additives that include a blend of nitrates and the amino acid cysteine could greatly suppress the methane production in a cow's stomach, making their emissions much more earth-friendly. No word on how earth-friendly it'll make your emissions, but I think it's safe to say your friends and family all have their fingers crossed for a successful crossover. [Times Online; image via Treehugger]