Malin Karki, an 18 year old student from rural Nepal, was inspired by a Stephen Hawking book to harness static energy from hair, using melanin as a conductor. After creating several hair-powered prototypes that charged a cell phone and battery pack, Karki created a solar panel that uses human hair, rather than more expensive silicone, as a conductor. Karki’s creation could slash the price of solar panel production dramatically, and help bring affordable and renewable energy to developing nations—hair is, after all, a renewable resource that could be replenished by the owner of the panel as it wears out. To read more about this incredible discovery, see this article at the Daily Mail.