Will hydrogen one day power our homes and cars?  Well the hopes for that sunny prospect just got a bit brighter after researchers at the University of Minnesota announced they have developed a small prototype reactor that can produce hydrogen from corn-based ethanol.  As explained in a recent issue of the journal, Science, current methods of hydrogen production from ethanol need large, expensive refineries and lots of fossil fuel – but the new reactor would be small enough to make hydrogen economic and available.  Indeed, at just 2 feet high, the reactor could heat small homes and power cars, and that would be good news for everyone concerned about energy and the environment.