Potatos

We don't usually want our furniture to be flammable, but this stool actually encourages it. Made from potatoes and sawdust, it's designed to be thrown in a fireplace for warmth once it reaches the end of its usefulness.

In a true public service, potato scientists have flicked the 'off' switch on a genetic mechanism that causes cold-stored taters to produce carcinogenic acrylamide when cooked. It means that one of the world's greatest food groups could be made healthier.

One of the challenges of farming lies in the fact that by the time plants appear to be stressed, it may already be too late to address the problem. A new potato, however, is designed to warn farmers by fluorescing at the earliest stages of stress.

​In many developing nations, vitamin A deficiencies are common … as are potatoes, which typically constitute much of the local diet. That's why scientists have developed a "golden potato." It's rich in provitamin A (which the body converts into vitamin A), along with vitamin E to boot.

To research ways Mars explorers might be able to live off the land, scientists have been trying to grow potatoes on Earth in conditions simulating the Red Planet. The early results are now in and are described as positive.

Researchers at the Colorado State University have developed varieties of potato that are as rich in antioxidants as blueberries and pomegranates. They also contain other vitamins and minerals that could help prevent a range of diseases.

A new collaborative team is planning to grow a crop of potatoes on Earth under the same conditions as Mars. The effort is not only a step towards one day farming on the Red Planet, but will also demonstrate the potential of growing potatoes in inhospitable environments back home.

The TomTato is a new hybrid plant, that grows both tomatoes and potatoes. It isn't is the result of genetic engineering, but is instead made by grafting the top of a cherry tomato plant to the bottom of a white potato plant.

Engineers at the Boeing laboratories have discovered that sacks of potatoes work as a substitute for people when testing the effects on WiFi of an airline cabin packed with passengers.

Scientists have discovered two simple, inexpensive ways to boost the amounts of antioxidants in the humble spud – an electric shock or ultrasound, high frequency sound waves.

DBA in New York has designed a 98% biodegradable and compostable potato-based pen created with the aid of wind power.