Supposedly the "One Step Beyond" stories are fact-based. This episode was aired 13 Dec 1960. It starts at about 10:45 into the episode.

www.hulu.com/watch/605653
"In 1917, a stranger (Charles Elton) demonstrated a new fuel made from water, but he vanished and could never be found."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_stj6K7sTk

For those of us who can't watch HULU from outside the US.

And the point of Mr. Elton's demonstration...?

Maybe to show a few gentlemen they aren't so smart after all.

Of course that is only one version of the story.  What might the other versions reveal.

Less than 2 cents for converting 10 gallons of water into fuel, at 1917 currency rate that is.
Back then the price for 1 gallon of gasoline was about 25 cents, so if we ignore the cost for 10 gallons of water the 'magic pill' would outweigh gasprice with a ratio of 1:125.

Not bad at all.

Makes you wonder though if the mineral price, or whatever he used in his 'magic pill', would have increased accordingly if his pill in fact would have been used, from 1917 and onwards, even if there was/is no shortage of the minerals at hand?

Quote from Matt Watts on July 22nd, 2015, 06:45 PM

Of course that is only one version of the story.  What might the other versions reveal.

The unseen versions would probably show mr. Elson feeding the fishes.
And I think that would be more close to the truth.

My assumption is that he was a member of an alien race.
Just to give us a kick in the ass ...

Quote from Gunther Rattay on July 23rd, 2015, 08:31 AM

My assumption is that he was a member of an alien race.
Just to give us a kick in the ass ...

Like the supposed Valiant Thor.
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/bb/stranges.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33w5pWAzMY0

When I was a Boy Scout many many years ago. :)  ...We used Carbide lanterns to go cave spelunking .
     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbide_lamp

That is about as close I can think of what may have been ( the ) or one of the items in the mix. Just pop in some chunks and add a little water.  But that is just a guess of course.

That's some guess :thumbsup:
So that's calcium carbide for the unofficial list then.
Who knows, more such guesses and some avid tinkerer might just get lucky in turning water into a fuel.
The only other substance I can think of is sodium which makes hydrogen gas when it's mixed with water, so perhaps common table salt could be used in the magic pill mix aswell.

Quote from element 119 on July 23rd, 2015, 04:00 PM

When I was a Boy Scout many many years ago. :)  ...We used Carbide lanterns to go cave spelunking .
     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbide_lamp

That is about as close I can think of what may have been ( the ) or one of the items in the mix. Just pop in some chunks and add a little water.  But that is just a guess of course.

And you know what kind of gas it produces right?   Acetylene, like welders use.  Makes a very black sooty smoke when it burns with low oxygen.  We use to put a little carbide in those old metal film roll canisters and punch a tiny hole in the lid.  You open the lid, spit in it, put the lid on and light the gas escaping from the hole.  Then you use the sooty smoke to blacken your pistol sights before a shooting competition.  Worked like a charm.