Every hour, the sun beams down more energy than the whole planet consumes in a year. Although solar cell technology has surged forward recently, many challenges related to reliably capturing and storing the sun's energy still remain.

Sossina Haile, a professor of materials science and chemical engineering at CalTech, is developing a new approach to solar power. Using cerium oxide (or ceria), a metal most commonly found in self-cleaning ovens, Haile and her research team have created a prototype reactor that has the power to transform sunbeams into clean fuel.

Vi Hart has an audacious career ambition: she wants to make math cool. In November, the New York Times reports, she posted a video about doodling

in math class.

More videos followed, including one about drawing stars and another about prime numbers. By now, the videos have gone viral, viewed more than a million times.