If Junior is looking for the perfect science fair project to secure the coveted blue ribbon, then the February 1940 issue of Popular Science is where to find it. Following the simple instructions there, you can replicate the processes of a modern oil refinery and cook up some gasoline in the lab.

And for an added bonus, you can make the latest in food material science, namely, hydrogenated vegetable oil, also affectionately known as trans fats.