ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Corn stover

Corn stover is like the leftover parts of corn after you eat the yummy corn kernels. You know how sometimes there are pieces left over on the cob? That's corn stover.

But instead of just throwing it away or leaving it for the cows to eat, scientists and farmers like to use corn stover to do other things. They can use it to make things like fuel, paper, or even cool building materials!

They do this by taking the leftover corn stover and breaking it down into its different parts, like the fibers, sugars, and lignin (which is like glue that holds plants together). Then they use these parts to make other things.

Using corn stover in this way is good for the environment because it's like recycling or using something that would otherwise go to waste. Plus, it's a renewable resource, meaning we can always grow more corn and get more corn stover from it.