The heat of an active volcano. A 5,000 pound weight dropped from above. A sandstorm that lasts ten years. These are just some of the ways GE torture-tests the super-strong materials that go into jet engines, wind turbines, and more. And thanks to the company’s fascinating YouTube channel, we get an up-close view of the process. No safety goggles required.
It’s hard to be a bee these days, what with the sinister—and still mysterious—Colony Collapse Disorder decimating millions of hives over the past decade. But a few highly resourceful Canadian species have started adapting new nesting techniques, using plain old everyday plastic garbage to build their homes.
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Alchemy, at 2,000 degrees Celsius. A new study from the Argonne National Laboratory reports that a group of scientists from Japan, Finland, America, and Germany have used lasers to turn liquid cement into a glassy, liquid metal.
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Most of your exposure to silk probably comes in the form of uncomfortably sensual linens or cobwebs in a dusty old closet. In reality, though, silk is an incredible and overlooked material. While it may have roots in the ancient past, it could also form the building blocks of the future. More »
The new Zyvex Marine LRV-17 Long Range Vessel is a special kind of boat. The world’s first manned water vessel made of nanocomposites, its hull is reinforced with carbon nanotubes to make it tougher and stronger—which is why it’s going to be used to chase pirates. More »
It looks like a wisp of smoke or even the work of a very confused spider, but this is actually a close up of the lightest material that has ever been created. More »
One of the major issues with embedded medical devices is the lack of flexibility in existing electronics. Fortunately, researchers at the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University have developed a new material that can create electronic components capable of stretching to 200 percent of their original size. One of the major obstacles was how stretchable electronics with solid metal parts suffered substantial drops in conductivity but this solution involves a pliable three-dimensional structure made from polymers with ‘pores’. These are then filled with liquid metal which can adjust to substantial size and shape changes, all while maintaining strong conductivity. We’ve embedded a very brief video of the new stretchable material going up against existing solutions — it’s right after the break.
Researchers create ‘rubber-band electronics’ material, capable of stretching up to 200 percent (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 05:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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