Amazing Futuristic Materials

By Neece, on July 1, 2008, at 2:41 pm

Stumbling around the web, I found this article on Futuristic Materials. This stuff is just amazing, so I wanted to share it with you. Just think where we’ll be in 10 years if these materials go into products that are mass produced? I say it that way because I know there must be secret flying cars and robots that fold laundry out there, but still, I am driving my little old Subaru and folding my own laundry. And it’s the 21st century!

Anyway, enjoy these groovy new materials. They have awesome potential to change our world. And it makes me think, if I never imagined this stuff, what will they think of next!? Woot!

1. Aerogel: also called “Frozen Smoke”

Aerogel is an amazing insulator, and it is an incredible sponge, absorbing pollutants and stuff. Truly amazing with huge potential, it holds 15 entries in the Guiness Book of World Records. It will be neat to see this stuff mass produced someday.

2. Carbon Nanotubes:

Ok, I love me some badass nanotechnology. Just read The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson to get an idea of some far out ideas of what we could do with them someday. Carbon nanotubes are amazingly strong, stronger than steel. They are perfect for electronics, they’re small and can build just about anything. Again, the potential is astonishing.

3. Bulk Diamond:

This one is new to me, creating bulk diamond machinery? It’s not here yet, but hey, you never know. Diamond is amazingly strong and light. It’s made from carbon, which is widely available. And already it’s being used to coat parts of machinery. It has an incredibly high boiling and melting point as well as nearly complete thermal conductivity. Cool and groovy!

4. Amorphous Metal: (metallic glasses)

These metals can be twice as strong as steel, but they disperse impact energy much more effectively than regular metal. So imagine this being used in armor. They also have electronic properties that improve the efficiency of power grids by as much as 40%. Good news for going greener in the future.

5. Metal Foam:

Some metal foam is so light that it can float on water. It’s 75-95% empty space, so it’s relatively light while still being very strong. This might be quite handy in building space colonies, or perhaps floating cities.

6. Transparent Alumina:

Three times stronger than steel AND it’s transparent!? Amazing! Imagine skyscrapers of mainly transparent metal! The possibilities are endless.

7. E-Textiles:

This is my favorite of the list, I think. The possibilities are endless for personal expression as well as practical applications. I love the idea of wearing my computer or my phone. Groovy stuff indeed.