Taking a break from global political issues, I’ve decided to write about something cool that has happened recently in the field of science and technology; an innovation that may change the face of technology forever.
The specific event is the recent Nobel Prize awards and the category is in the field of physics. Russian-born scientists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov received the prize for their ground breaking experiments and discovery of material dubbed graphene. This material was discovered “by mechanical exfoliation … of small mesas of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite”, which is fancy science-talk for running Scotch tape over graphite/pencil lead to capture a thin layer of carbon.
Graphene, though sounding mundane through its discovery process, opens a whole new world of possibilities in our world and it is important to understand the properties of graphene. Because of how thin this material is, it can be basically made transparent to light. Atom for atom it is 100 times stronger than steel due to the bonding between the carbon atoms and it thickness is equivalent to one layer of carbon atoms in a sheet formation, approximately 140 picometers. Electricity easily flows through this material with very little loss in energy and they can transmit higher frequencies than the typical silicon used in most electronics nowadays.
The possible usages of graphene are endless. Its lightweight and strength lends itself to being used in the construction of all things. From bicycles to bullet-proof glass, graphene may be used in the future for being better than current materials used for construction or protection. Its transparency is perfect for touch screens: clear, strong, and crack-proof properties can make it ubiquitous in a world where technology is becoming more hands-on. Combine graphene with a few other materials and you can create circuitry that are 10 times faster than the fastest silicon processor in existence. It can also be used in T-ray scanners, which functions like X-ray scanners but with a much lower health hazard.
The potential of graphene as a replacement material for a lot of things in our society is astounding, and such a material also has a relatively cheap cost of production. Amazing what Scotch tape, a pencil, and some thinking can do.
To read more about graphene:
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/10/05/5235400-graphene-thin-stuff-is-a-big-fat-deal
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/10/05/nobel-prize-physica.html
