Honda's carbon nanotubes will change the world

[Are_grits_groceries]

Carbon nanotubes have otherworldly qualities, and now Honda says its figured out a way to make the manufacture of such miraculous materials practical. Get this: Honda says its carbon nanotubes are

100,000 times thinner than human hair

Stronger than steel

Conduct electricity better than copper

Conduct heat better than a diamond

Light as cotton

Imagine constructing our world from such materials, resulting in lighter and stronger cars, tinier computers, super capacitors, more efficient flexible batteries, more powerful solar panels, practical fuel cells, super-strong composite materials, and maybe even a Spider-Man suit. The breakthrough? Honda says it can manufacture such nanotubes with a 91% success rate, compared to the 25 to 50% success rate currently possible.


http://dvice.com/archives/2009/10/hondas-carbon-n.php

This could get interesting!

[Ian David]

1. I welcome our microscopic overlords. n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Nanotubes, not nano-probes. :^P (But those are coming.)

[JBoris]

13. Nanoscopic actually.

[Ian David]

15. Sorry. I didn't mean to blaspheme our new nanoscopic masters. n/t

[JBoris]

16. LOL! nt

[ProdigalJunkMail]

2. if true that is awesome...

and can indeed be world changing. the implications for all facets of life are astounding as this technology could lead to all you mention and so much more.

Oh, and if Honda own the 'process' they will own the world...

sP

[Botany]

4. wow

stronger toothpicks?

[ThomWV]

5. Lighter rifles, bombers that can carry heavier payloads, infinitesimally small listening devices.

Think of the practical uses first.

[dhpgetsit]

9. Improved batteries and capacitors would make solar and wind power more practical.

Energy storage and transmission issues have been a major hurdle to shifting to green energy.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

6. Great job Honda!

Just don't sell to GM, because if they do then that will be the last we'll see of it.

[dhpgetsit]

7. This is cool stuff!

You never know where new technologies like this can lead. Look where silicon wafers have taken us!

[Lochloosa]

14. And Velcro!

[Enthusiast]

8. This changes everything. nt

[thereismore]

10. Gee, these are at least as old as Bucky balls. Decades old. nt

[unpossibles]

12. The point is that the tubes are old, but until now they have not been able to

be made as efficiently, right? Or are you saying that an old technology - I'll use microchips as an example - never improves decades later, that our computers today are no better than the decades old computers of yesterday?

[girl gone mad]

18. yep.

and every ten years or so, the hype is renewed. I think we are still a long way from seeing real world applications outside of a few concept items and lab tools.

[The2ndWheel]

11. You thought our impact on the environment was big now

The words more, super, and power show up quite a bit. Hell, even a Spider-Man suit is listed.

Maybe we should lay off of the comics for a bit.

[Ian David]

17. That's the sort of thing Dr. Octopus would say.

OR HITLER!




(Just messin' with you).

[LeftHander]

19. You thought breathing asbestos is bad...wait until the air in your car

is filled with nano-tube dust particles.

Google MSDS carbon Nanotubes...

We all thought asbestos was inert for a hundred years. Then all the sudden we find out it is slow silent killer that hangs around for a long time and is in fucking everything.

Before this crap ends up in everything full toxicology studies need to be done.