I was filled with amazement as I read that scientists from Texas and around the world  created a material that, by density, is lighter than air yet, when it’s electrified, it instantly and powerfully contracts. In other words, the lightest material on our planet is capable of providing quite a powerful punch! Wow, a material that is both strong and flexible and can contract like a muscle.

“These artificial muscles are very lightweight and can do wonderful things,” said Ray Baughman, the study author from the University of Texas at Dallas.  And, while these artificial muscle is unlikely to be used in humans or prosthetic limbs (yet), Baughman says “these sheets of carbon nanotubes … are of great practical interest for LEDs, solar cells, and other applications.” The scientists’ work was detailed in the journal Science.

Aerogels (so called because 99.8 percent of the material is air) and artificial muscles have apparently been around for decades, but only recently astronomers have launched spacecraft containing aerogelsto that gently capture space dust and keep it safe for the return journey to Earth.  Meanwhile, material scientists have created a variety of different artificial muscles, or materials that expand and contract when an electrical charge is applied.

Science, once again, has expanded beyond the whimsy of science-fiction to create a substance that has real unlimited potential.

The article is wonderfully informative and well-worth a trip to http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/03/19/aerogel-nanotube-muscle.html to read it in its entirety.  And, while you’re on the Discovery website, browse around, but make sure you’re not scheduled to be anywhere, anytime soon. I know, from experience, that it’s easy to get lost in the wonderful of science.

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