Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Nobel Prize in Physics 2010 for Graphene-"Two Dimensional" Material

 (Science Daily, Oct. 5,2010,  link to this article is http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101005085507.htm)

This year, two physicists got the Nobel Prize for inventing a new, revolutionary material. This material is so thin that it is two-dimensional. It is called graphene and it was extracted from an ordinary graphite which can be found in any pencil. Using an adhesive tape, they were producing thinner and thinner flakes of carbon and finally they got a material which is as thin as one atom.

This material has perfect characteristics. Although very thin, it is the  strongest known material, as well. It is heat resistant, 10 times more than any other material. It is totally transparent but very dense. So, You can see through it, but nothing can pass through it.
Thanks to its exceptional properties, graphene can be and, I'm sure, will be used in many practical applications such as in computer industry,  development of touch-screens and sollar cells. Satellites, airplanes and cars could be made of it, because it is so light but so strong.

If this two-dimensional material is so perfect, I hope that we all shall use it in the near future.




http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101005085507.htm

New Planet

         I read an article called " Not too hot, not too cold- Have scientists finally found the Goldilocks planet?"
             Space scientists found a new planet called Gillese 581G which is 20 light years far from Earth. Some scientists think that there may be life on this planet because it has gravity and atmosphere. It takes 37 days for Gillese 581G to circle it's sun called Red Dwarf star.Only problem for possible life is that it doesn't turn fully around its axis and that's why on one half of the planet it is always hot and on the other half it is always freezing.
I think this is realy nice and exciting because the big mystery of life can be finally resolved.