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Amorphous Steel
pfdietz writes "Researchers at Oak Ridge have achieved a holy grail of materials science: they have figured out how to produce amorphous (glassy) steel. The material is reported to be twice as hard and have twice the tensile strength of the strongest ultra-high tensile strength steel alloy."
Posting anonymously to protect my karma from Apple zealots.
We'll just get the cast from Star Trek (TOS) to act stupidly illogical to confuse and overload the robots.
"I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar."
-Hoban Washburn
before the nanotechnologists are able to reproduce this material an the atomic scale and essentially "grow" amorphous-steel items?
I want my +5 Broadsword of Nerdly Might!
This post encoded with ROT26. If you can read it, you've violated the DMCA. Handcuffs please, sergeant.
Now that amorphous steel is a reality, we are only one step away from transparent aluminum.
Software Wars
You forgot terbinium, from Mars, which is mined using essentially slave labor and the resistance leader (Kuato) was murdered several years ago...
...we are from the government - we are here to help...
TRANSPARENT ALUMINUM!
"Hello? computer?"
"Just use the keyboard!"
Who needs the cast from Star Trek (TOS) to act stupidly illogical when you've got slashdot?
I used up all my sick days, so I'm calling in dead.
Please allow me contribute some missing entries, frequently found in tabletop arenas:
Unobtainium
Unobtainium is the preferred material of fantasy weaponsmiths for creating arms and armor capable of great feats otherwise impossible by any other means or craft. Many a spell is also said to be enhanced just by the mere possession of the substance. In the far-flung future, it is used in every sector of industry from composing and fueling spacecraft, anti-gravity devices, matter-teleportation machines, polymorphing robots, slashdot-effect-proof web servers, faster-than-lightspeed engines, time travel, to making the construction of 100m tall walking war machines possible.
There is even a rumor that a crash-proof version of Windows exists that requires a special CPU made of pure unobtainium.
Despite its extreme usefulness, there is no known location in the universe where the substance can be mined or produced. Furthermore, there have yet to be any published studies regarding anything about the substance itself; yet there are thousands of studies and papers regarding its many applications.
Deaminite (n. dee-em'-in-ite)
Deaminite is typically found in the construction of mundane objects that are, for reasons unexplained, immobile, impossibly heavy, or otherwise indestructible. There are many a legend involving bands of heroes, who's quest came to halt all because of unlockable and unbreakable doors composed of deaminite. Known artifacts composed of deaminite include: the impossibly heavy weapons of the gods, armor worn by 40th level death knights, Jackie Chan's head, The outer hull of the starship Enterprise, and NYC cockroaches.
Typically encounters with an object made from deaminite result in a loud booming voice, seemingly from nowhere, uttering phrases like "You cannot pick that up", "You cannot do that", "Its too heavy", "No, because I said so", and "You see a grue".
Ironically, unlike unobtaininum, Deaminite has never actually be obtained for any purpose whatsoever, so its composition and properties are completely unkown.
Vibranium
Vibranium is a special metal with unique properties. When electrical current is passed through it, it begins vibrating erratically.
Characters seen using or "testing" (for periods of several hours) vibranium include Sybia and Eccentrica Gallumbits.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
here is your "Invisible Toaster"