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Ancient Swords Made of Carbon Nanotubes
brian0918 writes "Nature reports that researchers at Dresden University believe that sabres from Damascus dating back to 900 AD were formed with help from carbon nanotubes. From the article: 'Sabres from Damascus are made from a type of steel called wootz. But the secret of the swords' manufacture was lost in the eighteenth century.' At high temperatures, impurities in the metal 'could have catalyzed the growth of nanotubes from carbon in the burning wood and leaves used to make the wootz, Paufler suggests. These tubes could then have filled with cementite to produce the wires in the patterned blades, he says.'"
So swords are a series of tubes too?
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If you think big enough, you'll never have to do it.
But I didn't know it was called "wootz". That's almost too good to be true. Next we'll find out the it's made of pwned ore.
Am I part of the core demographic for Swedish Fish?
This, for instance, tells the story of old Damascan warriors that would run around slaying their enemies, and at each kill would shout a prayer of "W00Tz" to their ancient sword gods to thank them for their glorious victory.
"What have you been doing slave?"
"Pwning ore sire!"
Would you kindly mod me +1 insightful?
I, for one, do not welcome our eventual humorless overlords.