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Introducing Magnet-Responsive Memory Foam

Posted by timothy on from the had-this-stuff-in-my-head-for-years dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has recently reported that two research teams have developed a new porous foam of an alloy that changes shape when exposed to a magnetic field. The NSF states that this new material is able to remember its original shape after it's been deformed by a physical or magnetic force. This polycrystalline nickel-manganese-gallium alloy is potentially cheaper and lighter than other materials currently used in devices ranging from sonar to precision valves. It also could be used to design biomedical pumps without moving parts and even for space applications and automobiles."

9 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. this substance has been around since 1991 by circletimessquare · · Score: 4, Funny

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-1000

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    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:this substance has been around since 1991 by owlstead · · Score: 3, Funny

      I don't think the T-1000 was made of foam. It's been a while since I last saw the movie, but I cannot remember anything about a killer robot cuddling people to death.

  2. Fender Benders? by frinkacheese · · Score: 3, Funny

    This would be cool for bumpers (I think some of the colonies call them fenders). You could park your car, shunt the other card out of the way and then apply your magnetic field and say "Nar it wasn't me, mate. Look, my car is OK. Must have been some other bloke".

    1. Re:Fender Benders? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      I think some colonies would have said "man" instead of "mate", and "dude" instead of "bloke".

  3. Holy specious conclusions, Batman by heinousjay · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah, heaven knows the US would be a better place if we all knew how to build motors. Then the Democrats would rule forever!

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    Slashdot - where whining about luck is the new way to make the world you want.
  4. Re:Polycrysta... by chuckymonkey · · Score: 1, Funny

    I applaud your mettle for using the word medal when you should have used metal. I love words, they're so much fun to play with...maybe I should get a pet.

    --
    "Some books contain the machinery required to create and sustain universes."-Tycho
  5. Re:Pumps with no moving parts? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I can think of a lot of better things to pass through people instead of airlines.

    Honestly, I can't imaging anything about an airline that would be good to put through a person. Not the planes themselves, the baggage handlers, the cleaning crews, pilots, "
    snacks and refreshments" or whatever passes for a "meal" on most flights, and not even the pilots. And forget the awful airline debt load.

    Flight attendants, maybe. Some of them are ok.

    Other than than, nope. I don't want an airline passing through me.

  6. Yeah boys we finally cracked iit. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    We had some of this stuff at Roswell and it took us forever to find out how to make it ourselves. Those crafty alien bastards.


    MIB

  7. Hmmmm... by tgd · · Score: 3, Funny

    *notices banner ad for fleshlight*

    I may just have an idea here...