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Transparent Aluminum Is "New State of Matter"

Posted by timothy on from the baseball-bats-will-never-be-the-same dept.

Professor_Quail writes with this interesting excerpt: "Oxford scientists have created a transparent form of aluminum by bombarding the metal with the world's most powerful soft X-ray laser. 'Transparent aluminum' previously only existed in science fiction, featuring in the movie Star Trek IV, but the real material is an exotic new state of matter with implications for planetary science and nuclear fusion."

3 of 406 comments (clear)

  1. Before jumping to conclusions, read the article by Nautical+Insanity · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This does not mean this process can be used to make transparent armor or other applications for super-strong glass. The article states that the x-rays wereï focused to a spot with a diameter smaller than a human hair's, the aluminum was transparent to ultraviolet, and the state lasted 40 femtoseconds. Details left out of the summary.

    Nonetheless, this is incredibly cool. The new state of matter that is being boasted about is one where a non-valent electron is removed from atoms. Very cool.

  2. Re:"Tansparent" by Thaelon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I would say that a microscopic hole that is transparent for a few femtoseconds to a small slice of the magnetic spectrum is more of a proof of potential possibility than a proof of concept of what the phrase "transparent aluminum" brings to mind.

    --

    Question everything

  3. Re:This is a great breakthrough... by Dragonslicer · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Or maybe there won't be a massive revolution in input methods in the next few hundred years, so even with touch screens, you're still entering text using small squares with letters on them. The only replacement I can think of would be a wire sticking into your brain, since even flawless voice recognition wouldn't work too well in rooms with multiple people working at the same time.