A Limber Future

"Smart skin" holds promise for morphing wings and wearable computers.

By August 18, 2004

Making Metal Rubber from Scrat

Dip charged substrate into container of positively charged water-based solution (1). Rinse substrate in water to remove unbound particles (2). Dip substrate into negatively charged solution (3). Rinse and repeat (4, 5).

Terrible, horrible things can be done to this millimeters-thick patch of shimmering material crafted by chemists at NanoSonic in Blacksburg, Virginia. Twist it, stretch it double, fry it to 200

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