Image credit: Tom Sloan
aNewDomain.net — Other than something from the planet Krypton, the strongest thing here on earth is a carbon nanotube. It is a cylinder made out of carbon of which the walls are only one atom thick. They look like something that Buckminster Fuller might have made … hexagons in the shape of tubes. Carbon nanotubes have unusual properties that make this material highly useful and desirable. They can be used in numerous chemical and electrical applications such as batteries, semiconductors, capacitors, power generation, and solar cells. All with super power.
It is also very very strong. How strong is it? Tests have shown it to be a hundred times stronger than steel. Using a strand only 1mm thick, it could hold 10 tons. How hard is it? Harder than diamond. But remember, diamonds are also made out of carbon. So, if diamonds are a girl’s best friend, are nanotubes man’s best friend?
Tom Sloan has drawn cartoons and illustrations for numerous publications — including the original BYTE magazine. Not limited to print, Tom’s cartoons and collages are displayed in museums and galleries throughout the United States. He’s also an accomplished animator. He’s created animations for such as clients Sesame Street, HBO, Nickelodeon, Captain Kangaroo, Romper Room, Burger King and McDonalds.
