World's Largest Nanotube Model

darthpenguin writes "A group at Rice University has completed building the world's largest Nanotube model. Rice University is a leader in this revolutionary field involving nanotubes and buckyballs, which have the potential to revolutionize certain areas of science. The completed model, a full 360 meters in length, has been accepted by the Guinness Book of World Records."

Next step, Mass production

[Dancin_Santa]

On a fiber by fiber basis, nanotubes are very fragile. However, in large bunches they are stronger than any other material currently available.

I'd love to see how they manage to mass produce these things. Such a production ability brings the vaunted "space elevator" closer to reality.

They're entitled to a PR stunt...

[pmadden]

Give them a break... the model is a PR stunt, but the whole nanotube/buckyball thing started at Rice. The feds have started pouring money into nanotech research; if Rice wants to get their fair share of the loot, they need to make sure no one forgets where the nanotube came from. Seems like a lot of /.ers don't know, which is kind of scary.

Most schools use their sports programs to get positive PR. Rice is doing their PR off of some very solid and useful research that happened on campus. Got a problem with that?

ok...

[BoomTechnology]

ok. In all honesty -- it really wasn't that big of a
waste of time. We (the students -- undergrad
students who don't have the knowledge of doing
this sort of research) were asked by the coordinators to sign up to build the tube.
Mind you, we did this on a Friday when most of us don't
work hard anyways (especially those silly Academs [rice.edu]).
OK. Admittedly, I did not partake in these festivities as I was busy with other more important things,
but for the people who had the time to do it, I'm sure
it was a bonding experience and I'm sure they had a blast. Plus they got free t-shirts...yum.

Re:Definition of Irony:

[Anonymous Coward]

What a bunch of FSCKING trolls the first few posters are. They sound like a bunch of idiot business majors or something. What a bunch of clueless unimaginative wastes of skin. Here's a clue stupid set of tools: you can use this long string to build a car 50 times as strong as steel, but weighing 50 times as less. If you built an aircraft out of it, it could fly 500 times as far on 1/10 the fuel. You could build buildings 500 stories tall. You could make products that last practically forever. And all the first posters can muster out of their limited grey matter is "whutsit good fer?" "thet don dew nuthin" So to these stuipd trogs, I submit "you know, it's one of those stuipd 'science only' types of inventions, you know, kinda like that transistor thing."

Re:Definition of Irony:

[Patchw0rk F0g]

As both the art director, and production artist, of a recent project, I refute the "waste of time" opinion. Last year, my agency produced for the Atlantic Lottery Corporation a promotion called the Big Scratch. It consisted, in the end, of the production of the World's Largest Scratch Ticket (16'x25'). This has both been the most successful (read $$$$$) promotion in Atlantic Lottery history, but also certified by the Guinness Book.

If making lots o' cash while gaining a world record is a waste of time, I'd LOVE to waste more!