Morphing Metals

aarondubrow writes "Imagine a metal that 'remembers' its original, cold-forged shape, and can return to that shape when exposed to heat or a magnetic pulse. Like magic out of a Harry Potter novel, such a metal could contract on command, or swing back and forth like a pendulum. Believe it or not, such metals already exist. First discovered in 1931, they belong to a class of materials called 'shape memory alloys (SMA),' whose unique atomic make-up allows them to return to their initial form, or alternate between forms through a phase change."

Horseless carriages

[fridaynightsmoke]

Imagine a carriage that propels itself without the need for horses, fuelled by otherwise useless petroleum spirits. Like magic from some Jules Verne novel, such a carriage could carry a family for hundreds of miles at high speed without tiring, and could revolutionise transportation. Belive it or not, such carriages already exist....

Re:News?

[Barryke]

Where are those mod-points when i need 'm. Its a plot!

Re:Horseless carriages

[Haedrian]

Those are the work of the devil. They will stop chickens from laying eggs and the speed that people will move in them will suck the air out of their lungs.

Really?

[L4t3r4lu5]

Amazing stuff! A couple more decades and we'll have finally moved away from valve-based electronics, too! This truly is an era of change.

Re:News?

[thoughtfulbloke]

If you like this article, you may excited to read other breaking tech news:

• The cyclotron was invented
• Thomas Edison submits last patent
• Emerson Iron lung perfected
• Deuterium discovered

Re:terminator

[Thanshin]

I didn't know that the Terminator movies were written by this Harry Potter person.

The terminator movies weren't written. They just put the robots on a stage and let them improvise.

What! It works with Keanu Reeves.

Re:News?

[SeaFox]

Are we to expect a slew of articles about 80 year old discoveries now?!

Look at the bright side: none of the articles will be dupes!

Re:Really?

[selven]

its called Sillycon or something like that.

Is Pedobear invited?

Use the right fictional metaphor!

[AC-x]

Like magic out of a Harry Potter novel? Come on, It's clearly like T1000 technology out of Terminator 2!

Roswell 1947

[Anonymous Coward]

Wasn't that the kind of material witnesses reported finding at the Roswell crash site?

Re:News?

[Anonymous Coward]

The point of this article is to hype Apple's investment in LiquidMetal.

Are they planning on releasing an iTerminator?

Re:No more panel beaters

[fridaynightsmoke]

Imagine a car made out of this kind of metal. Someone ploughs into you, tow the car home, apply a flame and presto! off you go again.

A memory-metal Pinto would be self repairing...

Re:Yes and?

[synaptik]

I dunno, but there's this device called a "L.A.S.E.R." that sounds promising. Slashdot submission coming soon.

Re:terminator

[Thanshin]

It works with Keanu Reeves.

Having seen several Keanu films... no it doesn't

Were you Igor, your response to poor Dr.Frankenstein's "It lives! It liiiiiives!!" would probably be "Well yeah but the seams are kind of obvious. And what's with the bolts in the neck?"

Re:Horseless carriages

[operagost]

Make a guy with a flag walk in front of them and we're all set.

Re:terminator

[operagost]

He was fine in a little movie called "The Matrix". Shame they never made a sequel.

Re:Horseless carriages

[Anonymous Coward]

My wife hates it when I suck the air out of her lungs.