A SpaceX mission launched last week will test the response of graphene components in a space travel environment. Graphene, the ‘wonder material’ that consists of single layers of carbon atoms, has many potential uses due to its thinness, strength, flexibility and conductivity. Researchers have looked at applications from flexible electronics and 3D imaging of the universe, to sucking up pollution from the air and biosensors for detecting Covid-19. Now, experiments designed by university students from the Netherlands and Chile will probe how the material responds to the impacts of a real space ..read more

Potential uses of graphene span across scientific fields and disciplines. Its superconductive properties could make it useful for quantum computing. Or maybe its flexibility is what is best about it – being incredibly strong but still capable of forming wearable medical devices. An ability to cope with heat and sweat might not seem like the next logical trial, but researchers at the University of Gloucestershire are focused on just that. They have teamed up with engineering materials company Versarien, which designs all kind of products using the carbon material, to trial graphene’s potential ..read more

The potentials of so-called ‘wonder material’ graphene, have been talked about in the science community for a number of years. It is a one-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms that is 200 times stronger than steel, yet is extremely flexible and lighter than paper. In 2018, scientists discovered that by creating a sandwich of two graphene layers, each just an atom thick, and twisting it at the ‘magic angle’ of 1.1 degrees, it shows superconductive properties. Now, the group of researchers at MIT who made that initial discovery have expanded on the superconducting system by adding a third layer and ..read more

A select group of customers signed up to Tesla’s early access programme are among the first to try out the electric vehicle manufacturer’s major software update. Founder and CEO Elon Musk posted a brief tweet earlier this week (20 October) to say the software update will be a beta version of its ‘full self-driving’ system. This would add significant autonomy to a car, allowing drivers to use many Autopilot advanced driver-assisted features on city streets. In a call with investors after the company’s Q3 earnings report, Musk said that he hopes to have a wide release of this tech by the end of ..read more