Invisible nanotubes could support human weight

Nanotubes are the stuff invisible dreams are made of, producing batteries, ramen, tiny chips, and in this case, invisible tightropes. Nicola Pugno of the Polytechnic of Turin in Italy has figured out a way to spread invisible nanotubes 5 micrometers apart that he says could support an entire human. The resulting "cable" would measure 1 centimeter in diameter and weigh just 10 milligrams per kilometer. So, what would we do with this ultra-strong, invisible cable? Support things that weigh about as much as humans do, naturally. Really, though, this means that super-strong, super-small cables are coming, and architecture could be changed forever. Other uses abound, for sure, but we'll leave that speculation to the science guys.

[Via NewScientistTech]

[Daren @ Jul 20th 2008 7:28PM]

space elevators

[andres @ Jul 20th 2008 7:35PM]

space escalators?

[Peter @ Jul 20th 2008 7:41PM]

Exactly what I was thinking. Maybe now the late Sir Arthur C. Clarke's vision can be realized.

[ctbear @ Jul 20th 2008 7:42PM]

Space elevators are certainly nice....but imagine the whole new level we can go in Invisible Rope Pranks with this innovation: http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=PG4INDu9kNs

[Christian A. Stroemmen @ Jul 20th 2008 7:48PM]

Exactly what I thought. This sounds pretty much identical to what they used in Clarke's book.

[hiko36 @ Jul 20th 2008 8:17PM]

Hahaha there was a guy on one of the late shows the other night talking about this exact same thing...

[Davefp @ Jul 20th 2008 8:51PM]

Space Elevators! Space Elevators!

[marc @ Jul 20th 2008 9:09PM]

First thing i thought about, add it to the recent space elevator conference and maybe cheap travel to space will happen some day. Now if only this stuff wasn't toxic

[enneract @ Jul 20th 2008 10:30PM]

sounds alot more like Charles Sheffield's novel (The Web Between Worlds), which was coincidentally covered a similar subject, and was released at about the same time (both authors reciprocally recognize this as coincidence), which featured a bio-mechanical machine which extruded ultra-thin 'whiskers' which were the primary construction material of the skyhook.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jul 20th 2008 11:06PM]

Invisible hangman's noose.

[Pengadget @ Jul 21st 2008 1:36AM]

how bout all those movies like crouching tiger hidden dragon? they can benefit by this

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Jul 21st 2008 8:43AM]

Will they be making an American-ized version that can support twice as much weight? And can I get a large fry with that?

[BradS @ Jul 21st 2008 9:37AM]

Great, now we'll have to stand around for days repeatedly pressing the 'up' button waiting for the elevator to come to our floor....why does the floor indicator say "in orbit"?

Imagine getting stuck on a stalled elevator at 50,000 feet. With someone who's gassy...

[nikster @ Jul 21st 2008 8:41PM]

What I was thinking, and it's first post - amazing! :)

Space elevators are extremely exciting because they would have the potential to open up space to the rest of us, because we could put large amounts of materials into space and build really big space stations, and that would only the beginning. Next is a moon base etc... a cheap way to get into space and back would be of huge value in all sorts of ways.

[J-Rad @ Jul 20th 2008 7:29PM]

Man, when it comes to tight ropes they aren't clowning around

[YesHone @ Jul 21st 2008 4:52PM]

Until you walk face first into the side of the rope. That thin + that strong = one hell of a razor blade...

[computer.dude.28 @ Jul 20th 2008 7:31PM]

now we know how criss angel did his floating in mid air stunt!

[Catdogburger @ Jul 20th 2008 11:25PM]

you beat me too it.

[andreykireev @ Jul 20th 2008 7:33PM]

Yes!! Thank you, Daren !! Space Elevators, here we come!! =) Come on, come on come on!! Build it already!! I can't wait!!

[Reader @ Jul 20th 2008 8:15PM]

Double the exclamation marks, 4 times the excitement!!

[Conor Maher @ Jul 20th 2008 9:18PM]

Its all fun and games until the poor tight rope walker gets sliced in half

[Big Al @ Jul 20th 2008 8:27PM]

I agree. I think this would do more harm than good in Korea. I saw a tightrope walker here bounce on the rope off his crotch.

[Physical Original @ Jul 20th 2008 7:33PM]

My shadowrun team needs some monofilament wire. How soon can we have this ready?

[Jeff @ Jul 21st 2008 11:40AM]

nerd!


:P

[steve @ Jul 20th 2008 7:35PM]

I think I would be a little concerned about running into these things accidentally...

[andreykireev @ Jul 20th 2008 7:39PM]

thats why from now on I will be spreading powdered sugar in front of me as I walk =)

[deyanimay @ Jul 20th 2008 7:44PM]

Or you know walk around with a flamethrower on and pointed forward, it helps with pesky spider webs too.

[Eh @ Jul 21st 2008 3:31AM]

the human version of the cheese slicer comes to mind

[Owen @ Aug 17th 2008 6:00PM]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1561143,00.html

[Wormbolt @ Jul 20th 2008 7:40PM]

If they're invisible, how will women buy them in hot pink?

[Bryan Thornsberry @ Jul 20th 2008 8:45PM]

perfect comment. i love degradation.

[nak @ Jul 20th 2008 7:41PM]

But I can see it. It's running across the screen left to right about 1/3rd from the bottom.

[deyanimay @ Jul 20th 2008 7:46PM]

No you can't thats just part of the design on the building in the back. =)

[letstakeawalk @ Jul 20th 2008 7:54PM]

What are you talking about? The article specifically said "invisible." You must be seeing things.

(giggles)

[jeanrivera @ Jul 21st 2008 5:13AM]

are you sure about what you said i though it was coming from right to left but that's just me never mind.........................

[Zeth Ethereal @ Jul 20th 2008 7:53PM]

I can see the rope too ^_^

[Jonathan-DBOSS @ Jul 20th 2008 7:53PM]

Invisible dental floss.

[RC @ Jul 20th 2008 11:10PM]

wow, its amazing that with all the problems that this world is facing some jackass spent all that time and energy to develope something that no one will ever use.

[Jon Doe. @ Jul 21st 2008 12:27AM]

RC you have personified the typical Engadget reader: People who shoot off their mouth, or in this case their fingers without firing a single synapse to THINK what other application this tech could be used for. Welcome to Engadget lord high dumbass. Your thrown is waiting for you.

I will give you a single example. If a nanowire can support that kind of stress imagine what a bundle of these used for in say cabling, underwater where some trawler, comes along and snags the line severing a countries internet connection. Now where did I heard about this in the recent past?
Or better yet have this string infused into people who have problems with brittle bones. Long tern is should be possible to build a weave of such things around bones, joints, etc, that are having problems mending.

But no. Its simpler to call someone a jackass. In this case I used the term under appropriate circumstances. . . .jackass.

[Andy @ Jul 20th 2008 8:00PM]

1cm diameter doesn't sound very thin to me? 2mm spectra has a 500 pound breaking strain. But then 10mg / km is extremely light. It must be virtually invisible

[CongoZombie @ Jul 20th 2008 11:19PM]

It isn't about being thin, The nano tubes that make it up are smaller than the wavelength of light, so when spaced far enough apart, would make the cable invisible. It seems to be that at this spacing, a bundle 1cm thick would need to be made to support the weight of a human.

[Tom G @ Jul 20th 2008 8:01PM]

Another amazing scientific breakthrough we will never see bring put to use.

[Mile @ Jul 20th 2008 9:37PM]

I believe Peter Parker would disagree with you. I mean the comic book Parker.

[Ate @ Jul 20th 2008 8:15PM]

Let me hear you Scream!

[Samboini @ Jul 21st 2008 3:31AM]

Aaaaaaaaaggggggggggggggghhhhhhhh?

[jack1701 @ Jul 20th 2008 8:21PM]

turn this into nano bikinis =)

or bras that can really support

[Rod @ Jul 21st 2008 5:58AM]

that's another one for science and still a fat Zero to the religious fruit cakes.

[Phil @ Jul 20th 2008 9:11PM]

Too bad the nano tubes would slice the person up like an egg slicer

[Extra Mild Cheddar @ Jul 20th 2008 9:57PM]

I think you are onto something Phil! The Ultimate Invisible Cheese Slicer. I can see Billy Mays or whatever his name is yelling at us from the idiot box that we can get six of 'em for $19.95 plus shipping and handling.

Does anyone else think we should find out if the whole product lifecycle is good for people overall before we introduce new materials by the traincar load? Did no one learn from asbestos or that oil that was in power transformers, or DDT, etc etc etc?

[jay.viz @ Jul 21st 2008 1:26AM]

Make it just a little thicker and stretch it across a major highway, like I-405 in LA, at one of the widest sections of road.