The Material Question – Graphene and Its Possiblilies

In this past December's issue of The New Yorker research is detailed behind the possible uses of graphene, a material that is being found to have more and more useful applications than was previously realized. Electron flow through graphene, for example, is sped up drastically through its unique structure allowing 1000x more electriticy to be carried than by copper. Other applications are as diverse as a graphene-based gel, with uses as scaffolding for spinal-cord injuries, to quantum dots for medical imaging and plasma screens. Research has also shown that "graphene is the only substance on earth that is complely impermeable to gas, but it weighs almost nothing; lighter rafts and slides could save the airline industry millions of dollars worth of fuel a year."