SPACE ELEVATOR
Today, in order to get to the Moon, an incredible logistical setup is required. From the training needed for astronauts, to the millions of dollars of equipment necessary for space travel, to the cost of rocket fuel—Space flight isn’t easy (or cheap). But what if one can reach the Moon by simply stepping into a small vehicle attached to a cable and pressing a button that says “Moon.” Well, that would be nice, but it would be a rather long trip with a number of staggering hurdles. Still, it might be possible to do something like this to get to space (or at least near space).
If what you’re imagining is an elevator, then you are right.
Ultimately, this is an idea that several scientists have been trying to realize since 1895, though it has existed as little more than science fiction for most of this time. We have written a number of articles on the feasibility of this tech in the past. Now, with what researchers from the Pennsylvania State University discovered, we may be taking a step closer to achieving that idea.
When they applied alternating cycles of pressure to isolated, liquid-state benzene molecules, surprisingly, it was found that rings of carbon atoms assembled into neat and orderly chains, essentially forming strong ultra-thin diamond nanothreads.