Whenever scientists release a report or statement about how excited they are about some new discovery, we don’t really get it. The excitement over graphene, however, is something we can get into.
Here’s the Top 5 Graphene-Gadgets to look forward to:
1. Smarter Phones
Graphene conducts electricity faster than any other material, leaving the door open to faster, lighter batteries. This means you plug your phone in, and 5 seconds later it will be fully charged, as well as holding the charge for longer. It also means faster computers and computer chips. The one-atom thickness allows them to bend, and because of its great conductibility power, it means it’s going to be the new-touch screen substance. Also its super strength means that you’ll never crack your screen on a night out again.
2. Electric Cars
The faster charge and lighter batteries revolution will go a long way in solving the massive challenge facing electric cars, which at the moment take 8 hours (on average) to charge. Not only that, but a car coated in a layer of graphene could be used to heat seats and windows faster than before. The roof would then soak energy in from the sun, which could be used as energy in the car, and dials and warnings can be projected onto the windscreen. See why it’s called the Super Substance?
3. Tennis Racquets
Tennis technology has come a long way – from wood, to metal to carbon, and now to graphene. At the moment tennis racquets are made with the weight equally distributed between the handle, the frame and the top. By using graphene, production teams can place the weight on the top and handle, which allows more power with less effort.
Players like Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Tommy Haas and Maria Sharapova now request that their racquets to be made to their exact specification.
So no more blaming your racquet when you’re losing a match!
4. Medical solutions
If you thought Alexander Fleming was a big deal for discovering penicillin, wait until you hear what graphene can do. Scientists promise it will pave the way for fast and cheap DNA sequencing as well as improving biosensors. It’s also hoped that the material will help advance therapies and diagnostics of a range of diseases including Alzheimer’s and cancer.
Not only that, but its thought an artificial retina could be created by a mesh of transistors interacting with the visual centre in your brain, giving some sort of vision to those who suffer from blindness.
5. Cyborgs
Once mass production of graphene has begun, we will be able to embed digital devices everywhere, from clothes to windows and walls. Another possibility is a film of graphene over our eye, which would project images and feed us information to us directly. That put Google Glass in its place!
Graphene is the first two-dimensional material ever discovered; this means that it’s only one-atom in thickness, and as a consequence electricity runs through it faster than silver, which is very fast. It also conducts heat better than diamonds, and is stronger than steel.
In short, it’s “Better, Faster, Stronger” than anything else.
