Materials – Scenario 2015

You see the man with the notebook at the next table? That ultraflat display he's got is based on nanotubes that are laid out like blades of grass in a field. Each of the tubes is about 1 nm thick and emits an electron beam that excites one pixel on the screen. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter—how about that?

But nanotubes aren't the only new material that have been discovered over the last 20 years. Remember how you used to have to wait for minutes for your computer to boot up? No, you're too young for that. But that's how it was. Man, did that take long! Today you just press a fingertip on an identification sensor that checks to make sure it's really you, and all the programs are on—n'est-ce pas? It's the magnetic permanent storage chips that do it. The computer knows exactly what state it was in when the power was turned off. As a result, you don't have to shut down the computer anymore either—and that was an operation that sometimes took even longer than booting it up.

The really fantastic thing about these new materials is that they're all over the place, but you can't see them because they're hidden. You see that lady over there talking on her cell phone? The phone's powered by a mini fuel cell, and it's got plenty of nanotechnology in it too. Young people don't think about these things anymore—they just stick a methanol cartridge into the phone once every couple of weeks. When I was young, we used to have to drag a battery charger around.

Basically, everything's gotten a lot easier. Look at the bicycle that courier over there has. Just about all the parts are made of nanostructured metal magnesia foam. The stuff weighs practically nothing. But you can't see that when you look at it. It's all on the inside. This nanostructuring concept really did catch on amazingly quickly. I was one of the people who played a role in its development back then. The thing is that a material's ability to withstand stress doesn't change even if you get rid of about half the atoms—but it's got to be the right half, mon Dieu!

The best thing about the new implants is that they adapt to the way they're used over time. Now that's intelligent material! Cars have got that kind of material too. Don't believe me? Well, did you ever wonder why the really expensive cars are so quiet inside? Oh, you've got a cheap car? Well, I'll tell you anyway.

The best thing about the new implants is that they adapt to the way they're used over time. Now that's intelligent material! Cars have got that kind of material too. Don't believe me? Well, did you ever wonder why the really expensive cars are so quiet inside? Oh, you've got a cheap car? Well, I'll tell you anyway.

They're quiet because the roof contains an adaptive mat made of piezo fibers, which are actually ceramic and stretch out or contract when you apply voltage to them. That makes it possible to dampen vibrations. There's a sensor that measures the interior noise level and an electronic control system that stimulates the fibers in a way that neutralizes undesired frequencies. Naturally, the system still lets you listen to the radio or your favorite CD. Amazing, n'est-ce pas?

You want to see a new material that's really visible? Just turn around and look at that billboard outside and the lighting here in the café. It's all LEDs. Just ten years ago it would have been unbelievably expensive to light up an entire room with them. I tell you, the good old light bulb's days are numbered. These LEDs are fantastic—they last forever, can take on all different colors and get by with hardly any electricity. Now that's what I call a real technological revolution! Oh, I've got to go now. It was nice talking to you. Take care of yourself. Au revoir.

Norbert Aschenbrenner