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Science

Morphing Metals 121

aarondubrow writes "Imagine a metal that 'remembers' its original, cold-forged shape, and can return to that shape when exposed to heat or a magnetic pulse. Like magic out of a Harry Potter novel, such a metal could contract on command, or swing back and forth like a pendulum. Believe it or not, such metals already exist. First discovered in 1931, they belong to a class of materials called 'shape memory alloys (SMA),' whose unique atomic make-up allows them to return to their initial form, or alternate between forms through a phase change."

Comment Re:I mention this (Score 2, Funny) 581

But what if we collect so much solar radiation that it affects global climate? If that radiation is no longer heating the surface of the earth but instead being converted to electricity won't that have an effect on the climate?

I doubt there's any one solution. The solution is to have a variety of energy sources. Man doesn't exist on Coca Cola alone (ok, some do but they aren't doing very well).

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