[SFRA-L] Nanotube Yarns for a Space Elevator?

[Sue & Bruce Rockwood]

Saw this item in the BBC News RSS feed just now, and it makes me think of
building space elevators described in much early and more recent SF. Perhaps
we are getting there. I will quote a bit and give you the link for the whole
story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15287185
14 October 2011 Last updated at 06:48 ET .  *Nanotube yarns twist like
muscles*
[image: Carbon nanotube artwork] Nanotubes continue to amaze scientists with
their mechanical and electronic properties
 Continue reading the main
story<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15287185#story_continues_1>
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 Yarns made of the tiny straws of carbon called nanotubes have an astounding
ability to twist as they contract, scientists have found.

The effect, reported in
Science<http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2011/10/12/science.1211220.abstract>,
is similar to the action of muscles found in elephant trunks and squid
tentacles.

However, the yarns twist 1,000 times as much as previous "artificial
muscles".
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