A team of researchers says they have created the most water-repellent surface ever, challenging existing ideas about how friction works. Known as a self-assembled monolayer (SAM), the ingenious new surface, which is assembled at the molecular level, has the potential to impact hundreds of commercial and industrial applications, including de-icing techniques, maritime technologies, space exploration, and even ultra-slippery cookware.
The ghost of Carl Sagan should visit the article’s author and treat him or her to an evening à la Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.