October 12th 2024.
Did you know that one of the world's most expensive materials is actually a powder? Surprising, right? When we think of pricey items, we often imagine things like platinum, gold, or diamonds. But this substance, known as Nitrogen Atom-Based Endohedral Fullerenes, takes the cake. In fact, just one gram of it can cost more than £100,000,000. That's mind-blowing!
But what exactly is this material? Well, it's essentially a cage made of carbon atoms with a nitrogen atom inside. Now, you might be wondering, what makes it so valuable? The answer lies in its potential. Scientists believe that Nitrogen Atom-Based Endohedral Fullerenes could pave the way for incredibly accurate atomic clocks that can be carried around in our pockets.
Dr Kyriakos Porfyrakis explained to the Telegraph, "Imagine a miniaturised atomic clock that you could carry around in your smartphone. This is the next revolution for mobile." You see, atomic clocks measure time by monitoring the resonant frequency of atoms. They were first invented in 1949 by scientists in Washington D.C., but at the time, they weren't much better than regular electronic clocks. However, over the years, they have improved exponentially. In fact, the best versions in 2024 are billions of times more accurate than any electrical clock.
But here's the catch - these atomic clocks are currently the size of a room, making it difficult for scientists to fully utilize them. And that's where Nitrogen Atom-Based Endohedral Fullerenes comes in. This substance has the potential to miniaturize these atomic clocks, making them small enough to fit into portable devices. Can you imagine the possibilities? For example, it could greatly improve the accuracy of driverless cars, which currently rely on GPS navigation that is only accurate within a few yards.
However, don't get too excited just yet. Dr Porfyrakis mentioned that it will take a few years to finalize this research project. And even if they do succeed, it will still be some time before we see these miniature atomic clocks in our smartphones. But one thing is for sure - Nitrogen Atom-Based Endohedral Fullerenes is a highly valuable material with immense potential.
In fact, it's reported to be the world's second most expensive material, only beaten by antimatter, which NASA estimates is worth a staggering £41 trillion per gram. So next time you come across someone talking about the world's most expensive materials, don't forget to mention this little-known but incredibly valuable substance - Nitrogen Atom-Based Endohedral Fullerenes.
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