Magic Sand is hydrophobic - unlike beach sand, which readily absorbs water, magic sand causes water to bead up and even bounce off. The water repelling effect is especially clear in the slow-motion portion of this clip. Stay tuned - more on the science of magic sand, and additional clips are in the works!

We have retrieved a clear wavy pattern form and AFM image taken in the friction mode, over a highly polished stainless steel surface, which is usually assumed to be due to an optical interference phenomenon. A clear spatial correlation has been found between the best resolved parts of the pattern observed, and the smoothest part of the original topographical image, which clearly support the idea that the observed effect (not appeared in the topographical image), is effectively due to an optical interference phenomenon.

The use of X-rays to construct three-dimensional tomographic images is well established in medicine. The same principle is being extended to the nanoscale, bringing us startlingly accurate pictures of tiny objects.