Miscellaneous Curiosities, and the Announcement of the 3rd Carnival of Space

The image above shows an amazing new nano-glue discovered by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic.

Researchers at Purdue have developed and patented an Aluminum alloy containing Gallium, that has the ability to pull the Oxygen from water, leaving the Hydrogen gas for other things--like combustion or making electricity in fuel cells. This would allow the production of hydrogen gas "on demand", when and where it is needed, from water.

Physicists at U Penn have developed a carbon nanotube aerogel that can support 8,000 times its weight.

One can imagine combining the three discoveries to produce an ultra-light automobile made of aerogel sandwiched between thin layers of nano-glued materials, powered by on-demand hydrogen fuel cells.

Or perhaps an ultralight rocket ship? Which brings me to the Third Carnival of Space, hosted by Universe Today. This week's carnival has a strong emphasis on recent astronomical discoveries.