This is a subject that has long fascinated me - and not in the Michael Crichton way either.

Coming soon (but not quite soon enough) to a car near you - as well as laptops, cell phones and what have you is yet another new application of these supermaterials.

This time round, carbon nanotubes find an application in supercapacitors that may have a role in replacing clunky old car battery tech. Scientists at the University of Texas at Dallas have invented a technique to make supercapacitor "paper" made from randomly tangled carbon nanotubes embedded in a polymer. Both chemical batteries and capacitors store electrical charge, in differing ways, but nanotech supercapacitors could store more energy in a smaller space, without the dangers associated with chemical systems. Further more, research at my old alma mater at IISc has already demonstrated their force generated charge carrying capabilities...

Potentially excellent news given the rise of the hybrid car. Better yet the new technique is "easily scalable for device fabrication on an industrial scale," so it might end up in real products sooner rather than later.

With inputs from the Giz, PhysOrg and more.