Materials become thinner when we pull or stretch them – think rubber band and you get the picture. It’s simple. We assume that when we apply a force along an axis the material always stretches and thins. It now looks like that assumption is wrong.
Our friends at Malta have pulled our conception of stretching to the breaking point. The team have been working with some bizarre stuff known as auxetic materials. Due to their unique internal geometry, auxetic materials actually grow wider when stretched.
Auxetic materials have puzzled scientists for years. But now the Maltese researchers are developing mathematical models to explain the unusual behavior of these logic-defying materials. Their work could lead to a host of practical applications that right now are unthinkable. This could be future-changing science.
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