Scientists create world's lightest material 1,000 times thinner than a human hair

Scientists claim to have created  the world’s lightest solid material, a metal which can sit atop a dandelion without even crushing its seeds.

The substance is made of tiny hollow metallic tubes – the walls of which are 1,000 times thinner than those of a human hair – arranged into a criss-crossing diagonal pattern with small open spaces between them.

The researchers say the material, which consists of 99.99 per cent air, is 100 times lighter than Styrofoam and has ‘extraordinarily high energy absorption’ properties.

Lightweight: The revolutionary new material is made out of hollow tubes with a wall thickness 1000 times thinner than a human hair

Its potential future uses include thermal insulation, battery electrodes, and products to dampen sounds or vibration, or absorb shock.

The research, published in the latest edition of the journal Science, was carried out at the University of California, and the Irvine and HRL laboratories.

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