This is NOT the World’s Smallest Car
The illustrious title of World’s Smallest Car, sought by many, but held by only one. And who is that one? No, it’s not the car above, or the Smart ForTwo, or the Tata Nano; not the obscure Waaijenberg Canta or even the Peel P50, no matter what the Guinness Book of World Records says. Those cars are giants compared to the real smallest car.
So what is it? Check out the REAL picture after the jump:
It’s the Rice University Nanocar, and it’s the size of a single strand of DNA. It measures just 4 x 3 nanometers (A nanometer is equal to one billionth of a meter or one millionth of a millimeter). A human hair is about 80,000 nanometers thick. But it’s not just bullshizz nonsense made up by grad students with too much time on their hands…this thing actually works like a car. It has a chassis, axles, a pivoting suspension, and the wheels are buckyballs (aka Buckminsterfullerenes, which are tiny spheres of pure carbon - named after R. Buckminster Fuller, one of the coolest dudes ever).
It’s apparently hard to make a nanoscale object roll, but they’ve done it. And why? Well, the eventual goal is the create nanoscale trucks that could carry atoms and molecules around in miniature factories. It’s one step closer to tiny autonomous self-replicating machines doing our work for us at the nano level. End of the world Grey Goo, here we come!
Related posts:
- Toyota iQ is Coming to the LA Auto Show as a Scion
- A look back at the AMC Eagle and the mini-tank that was
- 2009 Kia Borrego Receives NHTSA's Five-Star Crash Safety Rating
- Audi R8: The Ultimate Driving Machine?
- Redesigned Chevy Volt on Schedule for 2010
Related posts:
- Pat Ganahl’s 1932 Roadster
- Harley-Davidson Iron 883: No Frills
- Spyker Laviolette GT2 R
- New York City Hero Gets Free Jeep Patriot
- Guinness makes it Official: SSC Ultimate Aero IS the worlds fastest production car
We've all seen the commercials where some unknowing, joyless yuppie walks outside to find a giant red bow-adorned Lexus. What car in the driveway would make this a "December to Remember" for you?
