Nanotubes spring eternal

Forests of carbon nanotubes have acted as brushes, electron emitters, light-absorbing antennae, and even as glue mimicking the sticky fibers under geckos’ feet. Now, researchers say such arrays of tiny carbon tubes are something else again—an amazing new kind of foam.

RESILIENT RIPPLES. An electron micrograph shows how aligned carbon nanotubes buckle at their bases after 1,000 compression cycles.