Materials: Magnetically controlled metal could yield better machine parts.
Materials scientists have long played with “shape memory alloys,” metals that shift between one shape and another when heated or cooled to just the right temperature. But so far, real-world applications have been limited, because controlling the alloy’s shape with temperature is often difficult and inefficient. Now, researchers have found a way to accomplish the same shape-memory tricks using magnets rather than temperature-an advance that could make possible efficient, less clunky moving parts for machine components in aircraft, automobiles or even robots.