Combining the abilities of a master chef and a futuristic jeweler, materials engineer Shanee Pacley is a leading specialist in the exciting field of nanotechnology.
Pacley's specialty is nanopearls, clusters of extremely small balls of pure carbon that under a powerful microscope resemble a string of pearls. The young scientist cooks them up at 450 degrees Celsius and then studies their properties.
Uses for the nanopearls created at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Research laboratory are still being imagined. An early contender is thinner televisions that use less energy and last far longer than today's models.