Scientists and engineers at NAVSEA Carderock in Bethesda, Md., are working with the heaviest materials of all -- metals. Metals can transfer heat -- they're easy to mold and shape -- and they have conductivity, so electrons can move through them easily.
In nature metals usually occur as ores which are mined and then cleaned and refined. Metal elements can be combined to form useful materials called alloys. The scientists at NAVSEA Carderock have taken that innovation a step further, creating new ways to combine metals that improve performance and make them even more useful.
Metal is "the strongest stuff around," says engineering technician Stephen Szpara. "All your machinery -- your earth-moving equipment, bridges, your planes, cars, bicycles -- it's all made out of some sort of metal, and that's just awesome to me!"