Buzz
Silicon, a crucial element in today's technological age, is a core part of powerful integrated circuits and advanced plasma-assisted lasers. Throughout history, this brittle, metallic solid has been used in many extraordinary ways, even before its formal discovery in 1824 (with some sources dating it to 1823). As the eighth most abundant element by mass in the universe, it represents a significant portion of the world around us.
In modern life, we come across silicon in countless ways—from marveling at its sparkle in gemstones to using it as sealant in our homes. While we may not yet fully grasp its potential, the extraordinary properties of silicon suggest that it will play a key role in future technological advancements.
As Bill Gates once said, 'There will always be ignorance, and ignorance leads to fear. But with time, people will come to accept their silicon masters.'
10. Semiconductors and Microprocessors
Semiconductors have reshaped the modern world. Whether we're using an electronic device, surfing the web, or checking our smartphones, semiconductors play a crucial role in making them work. The device you're using to read this article likely has sophisticated semiconductors in its microprocessor and transistors, typically made from silicon.
Due to the atomic structure of silicon, pure silicon crystals are excellent electrical insulators, allowing only a small amount of current to flow. However, when small quantities of another element are introduced, silicon transforms from an insulator to a partial conductor of electricity—becoming a true 'semi-conductor.' This process is known as doping.
The simplest example of a semiconductor is a diode, a component in circuits that lets electricity flow in one direction while blocking it in the other. These are commonly used in devices like valves and radios. The semiconducting transistors in microprocessors are essentially more advanced versions of a three-way diode.
9. Plant Growth
Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust, with oxygen being the most abundant. Our soil naturally contains high amounts of silicon, which is absorbed by various broadleaf plants and grasses. While silicon is not essential for plant survival like phosphorus and nitrogen, it has been shown to provide various benefits to certain plants, though scientists are still trying to understand why.
Silicon is known to have a particularly positive impact when plants are under stress. Through absorption, plants enhance their ability to endure drought conditions and can survive longer periods without water before wilting.
In crops like rice and wheat, silicon strengthens the stems. Without it, the plants become weaker and may be more vulnerable to damage from the weather. In some instances, silicon has also been shown to help plants fight off fungal pathogens.
That said, silicon must be used in moderation. Excessive amounts can harm and impair the flowers of sunflowers and certain species of daisies.
8. Medical Silicone
In addition to pure silicon, there are numerous other silicon-based compounds. Beyond its natural form, silicon can take on a variety of different properties. In its original state, silicon is a hard and brittle material that resembles a metal. When combined with carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, the element can be transformed into the highly flexible material known as silicone rubber.
Known for its remarkable versatility and exceptional resistance to temperature and chemicals, silicone rubber has found a wide range of applications. Since the 1960s, it has become a go-to material for industries such as aerospace, electronics, and manufacturing. The medical field has also adopted silicone for various uses, including hearing aids, drainage tubes, and balloon catheters.
In addition to rubber, silicone has gained recognition as a medical tool, particularly in breast augmentation procedures. Silicone gel-filled implants are used to enhance breast shape and size.
Saline solution implants are an alternative, but silicone implants are less prone to deflation or wrinkling. Many reports also suggest that they offer a more natural feel. It's fascinating to think that a material designed for airplane seals also plays a significant role in cosmetic surgery.
7. Communicating with Extraterrestrials
When Apollo 11 landed on the Moon in July 1969, the astronauts left behind a US flag, a commemorative plaque, and a small silicon disk roughly the size of a fifty-cent coin. This disk was engraved with 73 personalized messages, each one from the leader of a different nation. The disk includes names like Richard Nixon, Pope Paul VI, Queen Elizabeth II, Haile Selassie I, and Pierre Trudeau, the father of Canada's current prime minister.
To fit on the tiny disk, the inscriptions had to be reduced by a factor of 200, making them almost invisible and smaller than the head of a pin. Also etched on the disk are the names of various historical US leaders and an inscription at the top reading, 'Goodwill messages from around the world brought to the Moon by the astronauts of Apollo 11.'
With temperatures on the Moon fluctuating between 121 degrees Celsius (250 °F) and -173 degrees Celsius (-280 °F), the material of the disk had to be durable enough to withstand these extreme conditions. The messages were inscribed on the disk using a technique similar to the one used to manufacture integrated circuits.
6. Silly Putty
During World War II, rubber became a rare and valuable resource. The material was critical for the Allied forces, used in the production of gas masks, boots, and truck tires. However, Japan's strategic invasion of Indonesia in 1942 completely cut off the Allies' access to their rubber supply. They had to act swiftly to avoid defeat.
In response, scientists were urgently tasked with developing a viable artificial substitute. During this search, American chemist Earl Warrick (who would later contribute to the creation of silicone rubber) accidentally discovered a strange substance by mixing silicone oil and boric acid. Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, engineer James Wright of General Electric made the same discovery independently.
However, their accidental creation wasn’t a suitable replacement for rubber. What they had produced was a non-Newtonian fluid. When subjected to a sudden force, the fluid behaves like a solid. When handled gently, it flows and oozes like a liquid. Similar behaviors can be seen in substances like custard, paint, and ketchup.
Although the novelty of the putty turned it into a massive success, neither Warrick nor Wright profited significantly from it. The production rights were purchased by businessman Peter Hodgson, who made millions, while Warrick, who held the patent for the invention, earned only a dollar.
5. Opals
Favored by numerous prominent historical figures, the radiant opal derives its mesmerizing brilliance from the oxygen-rich compound silica. These gemstones are created from minuscule, amorphous silica spheres compacted closely together.
These spheres possess a remarkable ability to refract light, a phenomenon known as 'opalescence,' which gives opals their distinctive, rainbow-like glow. The specific colors and wavelengths of light refracted depend on the internal structure of the silica.
Opals' captivating appearance has made them highly sought-after throughout history, earning them many influential admirers. Roman senator Nonius was exiled for refusing to sell a prized opal to Mark Antony. Queen Victoria and her daughters frequently wore opals, receiving much praise, and even gifted them to friends on their weddings.
At the close of the 19th century, Napoleon Bonaparte gifted his wife Josephine a stunning crimson opal named the 'Burning of Troy,' renowned for its deep, fiery hue.
Indeed, Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder praised opals as being superior to all other gemstones:
Within them resides a gentler flame than the ruby's, the radiant purple of the amethyst, and the sea green of the emerald—all merging harmoniously in an extraordinary display. Some match the hues of painters' palettes, while others mimic the intense glow of burning sulfur or fire fueled by oil.
4. Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army and quantum physics may seem like distant topics, yet they are united by a synthetic pigment called Han purple, an ancient dye composed of barium copper silicate.
While its usage began to decline around AD 220, Han purple gained prominence during the Zhou dynasty in China. Remnants of the pigment can still be found on the terracotta figures at the tomb of Qin Shi Huang.
At incredibly low temperatures, the silicon-based Han purple exhibits a rare and intriguing behavior. As noted by physicists from Stanford University, magnetic waves passing through the pigment lose one of their dimensions. Han purple effectively transforms three-dimensional space into a two-dimensional one. Some researchers believe that exploring this property could help advance the development of quantum computers.
How did an ancient Chinese dynasty come to discover such a scientifically advanced color? The prevailing theory is that they accidentally produced it as a by-product during glassmaking.
3. A Design For Life?
Silicon-based life: Is this a fantastical notion confined to the pages of science fiction, or could it become a viable reality?
Carbon is the foundation of all known life forms. Its properties make it an ideal building block for life on Earth: it's plentiful, crucial for a wide variety of complex molecules, and each carbon atom contains four electrons in its outer shell. These same properties apply to silicon.
However, there are important distinctions between the two elements. The molecular chains silicon forms are far less stable than those made by carbon, and the chemical interaction between silicon and oxygen suggests that the kind of respiration we are familiar with would be virtually impossible.
Because of the fundamental properties of silicon atoms, it's highly improbable that silicon-based life could thrive on Earth. Nevertheless, we shouldn't dismiss the possibility entirely. Could silicon-based creatures exist in some far-off corner of the universe? For now, the mystery remains.
2. The Roundest Object In The World
Located at the Australian Centre for Precision Optics in Sydney is the most perfectly spherical object on Earth. This sphere is manufactured with an extraordinary degree of accuracy. If scaled to the size of Earth, the difference between the highest peak and lowest valley would only be 14 meters (46 feet). The materials for this project alone cost an eye-popping one million euros, and it is composed entirely of pure silicon.
Engineers involved in the Avogadro Project crafted an exceptionally smooth sphere to assist in defining a fundamental unit of measurement. Since 1889, the kilogram has been represented by a small platinum-iridium cylinder stored securely in a vault beneath Paris. This object is formally referred to as the International Prototype Kilogram, affectionately known as 'Big K.'
However, for reasons that remain unclear to experts, the mass of Big K has fluctuated over the past 130 years, signaling the need for a more dependable replacement.
The silicon sphere was one of the proposed candidates to replace Big K. However, it was ultimately overlooked in favor of an alternative definition. Instead, on May 20, 2019, the kilogram was redefined by a highly advanced device called a watt balance.
1. Diatoms
Enclosed in a silicon-based outer shell, the term 'diatom' refers to a vast group of algae found in waters all around the world. These single-celled organisms have captured the interest of many researchers due to their remarkable biological makeup.
Each diatom is shielded by a unique cell wall known as a frustule, which is made of silica—the same material found in opals. These exquisitely crafted cases have earned diatoms the fitting title of 'jewels of the sea.'
The frustule is not a single continuous structure but consists of two overlapping halves—one larger (the epitheca) and one smaller (the hypotheca). When a diatom reproduces, these two halves separate, and the silica components regenerate new frustules by forming a second half-shell, typically smaller than the first.
As diatoms divide and reproduce, they gradually shrink in size, with some species shrinking by as much as 60 percent in just a few months. To avoid disappearing from over-shrinking, they produce growth spores that help them return to their original size.
