Transparent aluminium is 'new state of matter'
physorg.com
physorg.com
Short version: if you hit a very few atoms with an obscene amount of energy, you blow some electrons out of their proper orbitals...and everything returns to normal the instant you turn the laser off.
The aluminum is only transparent in the deep UV, and only transparent for as long as you keeping dumping insane amounts of energy into it.
Big woop.
This is a typical example of scientists becoming masters of the grandiose press release to hype something trivial into an attempt to get more grant money.
The complaints about scientists and journalists overhyping their work to get funding, remind me of the accusations that tv networks and producers exploit sex and violence to boost ratings. The real problem here is that people like sex and violence and overhyped scientific results
If you approach politicians and funding agencies with an honest balanced view as to the real motivations and likely value of proposed scientific projects, you will get kicked aside for someone who promises "star trek materials".
This turned the aluminium nearly invisible to extreme ultraviolet radiation.
From a few years ago:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_oxynitride
And: http://www.scifitv.com.au/Content/Blog/Pictures/Transparent_...
How did they decide whether something is transparent, or not in that kind of time / space limit?