One particular material has been deemed a 'wonder', and has led scientists to argue for it's massive benefits in many facets of our lives.
New materials are often some of the most exciting discoveries, as they allow for revolutionary application within science, technology, and general daily life that make things better, cheaper, or often both at the same time.
Recent times have seen the most expensive ingredient in the world dubbed as the next step in GPS technology, but another 'wonder' material has drawn significant attention due to it's awe-inspiring properties.
Graphene is a nanomaterial that is just a single atom thick (around 0.345Nm) yet possesses strength over 200 times that of steel. It also conducts heat and electricity surprisingly well, and resists the corrosion that you'd typically expect from metallic materials.
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It has so much going on that it's hard not to get carried away with all of the countless possible applications, and many different industries are desperate to use it in their production.
As reported by the Independent, its possible use cases include phone screens, clothing, paint, and even in medical contexts such as brain surgery.
It's even been floated as a means of curing cancer, so you can understand why it's so popular.
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It has received justifiable concern from many who aren't convinced that it's safe for human consumption though, which is often the case with any new and untested material.
Thankfully though, studies led by Dr. Mark Miller at the University of Edinburgh have shown that it's safe to develop the 'wonder' material with no concerning short-term health effects on the human body.
Opening the study is the statement that: "Carefully controlled inhalation of a specific type of graphene - the world's thinnest, super strong and super flexible material - has no short-term adverse effects on long or cardiovascular function."
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The study in particular was concentrated on the water-compatible form of the material named 'graphene oxide', which handily binds with other molecules and is incredibly useful for biosensing, bioimaging, and drug delivery.
14 volunteers were recruited to carry out the study, in which they "breathed the material through a face mask for two hours while cycling in a purpose-designed mobile exposure chamber."
Researchers then measured the effects of this trial on lung function, blood pressure, blood clotting, and inflammation in the blood - and no adverse effects were shown across all considerations, marking it safe for consumption at least in the short term.
It is still unclear if there are any concerning side effects in the long term or as a result of long-term exposure, and there remained a "slight suggestion that inhalation of the material may influence the way blood clots," but it remains 'very small' and thus not an issue.