Silly Putty is usually regarded as a toy for children, which is exactly what it is marketed as. However, when combined with graphene, the kids’ toy suddenly starts exhibiting astonishing qualities. One of these includes becoming a potential sensor thanks to its acquired quality of being able to conduct electricity.
AMBER is a research center in Ireland hosted at Trinity College Dublin, and it’s where researchers managed to discover the rather exciting result related to silly putty and graphene. The research was led by Professor Jonathan Coleman from Trinity College and he collaborated with Professor Robert Young from the University of Manchester, Phys.org reports.
According to Prof. Coleman, this discovery has some staggering implications, especially when it comes to the use of an affordable material in the creation of medical hardware. This was evident when the researchers tried measuring blood pressure and breathing using the silly putty treated with graphene and it responded with astonishing sensitivity.
The scientists decided to call the resulting item “G-putty” and it is so sensitive that it can even measure tiny impacts that are generated by the movements of a spider. Prof. Coleman and his colleagues are particularly excited about what it can do in other fields such as fitness trackers or even weight loss.
“The electrical resistance of the G-putty was very sensitive to deformation with the resistance increasing sharply on even the slightest strain or impact,” Prof. Coleman explained. “Unusually, the resistance slowly returned close to its original value as the putty self-healed over time."
Even just basing its effects on the medical industry, the simple fact is that G-putty is more sensitive than some modern sensors by a factor of 500, Popular Science notes. This means that more accurate readings could be gained from a children’s toy costing a few bucks than expensive equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.


Norway’s Wealth Fund Backs Shareholder Push for Microsoft Human-Rights Risk Report
AI-Guided Drones Transform Ukraine’s Battlefield Strategy
Trump Administration to Secure Equity Stake in Pat Gelsinger’s XLight Startup
Taiwan Opposition Criticizes Plan to Block Chinese App Rednote Over Security Concerns
Baidu Cuts Jobs as AI Competition and Ad Revenue Slump Intensify
Firelight Launches as First XRP Staking Platform on Flare, Introduces DeFi Cover Feature
Apple Leads Singles’ Day Smartphone Sales as iPhone 17 Demand Surges
Wikipedia Pushes for AI Licensing Deals as Jimmy Wales Calls for Fair Compensation
Apple Alerts EU Regulators That Apple Ads and Maps Meet DMA Gatekeeper Thresholds
Sam Altman Reportedly Explored Funding for Rocket Venture in Potential Challenge to SpaceX
Australia Releases New National AI Plan, Opts for Existing Laws to Manage Risks
Amazon and Google Launch New Multicloud Networking Service to Boost High-Speed Cloud Connectivity
Australia Moves Forward With Teen Social Media Ban as Platforms Begin Lockouts
Intel Boosts Malaysia Operations with Additional RM860 Million Investment
Banks Consider $38 Billion Funding Boost for Oracle, Vantage, and OpenAI Expansion
Apple Appoints Amar Subramanya as New Vice President of AI Amid Push to Accelerate Innovation
Morgan Stanley Boosts Nvidia and Broadcom Targets as AI Demand Surges 



