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SimSimSalabim

SimSimSalabim

Molten Core Raider
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Taken from the comments of article the picture is from:

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/1...blade-of-grass
For its size, the block of material is "lighter" than air, but the solid as a whole is still denser because air permeates through it.

Your math is wrong. All we need is the basic equation D = MV. According to the article, one cubic centimeter of this gel weighs 0.16 milligrams, or 0.00016 grams, which equals a density of 0.00016 grams per cubic centimeter. 15?C air at sea level has a density of 0.001225 grams per cubic centimeter, which is 7.66 times denser. If this new gel was completely stiff and impermeable to air (leaving a vacuum in all the empty space within its structure), it WOULD float away like a balloon.

Don't misunderstand, the actual graphene the gel is made of is still denser than air, it's just spread out over such a large area that the overall density of the object is lower than that of air The density of the air that permeates the object is not included in the calculation. It's semantics, that's all. Understand now?
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If you're wondering about the applications of such an object:

The end result is an aerogel that weighs just 0.16 milligrams per cubic centimeter, and has truly superb elasticity and absorption. The graphene aerogel can recover completely after more than 90% compression, and absorb up to 900 times its own weight in oil, at a rate of 68.8 grams per second. With these two features combined, lead researcher Gao Chao hopes that the material might be used to mop up oil spills, squeezed to reclaim the oil, and then thrown back in the ocean to mop up more oil. Beyond filtration, graphene aerogel might be used as insulation - or, if it's as conductive as aerographite (which seems likely), graphene aerogel could enable the creation of lighter, higher-energy-density batteries.
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If you haven't heard of or read about Graphene before its worth reading about. Some would consider it the Next Big Thing in technology.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_2316114...ing-technology

Graphene is made of microscopically thin layers of carbon graphite. In this form, the carbon became ultra-strong, super-conductive and perfectly transparent. It's lighter, stronger, harder and more flexible than steel, in addition to being recyclable and cost-effective. An entire football field could be covered with a graphene sheet that weighs only a few grams, yet is impregnable to gasses and liquids. Not even one atom of helium can pass through!
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