7 materials that sound like science fiction, but are real and in use right now:
1. Aerogel
97% air. Lightest solid material ever created. Used in Mars rovers. Looks like frozen smoke.
2. Metallic glass
Metal with the atomic structure of glass, no crystal grain boundaries. Harder than steel, more elastic than titanium. Used in phone glass and surgical tools.
3. Quantum dots
Nanocrystals that glow different colors based purely on their size, not their chemical composition. In your TV screen right now.
4. Graphene
One atom thick. 200x stronger than steel. Conducts electricity better than copper. Still being scaled up for mass production.
5. Self-healing polymers
Plastics that repair their own cracks when exposed to heat or UV light. In prototype aircraft skins and phone cases.
6. D3O
Flows like liquid, hardens on impact. Used in military helmets and phone cases. No rigid structure, until it needs to be rigid.
7. Transparent aluminium (ALON)
Literally transparent aluminum. Harder than glass, used in military aircraft windows and armor. First theorized in Star Trek. Then actually made.