Question: Recently Graphene was discovered... Well, it is said that replacing Silicone in Computers with graphene will allow Computers to run up to 100 times faster. What I'm wondering is how exactly is that possible? What sort of process goes on in Graphene that is much better than Silicone? Is it some sort of super conductor?

Hannah Brotherton answered on 25 Jun 2013:

Hi 10kasjoha,
So the first computer (that could store information) was invented at my university (university of Manchester), graphene was found here in Manchester and one of our lecturers is Prof Brain cox 😀 So University of Manchester is pretty cool.

So what is different between graphene and silicon?

Graphene is completely new, as a conductor of electricity, it performs as well as copper. As a conductor of heat, it outperforms all other known materials.
It is almost completely transparent, yet so dense that not even helium, the smallest gas atom. It is not only the thinnest material in the worldbut also the strongest: a sheet of it stretched over a coffee cup could support the weight of a truck bearing down on a pencil point. – Its an amazing new material that outperforms everything.

How does it work?

Graphene, consists of just one layer of carbon atoms so electrons – subelectronic particles – move quickly through the thin substance. There is no resistance, so the electrons move through the material like they are invisible. So yes, it is a super conductor in a way. But the only problem with Graphene is that you can’t turn it off……so your computer will be on alll day and night :S (but they have sorted this out now :D)
In silicon, the electrons have resistance from the material and so don’t work as fast.

So in the brain – we have no resistance and that is why our electric currents are almost instant – that is why we can see things and hear things immediately.

Silicone is a semi-conductor, so it doesn’t work as fast as Graphene, but it still is pretty good. But this new super thin graphene could revolutionize everything we know. The scientists at the university think that graphene could create everything from super-strong aircraft to paper-thin and foldable touch screens, to graphene replacing glass – it is perfectly transparent – and improving plastic, and revolutionising everything from nanosurgery to homebuilding.

So everyone around the world is asking the question is Graphene going to replace silicon?
Soon it will, big companies like Samsung are helping scientists to work out how to bring Graphene into every product in the world. It will take a long time, but could you imagine a world where glass is made from Graphene – if this happened it would mean we could have computer screens on our windows 😀