This metal in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged is almost a character in itself, with its unsurpassed strength and lightness. In the book Hank Rearden develops the new alloy through years of disciplined experimenting. I’ve always kept my eye out for the discovery of ‘miracle’ alloys, wondering if there would be a character like Rearden behind them. It looks like they may be coming now, with the first headlines made by Japanese researchers using computer models and quantum mechanics to find the perfect alloy.