Graphene, the pure carbon material that's just one atom thick and nearly transparent when laid out in sheets, manages to be roughly 200 times stronger than steel, even though it's 60,000 times thinner than Saran Wrap.

Graphene is also an excellent conductor of energy, can be synthesized from unique carbon sources — anything from pencil lead to Girl Scout cookies — and it has thousands of possible applications.

How is it possible for one material to have so many ideal characteristics? When you search "graphene" on the web, the most common picture you'll see is a molecular lattice that resembles a honeycomb, or chicken wire. In reality, this depiction of graphene is perhaps the best way to understand its incredible properties: The structure is remarkably strong and efficient — even self-repairing — but it is essentially two-dimensional. As such, graphene is the most chemically reactive form of carbon, which also makes the material highly conductive and flexible, as well as strong.