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Nature 451, xiii (28 February 2008) | doi:10.1038/7182xiiia; Published online 27 February 2008

Making the paper: Douglas Hofmann

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Large, branched crystals make metallic glasses less brittle.

Despite what parents may tell their children, watching television is not always a waste of time. For Douglas Hofmann, it led to a graduate project helping to produce a new class of metal alloys that are more resistant than other types to fracture under stress.