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"Buckyballs" are the roundest and most symmetrical large molecule that is known. They are geodesic domes with the same essential symmetry -- C60 the third major form of pure carbon and graphite and diamond the other two. Buckyballs can come in any sizes and other atoms can often get trapped inside them. Chemists at Yale University, in fact, managed to trap helium and neon inside buckyballs and it was the first time chemists ever observed helium and neon inside a compound of any kind (232). Buckyballs can be manufactured as well to fit a certain size requirement (232).

In "Strong enough to stop a bullet," liquid crystals are the topic of discussion. They are in use everywhere in our daily life -- from color-changing pens, calculators, televisions, and bulletproof vests (238). Liquid crystals can make ultra strong synthetic fibers when the nematic molecules are lain parallel to one another. The best example of how this works is in the example Kevlar, a synthetic fiber used in the bulletproof vest (238). Kevlar is a synthetic polymer, like nylon or polyester and it gains strength by passing through a liquid crystal state when it is being manufactured (238).

In the "Chemistry in Action" about trans-forming fats, we learn that when oil is converted into a solid fat, some of the double bonds are converted to single bonds by adding hydrogen. This is the process known as hydrogenation and it is easier with cis double bonds and thus the remaining double bonds are chiefly in the trans configuration. Studies have shown that these trans fats because they are so unnatural can be very bad for our health and can lead to high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes (230). Because trans fats are now known to be detrimental to a person's health, manufacturers have been required since January 1, 2006 to label the trans fat content in food products (238).