O'Reilly Network: Quantum Dots and Programmable Matter

Sounds pretty amazing, if they can find a way to make it work. I think I saw something awhile back very similar to this where a substance would be liquid under normal conditions and turn to a solid when an electric current was applied. Forgot what it's application was, something to do with automobiles... Here it is - phase-changing substances and the application was shock absorbers.

The 2001 Wired article Ultimate Alchemy is very interesting as well.