This transparent strip is made
of one of the strongest materials on Earth.
And now we're going
to inject this into your body.
Humans have been using graphite
to draw since the Stone Age.
And now we mine it to keep
our batteries charged and machines lubed.
But graphene,
well, that's something new.
This material,
first seen in 2004,
is only one atom thick.
Found after peeling off
transparent tape from graphite,
the mineral stuck to the tape
was named graphene.
And it might be the first two-dimensional
substance ever discovered.
But don't be fooled by its size.
And powerful enough to repeal
most gases and liquids.
Discovering it has revolutionized battery and information technology.
But if graphene atoms
enter your bloodstream,
You can create graphene oxide
by oxidizing graphite.
And this nanoparticle,
graphene oxide,
can be used in medical treatments
since it breaks down in water fast.
Drugs injected into your system
could be delivered to their destinations
faster thanks to this cheap and readily available substance.
Studies in lab rats have shown that
graphene caused tumors to shrink.
Other tests showed that graphene
might even make your bones regenerate quicker.
But all this comes at a cost.
We'll come back to that.
Some false reports online state that
some COVID-19 vaccines
are 99% graphene oxide.
"These injections contain graphene."
But if that much graphene oxide
entered your bloodstream,
the consequences might be dire.
Remember,
our knowledge of graphene is limited.
So what do we know?
Well, studies in mice show that graphene can build up inside the lungs.
Graphene sheets only nanometers thick
would grow and collect,
causing fluids to build up inside your lungs.
You could drown on the inside without
even touching a drop of water.
Well, if you were injected with graphene,
a small amount could cross
the dreaded blood-brain barrier.
This roadblock in your nervous system
stops bacteria and viruses
from getting into your brain.
Now, if graphene enters your brain,
The jagged graphene nanoparticles
could pierce your blood cells
and completely disrupt their functions.
And if it damages your kidney cells,
proteins could leak into your urine.
This would make your eyes and ankles swell.
This condition,
known as nephrotic syndrome,
would also kill your appetite.
Well, you might have lost that already.
While graphene has quickly revolutionized the tech and medical industries,
we still don't know what this mineral
can do to us in the long run.
Is it a miracle of nature?
Or is it a killer in disguise?
I mean,
it wouldn't be the first time we tried
putting something potentially dangerous in our bodies in the name of science.
Like what if you drank snake venom?
Welll, sharpen your fangs because
that's a story for another WHAT IF.