Mostly we think of matter as solid, liquid, gas or plasma.  And if we manufacture objects, or change the temperature etc. of matter it obviously changes shape.  So what is programmable matter?

What if you could fax someone a real, three-dimensional object? The solution might come in the form of programmable matter – a material that takes on predetermined shapes and can change its configuration on demand. We’re already seeing early prototypes coming from Carnegie Mellon and Intel in the form of “claytronics.” So what’s in store for this technology, and why should we be excited about it?

Let’s check out this new type of matter in the video on page 2

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