In late 2009, scientists at the University of Texas in Austin, USA, conducted an experiment to melt a tiny particle of gold on the end of a crystalline rod of germanium placed inside a test tube only one thousandth of the width of a human hair. Carefully observed using an electron microscope, the scientists heated the test tube, made from a thin shell of carbon, until the gold melted and adhered to the test tube and rod. A very simple experiment, but one completed in a test tube smaller than any other created. These experiments are important in determining the properties of nano-scale materials that will ultimately lead to the development of new technologies for engineering materials.