Don't have a link for it or anything, but some people at... I think Washington University (i.e. the state) made micro-engines which generated electricity from heat. They are some number of nanometers thick and about a millimeter or two on a side, and they expand from heat transfering to a liquid in their center and then contract as that heat is dissipated very quickly (only by small amount, after all, these things are small, and appear mostly flat, so this isn't much liquid...) and the energy from the moving membrane generates heat. I forget the specifics off the top of my head... maybe someone could do a search and find something else out about it, I just threw away the hardcopy I had of the article a couple hours ago.
Also in Japan some guys figured out a complex math formula they have a computer chugging away at to design new alloys. Up till now alloys have been mostly buy just guessing "maybe if I throw some of this in with some of this and a pinch of that and heat it to so much and cool it like that and maybe sprinkle some of this it will do something useful?" But now, with this formula they have begun making alloys with properties that verge on the magical. I, personally, think they should make some kickass swords, now, but allas, they are gonna focus on making alloys for use in the space program instead.