There are certain scenarios, says Dr Lagace, where you might want to use a material because of its surface properties, but you might not want that property all the way through the material.

ECONOMIST: MONITOR

The moon is of great interest because of hints that it may have a huge ocean of water beneath its surface.

CNN: Galileo moves on to Europa

Auto Spies has an exclusive vid of the system in action, which on the surface isn't that exciting because, well, its mostly just footage of a car driving down the road.

ENGADGET: Mercedes' new S-Class rocks Distance Plus urban cruise control

Designer Yu-ri Lee's "Tripod Burner" is little more than a three-legged gas stove that supports the cooking surface of your choice, but because of its unique shape, makes the perfect companion for a small tailgating party or romantic picnic in the woods.

ENGADGET: Bonfire, the Tripod Burner: all the fun of a cookout with none of the work

The Microsoft Surface is poised to dominate the market because of its long-term strategy.

FORBES: Tablets Are So Last Year

However, because Mercury has virtually no tilt to its axis, there are actually parts of the surface that never see sunlight at all.

FORBES: NASA Has Discovered Water Ice On Mercury

This matters because the atoms on the surface of a material are generally more reactive than those at its centre.

ECONOMIST: Small wonders

Because it doesn't stir up the soil, it lets the land keep its stored carbon and even adds some, because those corn stalks on the surface gradually become part of the soil.

NPR: Iowa Farmers Look to Trap Carbon in Soil