Existing ultracapacitors get their extra surface area by using electrodes coated with carbon and etched to produce holes, rather like a sponge.

ECONOMIST: Electricity storage

If the antibody method is being used, the tester deposits a droplet of sample fluid that has been seeded with magnetic particles coated with the appropriate antibodies onto the chip's surface.

ECONOMIST: Labs on a chip

In an effort to mimic the soft exterior of a real bed, Mr. Fischer coated one of the bed sculptures with white paint but then interrupted the smooth surface by pouring a pile of real concrete over it, weighing down one side of the sculpture's surface.

WSJ: Urs Fischer's Beds & Problem Paintings Show in Beverly Hills