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

And in the chamber, the respiration and the metabolic properties of the surface sand material were measured and we added nutrients and measured the gases that were produced.

NPR: Revisiting the Viking Missions to Mars

This is a molecule or molecular combination that has different properties on different parts of its surface: in particular, one part prefers to dissolve in water whereas another part prefers oil.

ECONOMIST: To make engines cleaner, add H2O

We were originally supposed to see a " limited rollout" of Surface in 2007 at various Harrah's casino properties, which obviously didn't happen -- but despite the delays, Microsoft is apparently now feeling confident enough in the tech to let B- and C-list celebrities grope at it during the 2008 National Heads-Up Poker Championship Drawing Party at Caesar's Palace.

ENGADGET: Microsoft and Harrah's confuse B-list celebs with Surface

Malton, Old Malton and Norton are defended from the river but surface water and backed-up drains have flooded several properties in the area.

BBC: Road to Brawby

This involves shining light through a patterned mask and on to the surface of a chip, so as to change the chemical properties of the exposed parts of that chip.

ECONOMIST: Transistors: A tall story | The

Building what could be "an awful lot" of new properties in Feniton would, she said, add to the surface run-off into drains that were already struggling to cope.

BBC: Feniton flooding, November 2008

According to the government, current estimates show that one in six properties in Wales are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea and surface water.

BBC: Environment Committee, afternoon session

The reason why that's exciting, is one of the properties we'd like to have on a habitable planet is liquid water on the surface.

BBC: Tiniest extrasolar planet found