"A polyester reinforcement at the core with probably a polythene layer around that, " Garvey said.

CNN: Where to store wind-powered energy? Under water!

In the process of manufacturing the pill, a middle layer is formed on the border between the coating and the inner core.

FORBES: Fight Over $6 Billion Drug Begins

Red giants are created when a star exhausts its supply of hydrogen at its core, with the result that the inner layer contracts and the outer layers expand, forming a redder and much larger star.

ECONOMIST: Is it time for a new approach to finding extraterrestrials?

The outer layer, or cladding, is plain silica, while the core is doped with germanium.

ECONOMIST: New-age crystals

Core to that tale of two hackers is a layer of the Web that acts as a digital directory assistance, the Domain Name System.

FORBES: Magazine Article