Part of Japan's ability to grab the technology spotlight so often is the country's ability to showcase new breakthroughs in interesting ways. The latest Japanese milestone via gimmick comes from professor Masayuki Nakao of the University of Tokyo who recently unveiled the first microscopic ramen bowl created using carbon nanotubes--the bowl has a diameter of just 1/25,000 of an inch.

And, as if that weren’t enough, Nakao even went so far as to include tiny nano-noodles inside the bowl to lend the demonstration a little extra zing. Although ramen remains the main fuel powering a nation of diligent salarymen, don't expect to be able to pick up nano-noodles from the store anytime soon. But you are allowed to be terrified of the prospects that one day a tiny robot may in fact be eating some sort of nano-fuel/food from just such a bowl.

Via Observer

Salaryman photo courtesy EverJean on Flickr