Whipping his racquet through the air like a cesta in jai alai, Rafael Nadal produces such tremendous topspin that the ball sometimes seems to catapult off the court, creating a shot as challenging to ...

Fibers twisted together to form string might not sound like bleeding-edge technology. But with string, or cordage, one can make bags, nets, rope and clothing. We use it to lace our shoes, floss our ...