An MIT researcher has developed a technique that provides a new way of manipulating heat, allowing it to be controlled much as light waves can be manipulated by lenses and mirrors.

 Silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) is a naturally formed material created during the development of the earth due to the ammonia-rich atmosphere, silicon-rich crust and high temperatures.Silicon nitride was first developed synthetically in 1859 by Deville and Wöhler, resulting in a patent filed in Germany.