The article by Sumio Iijima, Charles Brabec, Amitesh Maiti, and Jerzy Bernholc explores the structural flexibility of carbon nanotubes under mechanical stress. Using high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and atomistic simulations, they observed and quantitatively explained the formation of single and multiple kinks at high bending angles. The simulations, which use a realistic many-body potential for carbon atoms, show that the bending is fully reversible up to very large angles, despite the occurrence of kinks and highly strained regions. This flexibility is attributed to the robustness of the hexagonal network, which resists bond breaking and switching even under high strain. The study highlights the potential of carbon nanotubes for various applications, such as superstrong fibers and composites, due to their ability to maintain a pure graphitic lattice during growth or handling.The article by Sumio Iijima, Charles Brabec, Amitesh Maiti, and Jerzy Bernholc explores the structural flexibility of carbon nanotubes under mechanical stress. Using high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and atomistic simulations, they observed and quantitatively explained the formation of single and multiple kinks at high bending angles. The simulations, which use a realistic many-body potential for carbon atoms, show that the bending is fully reversible up to very large angles, despite the occurrence of kinks and highly strained regions. This flexibility is attributed to the robustness of the hexagonal network, which resists bond breaking and switching even under high strain. The study highlights the potential of carbon nanotubes for various applications, such as superstrong fibers and composites, due to their ability to maintain a pure graphitic lattice during growth or handling.