Wire rope is known for its strength, fiber for its flexibility. Wire resists deformation, fiber bends as needed. No one has managed to combine both characteristics in an "ultimate rope". 2 teams will see which type of rope can come closer to the ideal. On the fiber side: engineers who have developed materials for use in space. On the wire side: a group whose company has made a 0.009 millimeter diameter wire rope, one of the world's thinnest. Will a stainless steel wire rope best approximate the "ultimate", or will fiber win?
