New method can pinpoint cracks in metal long before they cause catastrophes. When metallic components in airplanes, bridges and other structures crack, the results are often catastrophic. But researchers have found a way to reliably predict the vulnerabilities earlier than current tests. Researchers detail a new method for testing metals at a microscopic scale that allows them to rapidly inflict repetitive loads on materials while recording how ensuing damage evolves into cracks. Source 8i.