It’s just such a nice little object. It’s reassuringly weighty while still light enough to carry everyday. It has one job: it ...

Now, in a recent study, researchers from Japan found a simple and low-cost way of tuning the reflectance spectra of pencil lead samples using plasma.

But, you certainly wouldn't want to suck on a "lead" pencil if it really had lead in it. In fact, lead pencils became extinct only in the early 20th century.

Lead grade: We considered only those pencils that were No. 2/HB grade or (for pencils without a listed lead grade) a similar color and hardness. Not every No. 2/HB pencil is created equal, ...