A team of researchers has successfully created a molecular motor that spins when electricity passes through it, marking a significant step towards the development of working machines at the smallest possible scale. The motor is inspired by the ancient Archimedes' screw, a simple device used to move water uphill by rotating a spiral. The new motor takes a different approach, using a spiral-shaped molecule to transport electrons instead of water. The molecule, created by the research group of Prof. Michael Pittelkow at the University of Copenhagen, measures only a few millionths of a millimeter and can attach to gold surfaces through sulfur atoms. When an electrical voltage is applied, the molecule begins to rotate, and its direction can be reversed by changing the voltage's polarity. The motor's ability to rotate in a controllable direction is a significant achievement, as it demonstrates the first demonstration of a molecular motor driven by electrical current, firmly connected to two metal electrodes. The driving force behind the motor comes directly from electrons traveling through the spiral molecule, which transfer angular momentum to the molecular structure, producing rotation. The researchers also discovered that the rotating molecule conducts electricity much more efficiently than when stationary, with conductivity increasing by up to 100 times. This unexpected behavior was investigated using quantum mechanical simulations on the LiCCA supercomputer, which revealed a close relationship between the molecule's rotation and its ability to carry electrical current. The findings demonstrate that molecular motion can strongly influence how electricity flows through the machine, and the movement itself can consume electrical energy. The researchers believe that this new operating principle could contribute to the development of molecular electronic components and technologies involving spintronics, which uses properties of electrons beyond their electrical charge. The achievement is a significant step towards the development of molecular machines, which are widely seen as a promising next frontier in miniaturization. The researchers' work has the potential to revolutionize the field of molecular electronics and could lead to the creation of new technologies and devices.