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    Plastic, Heal Thyself

    July 11, 2012

    Scratches, dents and dings could be things of the past if futuristic science has anything to say about it. Indeed, a recent episode of Bytesize Science explores materials that mimic the human skin's ability to heal scratches and cuts. According to Nancy Sottos, Ph.D., professor of engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, there are so many cool applications for this technology.

    Scratches, dents and dings could be things of the past if futuristic science has anything to say about it. Indeed, a recent episode of Bytesize Science explores materials that mimic the human skin's ability to heal scratches and cuts. According to Nancy Sottos, Ph.D., professor of engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, there are so many cool applications for this technology.

    Inspired by human skin, the plastics repair themselves by "bleeding" healing agents when they are cut or scratched. This research offers the promise of cell phones, laptops, cars, and other products with self-repairing, longer-lasting surfaces. 

    While it seems my prayers have been answered in the form of scratch-forgiving cellphone screens, the likely first products to come out will be self-healing paints and coatings, according to Sottos.

    Check out the video for yourself.

    Traci Purdum
    Senior Digital Editor

    On the social media front, be sure to check out my page.

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