"Revolutionary Shape-Shifting Plastic: A Flexible Future Ahead"
Researchers at the University of Chicago have developed a new type of plastic that can be shaped with heat and then locked in with rapid cooling, retaining its stiffness at room temperature. This material has the potential to revolutionize space travel by allowing astronauts to carry a single plastic that can be transformed into various tools as needed. It also has applications in resource-scarce environments like at sea or on the battlefield, as well as in soft robotics and plastics recycling.