We like it when our clothing stretches, thus covering up our massively expanding stomachs. Hey, we can’t help it, cheeseburgers are good. In all seriousness, just the creation of stretchable fabric was something of a wearable technology miracle back in the ‘olden days.” Now scientists and researchers are adding to that original invention in a most peculiar manner. Read on and prepare to be so amazed that your cheeks magically change color.
Scientists at Harvard University have come up with a new stretchable fiber that somehow changes color when stretched. They managed to replicate what South America’s infamous Hogberry does in order to attract birds to gobble up its seeds, which is, you guessed it, changing its color. By identifying and replicating the structural elements responsible for the fruit’s color the scientists have managed to create a photonic fiber that changes from red to blue(and several other colors) when stretched.
The implications for this, from a consumer standpoint, are clear. Imagine a world in which you can buy one shirt in one color and get one shirt in many different colors instead! Why, the frugal and unwashed among us could get by on owning just one or two shirts, thus freeing up more money for pizza and video games. Oh yeah, it also has more practical implications, such as creating athletic wear that changes color to help doctor’s location muscle strain. We’ll let you know more when this intriguing new development bears, um, fruit.
