Sea cucumber inspires new polymer

Nice trick to have skin that goes hard when danger threatens, and turns soft and flexible in safe conditions.

A sea cucumber can do it, and now scientists have borrowed the secret to make a polymer that is hard when dry and soft when wet.

The next hope is to do the same thing with electricity instead of water, for applications like a vest that goes bulletproof when needed. Or perhaps there might be some other applications, like replacing the blue pill.

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