Morphing Plastics..

Researchers at Arizona State University have discover a way to build plastic material that can heals itself.

This material called shape memory polymer that contains a fiber-optic or in other word nervous system. Lab testing has proven that it can restore up to 96% of an object''s original strength.

Here’s how it works:

The fiber-optic network inside the plastic transmits infrared light from a one-watt laser; this highlights any loss of light due to cracks in the plastic. The surrounding plastic then absorbs the lost light, heating the material and making it 11 times tougher. In turn, that prevents the crack from spreading, the report said.

This article from PC Magazine January 2011 and summaries by An3p's Studio.. :P