Fast-tracked treatmentsWe think a cancer drug could beat yet another disease. >
Building our homeWe think one of the trendiest colleges should have the hippest new hangout. >
A smoother ride.We think a shifty substance can patch potholes. >
Urban revivalWe think great research can help grow our city. >
Natural lessonsWe think tiny creatures can teach us flight—and more. >
Critical care, anywhereWe think patients needn’t wait to get to the hospital for help. >
Whole-body well-beingWe think brighter smiles mean stronger joints. >
Safer seasWe think our law classrooms can create calmer waters. >
Education abroadWe think global business is best understood beyond our borders. >
A new hubWe think a center space will enhance our community. >
What’s nextWe think about what our new students will achieve. >
A smoother rideWe think a shifty substance can patch potholes.
Potholes: the road warrior’s worst enemy. A nice, even avenue suddenly opens to an abyss, sucking a car’s tires into it. Whether the result is a bumpy ride or a broken axle, the dips and divots always annoy—and cost loads to repair.
Rather than curse these road chasms, Case Western Reserve students invented a new solution that has the potential to turn the hot and smelly work of pothole patching into an effort as easy as stuffing a pillow.
The students pour a secret recipe into a waterproof bag and place it in a pothole. The material behaves like a liquid until pressure’s applied, then hardens.
Their project-turned-product, Hole Patch, has won design contests, more than $40,000 in grant and prize money and the interest of investors around the world. The student inventors hope to see the solution smoothing city streets before the end of 2013.
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