New Fiber Changes Color When It's Stretched

Tuesday, January 29, 2013 - 13:30 in Biology & Nature

Bastard Berry The bastard hogberry changes color when floating in water. Courtesy Peter VukusicInspired by the bastard hogberry Inspired by a tropical fruit, a team of materials scientists have created a new kind of fiber that changes color as it stretches. The multilayer fiber turns from reddish to blue as you put increasing strain on it. Researchers from Harvard University and the University of Exeter in the U.K. released their findings earlier this week in the journal Advanced Materials. This could pave the way for smart fabric that could change appearance in response to heat or pressure. By studying the fruit of Margaritaria nobilis, a South American tropical plant commonly known as the "bastard hogberry," scientists identified the structural origins of the seed's color, a bright blue. The vivid color of the bastard hogberry is designed to fool birds into eating (and spreading the seed) of the non-nutritious fruit, thinking...

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