GLOWING PLASTIC THAT STRETCHES

Finally, a major step towards flexible display screens has been made. UCLA has developed a stretchy sheet of plastic that glows blue when given an electric current. It is a combination of carbon nanotubes and polymer layers. The future possibilities for this kind of technology are endless. The first thing that comes to my mind is a super-portable, resilient computer screen. Imagine a newspaper that plays videos, and you get the idea. As smartphones become more and more capable, it might be convenient to keep an external monitor in your pocket. As you sip your morning coffee, you could pull out a folded-up sheet of plastic. Unfold it, plug it into your iPhone, and have the iPhone download the latest news stories to be displayed like an old-fashioned newspaper. Better yet, go to YouTube, and you have videos playing on a high-definition display. If touch-sensitivity was included, then you could fold the sheet in half for a makeshift laptop. The flexible screen would serve as keyboard and monitor, and the iPhone would do all the computing.

There are other exciting applications, too. Think about safety—construction workers and other people exposed to traffic dangers. Instead of vests that reflect light, they could wear ones that glow in the dark like neon signs. Traffic cones that glow, too. Clothes with computer displays would come in handy. Again, smartphones might be crucial. A jacket covered with the flexible screen could enable a user to access a smartphone without taking it out of its pocket. Connected to a smartphone, a [smart-jacket?] could show the time of day on its sleeve, like a watch. If the user wants to dial a number, then the sleeve shows a keypad. For self-expression or advertising purposes, the front and back of the jacket become personal billboards. The jacket might even be used for camouflage. Imagine wallpaper and curtains that, once wirelessly connected to your computer, can illuminate a room from all angles. What strange lighting effects that might produce! Selecting a picture or video instantly turns an entire wall into a panoramic vista. Interior design would be radically changed by walls that can change color and pattern at the press of a button. Do you have any ideas?