Researchers Unveil Technology Allowing a Plane to Heal Itself in Mid-FlightBy Cassius Methyl A team of scientists from the University of Bristol has quietly developed the technology over the last few years. Now, the leader of this team says self-healing technology should hit consumer markets in the very near future. Examples cited included self-healing nail polish and self-repairing cracked phone screens. The Independent described the technology: The teams ingenious solution started on the back of an envelope but has since developed into useable technology. It involves adding tiny, hollow microspheres to the carbon material so small that they look like a powder to the human eye which break on impact, releasing a liquid healing agent. The agent seeps into the cracks left by the damage before coming into contact with a catalyst, triggering a rapid chemical reaction which causes it to harden. We took inspiration from the human body, said head of the team, Professor Wass. Weve not evolved to withstand any damage if we were like that wed have a skin as thick as a rhinoceros but if we do get damaged, we bleed, and it scabs and heals. We just put that same sort of function into a synthetic material: lets have something that can heal itself. Tests have determined that the hardened material is just as stable as the original, so planes will be able to heal themselves in mid-flight and be as functional as they were before being damaged. It seems like this technology is being developed relatively quickly and is yet another technological advancement that will come to fruition in the next five years. It has the potential to completely change the world we live in. Consumers will undoubtedly benefit from prolonged utility of things like cell phones and cars thanks to self-healing tech. Air travel will become ever safer. However, thisnew technology also raises questions regarding the rapid growth of autonomous machinery, computers and drones. Do we really want armed, autonomous drones flying around with the ability to repair themselves? What if the artificially intelligent machines decided to stop listening to us one day, as Tesla CEO Elon Musk has warned about? Thats a question that should be answered before these what ifs become reality. Cassius Methyl writes for TheAntiMedia.org, where this article first appeared. Tune in! The Anti-Media radio show airs Monday through Friday @ 11pm Eastern/8pm Pacific. 