Floor that we can eat?

Most people pay attention to the part of the mushroom we see (and sometimes even eat) that grows above the ground – but what about the latticework of tendrils that intertwine inside the dirt from which they grow?

 As it turns out, this malleable network can, per Philip Ross, “be used to form a super-strong, water-, mold- and fire-resistant building material. The dried mycelium can be grown and formed into just about any shape, and it has a remarkable consistency that makes it stronger, pound for pound, than concrete.”

Stools and chairs are just the start – stone-like arches and eventually whole buildings may be yet to come. Like bamboo, the speed of growth and workability of the material make it a great candidate for locally-grown architecture, particularly in fungi-friendly climates. The strength of concrete, but easier to create and lightweight to boot – we have not seen the last of mushroom-based building technologies.

Coconut Wood Composites

Traditionally, valuable tropical woods has been used to make furniture and floorings. The Coconut tree is known to have many uses, from its roots to tips (leaves), from culinary to non-culinary consumer products, industrial products and medicinal products. To many around the world, the coconut tree is considered the “Tree of Life”. Palm trees used to be cut down at the end of their coconut-bearing years and replaced with new coconut palms. Only in recent years did people started researching on the use of the palm tree after it matures.

Coconut Wood Composites quality is comparable with the tropical woods specifically in terms of durability, sturdiness, and versatility. Its hardness and effectiveness are even at par with other hardwood timber that are more popular in the market like mahogany or oak. It has minimal shrinkage, bowing, or bending properties. Dutch manufacturer Kokoshout derived the name Cocodots due to the natural patterns that the wood has.

Self-Healing Paint

Fixing scratches on cars and furniture may be cheap and easy to do yourself in the not-too-distant future. Together with partners in the USA and Switzerland, Case Western Reserve University have developed a polymer-based material that can heal itself when placed under ultraviolet light for less than a minute.

Nissan has applied this technology and produced iPhone cases as the world's first "self-healing" iPhone case. Stuart Rowan, Professor of Engineering at Case Western Reserve University will explain how it works in this video: