Scientists have accidentally developed rigid glass from a peptide and water. The glass material can self-heal if exposed to moisture.
I haven't broken the screen of an iPhone in almost a decade. Since then, Apple has introduced much stronger glass that can withstand accidental drops much better than 10-year-old iPhones. Even so, I still put a screen protector on my iPhone display because I'm afraid of accidents. But what if smartphones like the iPhone featured self-healing glass? Apple and other vendors are already developing such technologies, as we've seen in patent filings.
The scratches and dents disappear after moisture is applied. On the flip side, the absence of water is a problem for this new type of glass. If the glass dehydrates enough, it can crack because there's insufficient water to hold the peptide molecules together. As exciting as the discovery might be, this new type of glass can't be used directly in smartphones. At least, not for now. Manufacturing could be challenging, as the substance tends to form curves.
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