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People who still rely on public laundromats live in terror of bleach. If one person spills their bleach over a counter, or overloads the machine, an entire wardrobe is wiped out. But someday clothing could be entirely bleach-resistant. It won't be dyed with pigments. It will be dyed with viruses. More »
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Researchers have long known the incredible properties of silk spun by spiders — incredibly strong, but elastic. Now a textile expert has woven the first cloth made entirely of spider silk. The catch? It took one million spiders to make. More »
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In a move to gain street cred for his characters, Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov did away with the kooky superhero outfits from Mark Millar's original graphic novel. Yet he chose to include a totally bizarre plot device, the loom of life. In a new batch of Wanted pictures, you can see both Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) and Sloan (Morgan Freeman) messing about with one of these magic looms, which determine the fate of everyone. I'm going to have to call shenanigans because I, personally, believe that a man dressed up in shiny long johns is way more plausible than a fabric-of-life loom. Click through for loom-related spoilers, and more Wanted pictures. More »
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Rayon and polyester better step aside. There's a new synthetic fabric in town, and it's softer, lighter, and more flexible than any of its predecessors. Designers Yvonne Laurysen and Erik Mantel collaborated to create furore, a porous material reminiscent of expanded metal. It comes long and bushy or short and smooth, and can be dyed a variety of different colors. What does this mean for the future of fashion? For one thing, it means you can now dress like a furry alien mermaid without having to hunt down, kill, and skin a furry alien mermaid. More »
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