Current nanotechnology too cool to ignore

For something a little different from our usual fare, the superhydrophobic spray-on coating illustrated in this YouTube video is too cool to ignore: Ross Nanotechnology’s NeverWet superhydrophobic spray-on coating. A white tennis shoe protected with their fabric coating remained spotless as heavy chocolate syrup poured on the shoe raced away. The video caption says consumer products will be available in early 2012, but the NeverWet web site seems focused on industrial partnerships for various applications, like anti-icing and anti-corrosion coatings. As someone too clumsy to avoid stains and too lazy to clean them, I could grow to like a fabric spray. Their anti-bacterial coatings could be especially useful in minimizing the spread of drug-resistant bacteria.
—James Lewis