Researchers from North Carolina State University have
created conductive wires that can be stretched up to eight times their original
length while still functioning. The wires can be used for everything from
headphones to phone chargers, and hold potential for use in electronic
textiles.
To make the wires, researchers start with a thin tube made
of an extremely elastic polymer and then fill the tube with a liquid metal
alloy of gallium and indium, which is an efficient conductor of electricity.