The brilliance of bridges and roads that repair themselves | Mark Miodownik

The podcast explores the concept of "animate matter" and its potential to revolutionize how we create and maintain infrastructure. Materials scientist Mark Miodownik envisions a future where materials can self-repair, self-recycle, and even self-grow, drawing inspiration from nature's ability to heal and adapt. He details examples such as self-repairing roads using embedded nanoparticles and magnetic fields, self-repairing concrete with microorganisms that produce calcite, and self-disassembling plastics for reforestation. While the technical aspects are largely achievable, the primary hurdle lies in shifting from a consumerist economic model to one that values and cares for materials, accounting for the costs of pollution and global warming. Ultimately, Miodownik imagines a future where our role shifts from constant repair to that of a "gardener," tending to a self-maintaining world.