Consider, if you will, this scenario: scientists searching for a flexible, stretchable material for wearable technology decide to use chewing gum—and it’s not even in the Twilight Zone.
Here’s how it went: one scientist chewed gum (brand unspecified) for 30 minutes; some other scientists washed the gum with ethanol. After letting it sit overnight (perhaps on a bedpost), they introduced it to a solution of carbon nanotubes to give the gum sensing capabilities. After testing the result, they learned what any bubble gum blower could guess, that the gum stuff was really flexible and elastic. How flexible is it? You can stretch this stuff 530 percent without sensor failure — lots better than fabric.
Don’t believe it? You can see it stretch on YouTube and read about on the American Chemical Society and Food World News websites. That about covers all the bases for chewing gum, techie or not. The downside is it tastes awful and doesn’t come with baseball cards or comics.