Science Docs from Natural History New Zealand NHN...

DVD available at:  http://www.longtailnet.com/1366 Mention the word plastic and most people think of cheap and mass produced, but not all plastics are like that. In fact some of them are so special that were prepared to stake our lives on them. Fantastic Plastic A Future Near You takes an in-depth look at how these simple synthetic materials are pushing back the boundaries of medical science, and enabling pioneers in dozens of different fields to explore new frontiers. Plastics are made by joining small molecules into long chains called polymers. They are designer materials - we can give them whatever characteristic we like - and we use them everywhere, to make cars, spacecraft, clothes, military armour, and even replacement body parts.