Glued Up: The Sticky Story of Humanity

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Glues hold our world together – and have done since the dawn of civilisation.

Mark Miodownik explores how glues hold our world together – and how they have shaped our species since the dawn of civilisation.

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Glued Up: The Sticky Story of Humanity: Coming Unstuck

Coming Unstuck

BBC Radio 4 - Glued Up: The Sticky Story of Humanity, Coming Unstuck

Modern glues are incredibly strong - but are they too good?

Mark Miodownik explores why glues that don’t unstick are a problem, and how reversible adhesives will be key to a sustainable future.

In this series, materials scientist Mark Miodownik charts the journey of human progress through the sticky substances that have shaped us. 

In episode five he explores how the sticking power of modern glues – in everything from phones to furniture and planes to wind turbines – pose a problem, because they can’t be UNstuck. 

He hears how modern electronic devices contain more glue than ever before, making them harder to repair and more likely to end up in landfill. But new designs could make our tech more sustainable.

And he learns about research into reversible glues that can be turned off at the flick of a switch, and how they could change the way we make, fix and recycle our stuff.

Contributors:
Barny Greenland, University of Sussex
Liz Chamberlain, iFixit

Sound effects: scratching_rotten_wall by erpe, from Freesound

Producer: Anand Jagatia
Presenter: Mark Miodownik
Executive Producer: Sasha Feachem
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Glued Up: The Sticky Story of Humanity

Coming Unstuck

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