Self-healing chips fix themselves

An anonymous reader writes: Researchers at the University of Illinois have devised a healing mechanism for chips that works in a fraction of a second. The group has created a circuit that heals itself when cracked thanks to the release of liquid metal which restores conductivity. The process takes less than an eye blink to bring the circuit back to use without the user even becoming aware. The researchers said that their work could eventually lead to longer-lasting gadgets as well as solving one of the big problems of interplanetary travel.
For those interested in the science behind the story, they've made the original paper free to read: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.201102888