Who said silicon transistors are half-past dead and graphene is the alleged successor? I guess somebody likes silicon too much, and I’m not referring to lady power-ups, though that kind of silicon is going to be around for some more time, no doubt. Silicon transistors are on their way to be resurrected with the aid of new scientific breakthroughs.

A bunch of scientists have discovered a cool way to bring that sexy silicon back: it can now be made into bendy chips. We’ve seen that stiff silicon devices are pretty powerful and already reached their highest potential, but they might not be the best fit for some situations such as advanced medical sensors. A team of scientists from University of Illinois has worked out a way to stick 1.5 micron-thick layers of silicon onto rubbery plastic in a way that actually makes it stretchable.

It’s a cool idea, but do we actually see some practical applications for bendy silicon integrates? Well, stretchiness allows the material to be used in more places than simple "flexible" circuits. Think about it this way: once it's scaled up into real devices it could be used to make wearable computers, or to dot the exterior of aircraft with sensors. The Illinois team also predict it would be perfect for making sensors that wrap around the brain, making a powerful detector for seizures and other brain activity. I rekon a body-suit computer could prove useful.