A material in Spanish World Cup star Pedri’s cleats could also repair your colon

When Spanish midfielder Pedri zips across the field this Sunday, microscopic pillars on the Nanostrike+ fabric of his Adidas Predator cleats will help him control the ball.  The microstructure technology—designed by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign mechanical engineering professor Bill King—uses a friction-engineered surface mesh to give World Cup players a constant level of grip in rain, shine, or mud.  When a player dribbles with low pressure, the cleats have a low grip level. But when a player strikes, it activates the microstructures’ grip, hitting the ball with increased force a...