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Virtually Non-Stick Gum Created

Posted by Zonk on from the does-it-taste-any-good dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A new polymer has been developed by Professor Terence Cosgrove that allows for a non-sticky gum. In testing the gum was removed by weather while the competitor's gum was not removed 4 out of 5 times. The BBC reports: 'The company now needs to get its polymer accepted as a food product by passing EU health and safety tests. It can then go on sale. Professor Cosgrove says he is hopeful that the gum will pass them, and says the product could be on the market as early as next year, either as a Revolymer product or through a partnership with one of the major chewing gum manufacturers.'"

32 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. Shame it's stuck to the FP by Kazzahdrane · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This was on /. yesterday, with the same BBC news link! Interesting story though.

    1. Re:Shame it's stuck to the FP by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      This was on /. yesterday

      Guess the story is not sticky enough, eh?

      -1 bad pun

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      Table-ized A.I.
    2. Re:Shame it's stuck to the FP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Gum, the only product that lets you find women with oral fixations and no smoker breath. It should be free of charge :)

    3. Re:Shame it's stuck to the FP by Kazzahdrane · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Seriously, Troll? I was pointing out a dupe, *and* I made a pun. And I even commented that I actually found the story interesting. That's Informative, Funny and Insightful right there, at the basic levels. Maybe not worth modding up, but modding DOWN?

      I guess I beat some people to FRIST POST and they had mod points to vent their anger with...

  2. Hopeful? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    When it comes to health & safety tests, I'd feel a little better about it if the developer was *confident* his product would pass.

    1. Re:Hopeful? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'd mod this funny. Last time I swallowed gum, it passed just fine.

  3. Kinda worthless for bubblegum alley by Nf1nk · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I thought of our lovely local landmark and its iconic walls of used gum. This would not be a good addition.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubblegum_Alley
    Its pretty gross but its also kind cool

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    I used to have a cool sig, back when I cared
  4. I invented such a thing once by Tablizer · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...I called it "Potato".

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    Table-ized A.I.
  5. One problem by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Then what the hell are we gonna stick in a girl's hair when we're bored in class? Now we'll hafta start dating them or something.

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    Table-ized A.I.
    1. Re:One problem by MadUndergrad · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hmm....something to get in a girl's hair....that's sticky, and hard to get out......nope, nothing coming to me.

    2. Re:One problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      nothing coming to me. Well there's your problem!
  6. Oh Noes by pipingguy · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is such a sad development for the indoctrination of new students. So much history used to exist for newcomers in the long-respected tradition of sticking gum to the underside of desks. "New World Order" indeed. Puck Yoy!

  7. No one will buy gum because it's non-stick by nysus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They will buy it because it tastes good. How many kids out there would would make a buying decision based on what's in the best interest of others. The costs of carelessly discarded gum are externalized and don't affect the chewer. So I don't see how this product will ever be successful.

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    ---Technology will liberate us if it doesn't enslave us first.

    1. Re:No one will buy gum because it's non-stick by catbutt · · Score: 2, Insightful

      In theory anyway, a city or school could outlaw sticky gum once the non-sticky kind is available. On the basis of it costing a lot of money to clean up the gum (or if they don't, gum all over sidewalks is ugly).

    2. Re:No one will buy gum because it's non-stick by Chris+Graham · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Maintaining a good general image is important to the gum manufacturers. They currently (at least in the UK) pay quite a bit of money to produce advertising for people to not leave gum stuck to things. It stops a public outcry against the companies, and stops the government producing legislation giving them property damage liability. The manufacturers who don't pick this new technology will receive bad PR (as their current stance would become untenable), and that would impact on any shops selling their gum. However, I could easily see new vendors starting to sell gum that was non-stick, if those vendors previously had not done so to protect their own establishments (e.g. cinemas).

    3. Re:No one will buy gum because it's non-stick by FinestLittleSpace · · Score: 2

      there is a lot of gum advertising in the UK

    4. Re:No one will buy gum because it's non-stick by jackbird · · Score: 3, Funny

      Maybe it'll be legal in Singapore.

    5. Re:No one will buy gum because it's non-stick by Dogtanian · · Score: 2, Funny

      I've never seen any of it. You evidently don't watch any commercial TV then; otherwise you must have seen the saturation ads for "Trident" gum (remember the ones that had Jamaican types yelling "mastication for the nation" until people complained that they were stereotypical, which were replaced with some twats tying themselves to factory gates and skydiving?).

      Either that or you don't actually live in the UK ;-)
      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
  8. Wouldn't it be better... by Zouden · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...to just make a gum that's safe to swallow?

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    "A week in the lab saves an hour in the library"
    1. Re:Wouldn't it be better... by sucker_muts · · Score: 2, Informative

      Wouldn't it be better to just make a gum that's safe to swallow?

      'Chewing gum consists of a fibre that can't be digested by our bodies, so, if it's swallowed, apart from the unpleasant texture, it will pass harmlessly through the body intact along with other waste.'
      http://www.raisingkids.co.uk/ask/EX07_PRE01.ASP

      I still find it strange that people think swallowing gum is bad for you or something. :-)

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      Dependency hell? => /bin/there/done/that
    2. Re:Wouldn't it be better... by Atario · · Score: 4, Informative

      Gum is safe to swallow.

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      "A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy." --Theodore Roosevelt
  9. If the gum is not sticking by pkvon · · Score: 2, Interesting

    While according to TFA its taste and texture is similiar to normal gum, if this gum is not sticking to surfaces as hard - will it still clean up all the plaque from your teeth? I mean if its not sticking to a wall, it might as well not stick to the dirt in between your teeth.

    1. Re:If the gum is not sticking by Gordonjcp · · Score: 4, Informative

      It doesn't remove bits stuck to your teeth particularly well anyway. The main way that it (supposedly) is good for your teeth is because chewing things makes your mouth produce saliva. This would normally soak into dry things (like for instance bread) so it doesn't stick in your throat or gullet on the way down. Because gum doesn't absorb moisture, this saliva just sloshes around in your mouth washing food particles away from your teeth and diluting sugary gunk and acids.

    2. Re:If the gum is not sticking by iNetRunner · · Score: 2, Informative

      Xylitol is a good-for-your-teeth-sugar. Apparently Americans haven't really started using it yet..

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      Store with salt
  10. In other news... by jez9999 · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... Singapore police begin strong lobbying to ban this dangerous substance from their streets.

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    == Jez ==
    Do you miss Firefox? Try Pale Moon.
  11. Given that it dissolves in water... by randomtimes · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Since it dissolves in water, won't chewing for a long time mean it'll slowly dissolve in your mouth and disappear? At least accidental ingestion shouldn't be a problem anymore.

  12. There are easier ways to get gum out by ravnous · · Score: 2, Funny

    Why don't you freeze it with an ice cube, and hit it with a hammer? Works for me when I get bubbly-gum in the old push-broom.

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    When does this happen in the movie?
  13. Good Luck... by conares · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...McGyver, the next time you need to repair the wings on a flying plane you wont be doing it with chewinggum

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    That, that really grinds my gears!
  14. Does gum lose flavor on bedpost overnight? by davidwr · · Score: 2, Funny
    Now we can answer the eternal question

    Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight? Answer: I don't know. It fell off.
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    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  15. Your Problem by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yes, of course I want to chew plastic, because it's not sticky.

    Just like smokers everywhere have switched from smoking burning cigarettes to chewing tobacco, because chewing means others aren't bothered by the smoke and butt litter.

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    make install -not war

  16. Another one? by Rhapsody+Scarlet · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm sure I remember a previous 'non-stick gum' that was invented years ago. As I recall, the only problem with that was a bitter taste, necessitating lashings of sugar to make it halfway palatable. Is this new gum in any way related?

  17. What about dental appliances? by drdanny_orig · · Score: 2, Insightful

    At first read, I thought they meant it wouldn't stick to dental work. Who cares about sidewalks and theater seats?

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    .nosig