Official News page 6

REAL LIFE NEWS: WHY DOES THAT CYCLE HELMET STINK?

by Hazed

That cycle helmet is emitting a foul odor - why? Because it's warning you that it needs replacing, that's why.

This new idea comes to us courtesy of German scientists, and its not as bonkers as it sounds at first. The cheapest and lightest cycle helmet uses a foam-like substance which offers excellent protection against impacts, but it's like Fed's life insurance - it only works once. If the helmet is damaged in an accident, or by being dropped, it won't offer nearly as much protection in a future accident, and it therefore should be replaced.

But how do you know whether any impact the helmet sustained was enough to stop it from doing its job? A light, glancing blow won't have that effect, but how heavy does it have to be?

So German scientists have come up with the answer: embedding tiny pockets of what they call "odiferous oil" in the structure of the cycle helmet. If it sustains a bump heavy enough to damage the foam, the cells will rupture and the stinky oil will be released.

Minor cracks just cause a slightly unpleasant whiff, but large cracks really cause a stink.

Christof Koplin, one of the scientists behind this invention, believes that this smelly hat technology could also be used in industrial hard hats, motorbike helmets, pressure hoses and many other applications where an early warning of material deterioration would be useful.

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