10 World-Changing Inventions from Government Funding

March 7, 2013

Goodyear Tires

The reason Goodyear’s tires last so long is due to a fibrous material (said to be five times stronger than steel) that was originally developed in partnership with NASA in the 1970s. NASA needed a lightweight, super-strong material for parachute shrouds to land objects softly on Mars. Goodyear expanded the technology and created a tire that was estimated to have a tread life 10,000 miles greater than those before it.

The reason Goodyear’s tires last so long is due to a fibrous material (said to be five times stronger than steel) that was originally developed in <a href="http://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2008/tech_benefits.html" target="_blank">partnership with NASA</a> i

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REUTERS/Carlos Barria

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