Kickstart: A centennial splash

Something fishy is happening in Chicago.

I'm not speaking of politics, but literally about fish as Shedd Aquarium plans to invest $500 million in advance of its 100th anniversary in 2030. That work will include new exhibits and renovations of existing facilities to provide more opportunities for visitors to interact with the aquarium's residents.

Work to update Shedd's physical operations will begin later this year and be completed by 2026, the aquarium said in a news release. While executives didn't mention plastics specifically, acrylic is used extensively for underwater habitats to allow visitors to see the animals while keeping the animals safe. For instance, in 2019 Shedd used acrylic for a sea otter exhibit.

"New circulation pathways will significantly reduce the number of transitions between areas of the aquarium, allowing guests to have multiple options regarding where they can start their journey, and making navigation easier and more efficient for guests with strollers, wheelchairs and other mobility needs," Shedd said in the news release.

Could your next car be able to change colors on demand? At the CES 2022 trade show in Las Vegas last week, BMW AG showed its iX Flow concept, a car that — among a wealth of other high-tech capabilities — can change its body color from white to black and back on demand.

It was referred to as having "color-changing paint," but the technology is actually an electronic ink made by E Ink Holdings Inc., which embeds microcapsules with white and black pigments on a specialized film. E Ink is more typically used in electronics for tablets and e-books, but the same concept can be used on other surfaces, such as car body panels.

The E Ink Prism material used by BMW was developed for architecture and design.

BMW says the color change is about more than public relations hype. If you forget where you parked, the surface could switch between white and black quickly to help make the vehicle easier to spot. During hot weather, the car could be white to help reflect heat, and during cold days a black car could help absorb heat.

"E Ink's color-changing technology is technically amazing. Seeing it formed on our highly curved surfaces is absolutely unexpected and seemingly magical," said Stella Clarke, head of the project for the BMW iX Flow.

You can see a video from BMW and hear more from Clarke about the project here.

A pipe maker in Illinois has become a conduit to aid people fighting cancer and researchers looking into treating it.

Auburn, Ill.-based Springfield Plastics Inc.'s "Drain for the Cure" program has raised more than $500,000 for the Simmons Cancer Institute in nearby Springfield, Ill., with the bulk of donations coming from a very simple practice.

"We send a flyer and letter at the beginning of the campaign, then a postcard reminder, and people mail in checks. It's very heart-warming," SPI Vice President Jennifer Furkin told PN's Catherine Kavanaugh.

In addition to the Springfield program, one of SPI's customers, Dale Himstedt of D&H Drainage, organizes an effort called Grain for the Cure. He solicits grain donations from farmers. Himstedt collects the donated crops, then sells them with funds going to the cancer center.

You can find Cathy's story here for more about the program.