Researchers Developing Self-Destructing Gadgets and Chips

"This message will self-destruct in five seconds" — it's a scene straight out of Mission: Impossible that's now becoming reality

Researchers at the University of Illinois — in collaboration with Tufts University and Northwestern University — want your smartphones, among other devices, to essentially do just that. Maybe with less smoke, thoughIn a program called "Born to Die," University of Illinois engineering professor John A. Rogers is leading the development of "transient electronics."

The researchers involved have started off by designing a chip that dissolves when it hits water; eventually, the team wants your entire phone to become electronic compost. This advancement could also introduce new design paradigms for medical implants, environmental monitors and other consumer devices.