Amazing New Invention: A Nail Polish That Detects Date Rape Drugs
An undergraduate team at North Carolina State University might have just revolutionized your make-up drawer. The four students are working to develop a nail polish that changes color if it comes into contact with date rape drugs Rohypnol and GHB. That means that women who wear the new polish—dubbed Undercover Colors—could determine whether their drink has had an unwelcome ingredient added just by dipping in a finger.
“In the U.S.,18% of women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime,” the team wrote on their Facebook page. “They are our daughters, they are our girlfriends, and they are our friends. Our goal is to invent technologies that empower women to protect themselves from this heinous and quietly pervasive crime.”
“In effect, we want to shift the fear from the victims to the perpetrators,” they continued, “[to become] the first fashion company empowering women to prevent sexual assault.”
Three cheers to that. The team behind Undercover Colors—Ankesh Madan, Stephan Gray, Tasso Von Windheim, and Tyler Confrey-Maloney—just raised $100,000 from one investor after appearing at the K50 Startup Showcase, the Triangle Business Journal reports. They’re looking for more funding to refine the current prototype. We hope they get it: Their invention is an amazingly simple concept that could do so much to empower and protect women.
(Image via Facebook)
