Backpack to the Future

According to NewScientist, UPenn Professor Larry Rome has designed a new style of backpack that puts considerably less strain on your body. The strange-looking backpack, which is suspended on a frame by bungee cords, manages to keep your load at a constant height, making it much easier to run, jump or hike in. Amazingly, Rome claims the design was inspired by Asian merchants who "carry their wares using flexible bamboo poles." And while the backpack will definitely make life more comfortable for people in the military (the design allows people to comfortably carry 12 additional lbs. without feeling any strain), Rome also anticipates benefits for school children who wear down their bodies carrying heavy textbooks. Of course, that wear and tear is probably negligible when compared to the effects a bully can have on any kid caught outfitted with said bungee cord backpack. Click here to read more.