Lithium-ion batteries are notoriously inflexible, but a new study created one using hydrogels that can survive a surprising amount of punishment. Lithium-ion batteries are not known for their flexibility or rugged durability, and if you push these batteries too far, you end up with an explosive, toxic, and all-around chaotic mess. This wasn’t easy, as these are not the typical ingredients found in your run-of-the-mill lithium-ion battery. To take it even one step further, the researchers cut the battery completely in half, and after the battery self-healed, it retained up to 90 percent of its original capacity. If technology is the future, then flexible, self-healing batteries will likely be the energy source powering that future.