Microwaved Potholes:
 (SFX: city jackhammers. . . ) 
     A BIG CITY REPAIRS UP TO 100,000 POTHOLES EVERY YEAR SO WHY ARE OUR
ROADS STILL FILLED WITH THESE NUISANCES?  ACCORDING TO TIM BIGELOW, A
PHYSICIST AT OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABS, IT'S BECAUSE THE REPAIR PROCESS ISN'T AS
GOOD AS IT COULD BE. A CITY FIXES A ROAD BY SQUASHING HOT, MELTED ASPHALT
INTO A COLD POTHOLE. THE ASPHALT NEVER REALLY BONDS TO THE REST OF THE
ROAD AND CAN EASILY CHIP OUT AGAIN.  WHICH MEANS THAT ONCE A POTHOLE
ALWAYS A POTHOLE -- UNTIL NOW. BIGELOW THINKS HE HAS A WAY TO GET RID OF
POTHOLES FOR GOOD.  HE WANTS TO USE MICROWAVES TO HEAT THE HOLE ITSELF
BEFORE PATCHING IT.  THAT WAY THE NEW AND OLD ASPHALT WILL MELT TOGETHER
TO FORM A STRONG, SEAMLESS JOINT.  THE REPAIRED ROAD WOULD BE
INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM A BRAND NEW HIGHWAY.  AND THE CHIP PROBLEM IS
SOLVED.

     Bigelow: "the advantage that microwaves have is that the wave penetrates through a
material some distance so that the heating can be throughout the volume, instead of just on the
surface."

     MICROWAVES ARE MADE UP OF ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS THAT RAPIDLY
CHANGE DIRECTION. WHEN THESE WAVES HIT A MOLECULE, THE MOLECULE TWISTS
AND TURNS TO TRY TO LINE UP WITH THE SHIFTING FIELDS. AS IT ROTATES, IT
COLLIDES WITH ITS NEIGHBORS, CREATING HEAT.  IT'S THIS HEAT THAT  WARMS UP
YOUR FOOD 

(sfx: microwave sounds) 

-- OR, IN THIS CASE, A DAMAGED ROAD.

     Bigelow: "In some instances, like fixing a crack for instance, there isn't any new material
needed.  You're just heating what's there and compacting it back down with a lot of pressure and
reforming the material like it was when it was new."

BIGELOW BELIEVES THE IMPROVED BOND BETWEEN NEW AND OLD MEANS HIS
MICROWAVE REPAIRS WILL LAST MUCH LONGER THAN CURRENT TECHNIQUES. WHICH
TRANSLATES INTO A MUCH SMOOTHER DRIVE.