U.S. Route 36 extends for more than 200 miles through the midsection of Colorado. In the center of the state, it’s better known as the Denver-Boulder Turnpike, providing scenic views of the Flatirons to the northwest and downtown Denver to the southeast.
Given the potentially groundbreaking research underway at each end, a more appropriate moniker for the turnpike might be Head Trauma Highway.
At one end, University of Colorado-Boulder researchers are using Virtual Reality to study the body’s response to concussion.
At the other, 30 miles away, University of Colorado-Denver engineers are reinventing the helmet using a shock-absorbing, rubber-like substance known as liquid crystal elastomer (LCE).