Scientists have developed a new technique to destroy viruses using microscopic spikes embedded in plastic. The flexible acrylic film is covered in densely packed nanopillars, each about 60 nanometers apart, roughly a thousand times thinner than a human hair. These spikes can stretch the virus apart, generating enough force to destroy it. In lab tests against human parainfluenza virus type 3, 94 percent of viral particles were neutralized within an hour. The technology could potentially be used on any surface anywhere, including phone screens, hospital equipment, and public transit services.