Excerpt from Karen Bofinger's cover story, Emotionally Yours.

"Tara Mullaney from the US has ascribed to everyday objects response patterns that are virtually alive: A cup with a thermochip and mini motor starts shivering like a human when the tea in it gets cold. Spines from nickel-titanium rise on a pan handle when it becomes too hot to be touched: The object warns its user with a gesture."