Pass the earplugs

The University of Leeds has developed a way of making drumsticks that are
noisier and longer-lasting. A solid blend of polypropylene and polyethylene is
drawn through a metal die at a temperature below its melting point. This aligns
the molecules in long chains to produce drumsticks that bounce as stiffly as
hickory, but which can be struck harder because they are three times as strong
and yet last five times as long. Canadian company Tech-Triangle is to license
the British process for a new range of sticks.