See Nail Polish That Could Help You Prevent Sexual Assault

Some undergraduate engineering students at North Carolina State University got together to create a new line of nail polish that changes colors when it comes into contact with potential date rape drugs.

If a woman is wearing the polish, all she has to do is dip her finger in her drink and stir it around.

If the drink is laced with drugs like Xanax, Rohypnol or GHB, the polish will immediately change color which is an immediate red flag.
The nail polish's developers, Tyler Confrey-Maloney, Stephen Gray, Ankesh Madan and Tasso Von Windheim, meet while studying the same Materials Science & Engineering major.

They further opened up on how this came about,
'All of us have been close to someone who has been through the terrible experience, and we began to focus on preventive solutions, especially those that could be integrated into products that women already use.
'And so the idea of creating a nail polish that detects date rape drugs was born.'
Still in the development stage, Undercover Colors is raising money through a donations page to refine its prototype.
'While date rape drugs are often used to facilitate sexual assault, very little science exists for their detection,' the team explained.

'Our goal is to invent technologies that empower women to protect themselves from this heinous and quietly pervasive crime.'
A recent Washington Post analysis showed more than 3,900 allegations of forcible sex offenses on college campuses nationwide in 2012, a statistic that rose 50 percent in three years.
Terri Lomax, North Carolina State's vice chancellor for research, innovation and economic development, said the Undercover Colors prototype is 'emblematic' of this epidemic.
'N.C. State prides itself on encouraging and supporting the efforts of student entrepreneurs to address real world problems,' she explained.
The team said that the University has been 'invaluable' in helping with the nail polish's development.
Throughout the process, they have used lab space through the College of Veterinary Medicine, which is one of the only locations in North Carolina where scientists can test DEA Schedule 3 and Schedule 1 d