19 Sand-Inspired Innovations

Sand is one of Earth’s most soothing materials. There’s nothing quite like burying cold toes in warm beach sand or letting handfuls of the stuff slip through your fingers on a summer afternoon. We all created sand art as kids; it’s no wonder that sand has also inspired adult artists to create masterful works of art using this versatile art medium.

In the slideshow below, you’ll find a number of sand-inspired innovations. Some are lighthearted, like the flip flops that imprint love notes in the sand as you walk. Others are awe-inspiring, like exotic vacations to snowboard on the sand in the Sahara. Still others, like the discovery of water-preserving nanotechnology sand, have the potential to alter history.