05/05/2026
Hot pants for cold conditions: Winter sports athletes know warm muscles mean better performance, but it can be a challenge to hold onto heat in cold environments. That’s why Deidre Hackman, a master’s student in human ecology, designed light-weight long johns that use heat-conductive ink rather than wires to keep leg muscles warm — all powered by a small portable battery. “Once you present it to the athletes, they go, ‘OMG, how did I live without it,’” says Deidre. “They find they can train a little bit longer and harder.”
