Toward tires that repair themselves
From the article: "For the first time, scientists have made tire-grade rubber without the processing step—vulcanization—that has been essential to inflatable tires since their invention. The resulting material heals itself and could potentially withstand the long-term pressures of driving."
When my Toyota hit 100k miles in the 90s, I started having one problem after the other, even though I did the maintenance. My current Mazda has 130k miles an no problems.
It seems like they've really come along way making automotive stuff more reliable.