Preserving plastic art

We tend to think of plastic as semi-permanent: Once in landfills, it can take eons to disintegrate. But modern artworks made of plastic, and seminal examples of design fashioned from the stuff, are falling apart at an alarming rate, reports Slate:

The casualty list is appalling: Antique plastic dolls at the National Museum of Denmark have begun to peel and flake; classic furniture at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London might as well have been left out in the sun for years; the first-ever plastic toothbrush, at the Smithsonian, is collapsing into a pile of crumbs; etc. A whole generation of irreplaceable items that are as representative of our culture as pottery or flintheads were of ancient ones are dying -- and many people charged with their care have no idea how to stop further damage.

We're losing the first-ever plastic toothbrush! (In fact, the issue is quite serious.)

(Image via Slate)