Without the calming power of rubber shock absorbers, travel by car or rail would not just be highly uncomfortable – the vehicles would quickly break up as a result of the vibrations in their assemblies and the impacts caused by uneven places in the road or track. Yet also below the car’s tires – on bridges – high-performance rubber cushions deaden the oscillations and vibrations caused by traffic or by the wind. Moreover, in areas where there is a high risk of earthquakes, such as Japan, California or southern Europe, whole skyscrapers and even nuclear power stations are built on elastic foundations, which absorb the worst of the impact in the event of an earthquake and thereby prevent the building from collapsing.