NASA has developed a potentially game-changing antenna design called the Large Balloon Reflector (LBR). The idea for the LBR came to engineer Christopher Walker when he noticed a magnified reflection in warped plastic while making chocolate pudding. With funding from NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Walker was able to develop a 33-foot-diameter LBR that was carried to the stratosphere by a giant balloon. The LBR is revolutionary because it creates wide collection apertures that are much lighter than current deployable antennas. Walker credits NIAC for giving him the opportunity to pursue his radical idea.
https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/from-chocolate-pudding-to-new-antenna-design/