So maybe science is still working on fixing the big things like cancer and world hunger, but at least we can handle some of those small everyday nuisances now – like burning your tongue on something really hot. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin solved this annoyance with a dissolving tongue strip that provides instant pain relief.

The tongue strip, which is similar to those dissolving breath-freshening strips, contains benzocaine – a local anesthetic – and a therapeutic polymer that encourages healing. The team behind the invention is working on creating tastes for the strip and conducting human testing. They plan to create a stronger version to deal with more severe burns, which is a good thing for us because bloggers tend to drink way too much hot coffee.