Wanna Be Superman? Scientists Say It’s Closer Than You Think

A lot of us dream of being Superman, or in my case, Wonder Woman. And, I’m not just saying that because she has big boobs and a 14-inch waist, no, there is just something ultimately cool about being so strong you can beat all the odds.

Thanks to a new scientific breakthrough, we can all start deflecting bullets very soon. Researchers at the University of South Carolina (Go Gamecocks!) have found a way to transform an ordinary cotton t-shirt in body armor that can stop a speeding bullet. The secret in this discovery lies in boron carbide, which is the same material used in the military, but with a new twist. This new synthesized boron carbide is very different from the boron carbide typically used today.

This new fiber is stronger, more elastic, more lightweight and more flexible. Scientists even think this same material could be used in cars and airplanes. In addition to stopping speeding bullets, your newly treated body armor t-shirt will also block ultraviolet rays and dangerous neutrons. If you are a super-geek and need more super-geek details including a magnified look at this material, you can go here. For all the rest of us, all I can say is our Superhero fantasies are about to come true. Now I want a cape.

[via ecouterre]