Whenever I'm visiting a war zone, like lovely downtown Basra, sunny Beirut, or Christmas morning with my family, I often wonder if there isn't a better way to protect myself other than wearing my lucky Chewbacca underwear. Turns out a company named Auxetix has developed a composite fabric called Zetix that can withstand blasts from multiple car bombs. It could be used for body armor, weapon-proof tents, or even in medical applications as medical sutures that don't damage body tissue.
The fabric works on a principle called helical auxetics, which means that it's made of materials that are woven in such a way that they get fatter when stretched, not thinner. Helically wound fabrics can withstand several blasts without breaking and are much stronger than other materials in their class. That should get me through sitting next to Uncle Milton after he loads up on beans and broccoli.
Continue reading 'Blast-proof fabric protects from multiple explosions, rules your face' >
