Bullet-Proof Goo Created By US Air Force Cadet Is The Future Of Body Armor

The most popular bullet-proof body armor in use today is made of Kevlar, but one of its biggest drawbacks is its vulnerability to shattering. Defense personnel needed a new type of armor, one that could defend them no matter how many times they are shot. Enter Cadet 1st Class Hayley Weir and professor Ryan Burke who developed a type of goo that can stop a .44 magnum bullet.

The whole thing started as a project for a chemistry class in 2014, where Weir was tasked to create armor materials using Kevlar and a variety of other items, Business Insider reports. The cadet became quite taken with the idea and eventually teamed up with Burke, who was also interested in the concept of a more reliable material for creating body armor.

After experimenting with various materials and combinations for over a year, the duo finally came up with a goo that easily stopped a .44 magnum fired at close range. Considering that this high-caliber bullet can actually be used to hunt big game, their achievement naturally caught the attention of the higher-ups at the US Air Force.

What really makes the protective material so intriguing is the fact that the higher the impact force, the easier an object is to stop. As a result, top scientists in the military are now looking into ways to further improve the protective properties of the material so that it can stop projectiles with more penetrating power.

As new military inventions go, this is actually an example of an achievement that both sides of the equation can get behind. There are plenty of projects in the armed forces such as the laser weapons that the Navy is working on to remotely detonate missiles that are meant to protect rather than to harm, Futurism reports.