Although it’s already been available for quite awhile now, material scientist Afsaneh Rabiei has developed an improved version of “foam steel.” The concept behind this material is energy absorption and distribution. The key is to dissipate the kinetic energy of something impacting the material as much as possible. This material has a wide range of uses, from bullet-proof vests to padding in cars. One study shows that “by inserting two pieces of her composite metal foam behind the bumper of a car traveling 28 mph, the impact would feel the same to passengers as impact traveling at only 5 mph” (

Pretty nifty, huh? What else could this be used for?

Source: Gizmodo.com