Conductive Concrete Offers Building Security

zdburke writes: "In a slightly different spin on the electromagnet-protected server room in Stephenson's Cryptonomicon, the folks at the National Research Council have developed concrete that conducts electricity, or 'percolates,' allowing it to serve as an electromagnetic shield. Current uses lean toward heated loading docks, non-freezing bridges, and grounding large-scale electrical equipment, but the counter-espionage idea is cool. The NYTimes has a brief story, and the folks at UN Omaha have some great pictures. It's not exactly new (it won a Popular Science prize in 1997) but it's still cool stuff."

Comments

A great big Faraday cage

[InterruptDescriptorT]

I'm not a huge expert in the realm of physics (dammit, Jim, I'm a computer scientist!), but is this anything like a massive Faraday cage, which would prevent electromagnetic waves for entering and exiting?

I shudder to think of the day when we will work in protective buildings like these, keeping company secdrets safe from Van Eck phreakers and war drivers, but also keeping out the mellow, smooth sounds of Office Light Jazz 94.7. :-)

Floating concrete structures?!?

[MonkeyBot]

So this stuff can conduct electricity, meaning it could generate a magnetic field, right? So you could theoretically generate a magnetic field to hold a concrete structure made from this stuff in the air. Does this mean that my goal of making a floating castle like all the bad guys in RPG video games have is finally within reach?

Concrete circuitry?

[indole]

How about drywall transistors and logic-gate carpets?

I wont be happy till my split-level serves pr0n.

Re:Slashdot writers have to learn how to write

[david duncan scott]

First day here, huh?