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Blast-Proof Fabric Resists Multiple Explosions
An anonymous reader tips a Gizmodo story on a fabric whose properties are counterintuitive, to say the least of it. "Zetix is a fabric so strong it will resist multiple car bomb blasts without breaking. It absorbs and disperses the energy from explosions... it can be used in body armor, window covering, military tents, and hurricane defenses... [and] it can be used as medical sutures that won't damage body tissue. All of this is thanks to a property that apparently defies the laws of physics: helical-auxetics, objects that actually get fatter the more you stretch them. The concept makes my head want to explode, but when you see it in action it actually makes sense."
We should look at it for what it is. For one thing, this won't do anything for bullets (or swords). Another defensive tool, which is a great thing. Offense has been winning out way too much in the race.
With scissors I'd presume. Slow moving sharp edges should cut through this easily.
Hopefully bullets and shrapnel, being fast moving, won't.
If we leave people alone, we don't have to worry about bomb proof vests.
I see tremendous opportunity in a peaceful market for this product: paintball vests, snowboarding and motorcycling clothing, maybe even using it in some kind of car bumper to reduce damage or absorb impact, especially if it could expand sideways during a collision.
I'd also like a blanket so when my cat goes psycho and jumps on the bed, she's repelled with great force.
"All of this is thanks to a property that apparently defies the laws of physics"
These kind of statements are so frustrating to me...
"The slow blade penetrates the shield."
I really hate that saying. It makes it sound like physics is a religion, where scientists have decided "that's how things work, and that's that" - which is ridiculous. If something "defies" physics, then the laws of physics change to accommodate reality. That's how science works - it comes about based on observation.
Nothing can defy the laws of physics - because physics describes how things work.
Moo.
a few things your intellect hasn't realized yet:
1. menace comes from smart and ill-intentioned people as well as just dumb people
2. that tools of war are used by men engaging the defense from those with bad intentions just as much as it is used by those with bad intentions
thought experiment for you: a lunatic comes into town with a samurai sword and starts slashing people. reference recent news from omaha nnebraska if you think this scenario is not a constant danger throughout human existence
1. in society #1, the people calmly stand there, explaining to him, much in your line of thought, of the stupidity of what he is doing. shortly before their jugulars are slashed. the whole town is wiped out. also wiped out with them, is the philosophy of nonviolence
2. in society #2, as soon as the guy raises his sword, a common townsfolk raises his sword, and the only blood spilled is that of the lunatic. the philosophy of prudent use of arms survives
interestingly enough, the philosophy of nonviolence results in more bloodletting and death (scenario #1). paradoxical, but true
darwinistically speaking, nonviolence is a path to extinction. it sounds really nice, but in the reality of human nature and how human nature plays out, you must, UNFORTUNATELY (see, no warmongering here) have constant use of arms close by, to guard from those with bad intent. you will never stop the creation of people with bad intent in this world. if you respect free will, you respect that every once in awhile, someone somewhere will make a horrible choice, and you must guard against that. i suppose you could disallow free will. that's a certain path to nonviolence: a superfascist state. is that superior in your mind than a free but armed society?
peace in this world is not maintained by an absence of armament, peace in this world is maintained by a balance of armament, a constant tension, a potential that is released to restore the balance of peace when an imbalance in fair action occurs by bad intentioned individuals in public settings
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
In a world of slow-moving shield-fighters, the man with the lasgun is dead, along with anyone within a several-kilometer radius. Pseudo-atomic fusion detonations are bad that way.
Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
I was sorely tempted, I honestly was.
Also: Informative? I thought it was basic knowledge!
How many people can read hex if only you and dead people can read hex?
Society #3 has done a good job locking up the lunatics as well as policing the borders to make sure "insane" societies don't attack. Because weapons of mass destruction are difficult to get, the few insane individuals who aren't treated or locked up can do little damage. Rates of death from violent means far below that of natural causes, such as cancer, accidents, and heart disease. This allows the society to out compete the neighboring violet countries, due to extended lifespans, greater time for education, and the rule of law allowing for peaceful dispute mediation.
Looking around, it seems that more and more countries are moving in this direction. I haven't known anyone who died from violent assault, but I've known lots of people who have died of cancer. I know no one who regularly carries a weapon around. The unfortunate part is that this type of society seems to go a bit counter to human nature. Fortunately people are pretty flexible and continue to evolve at a surprisingly fast rate.