While the threat of an EMP attack knocking out electronics and sending the world into an apocalyptic spiral seems far off, it's good to know that someone is working to protect us from it anyway. University of Nebraska engineers Christopher Tuan and Lim Nguyen have successfully created a cost-effective concrete mix that acts as a shield against "intense pulses of electromagnetic energy" and protects any electronic devices inside.
The EMP-proof concrete has actually been adapted from Tuan and Nguyen's previous -- and slightly more pedestrian -- breakthrough: self-warming concrete that can melt ice and snow with a safe, low-level electrical current. The pair was originally working on a way to build safer roads and bridges when they realized their new concrete could also block electromagnetic energy.
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