New Scientist - skiers get smart armour

New Scientist Breaking News - US and Canadian skiers get smart armour:

A futuristic flexible material that instantly hardens into armour upon impact will protect US and Canadian skiers from injury on the slalom runs at this year's Winter Olympics.

The lightweight bendable material, known as d3o, can be worn under normal ski clothing. It will provide protection for US and Canadian skiers taking part in slalom and giant slalom races in Turin, Italy.

Now this is awesome. I say this not as a skier but as a sometime practitioner of martial arts and someone looking for some new arm protection.

Under normal conditions the molecules within the material are weakly bound and can move past each with ease, making the material flexible. But the shock of sudden deformation causes the chemical bonds to strengthen and the moving molecules to lock, turning the material into a more solid, protective shield.

In laboratory testing, d3o-guards provided as much protection as most conventional protective materials, its makers claim.

I also think that Kevin should wear this all the time. Daily. Just as a matter of policy.