Scientists in the University of Maryland have devised a new chemical they say can make wood stronger than steel. The chemical cocktail cooked up by Maryland University’s Liangbing Hu and his team densifies the wood to make it up to a dozen times stronger so that it can stop bullets, be used in the manufacturing of cars and airplanes, and even be used in construction, according to The Sun. The scientists believe the compound is a breakthrough in the search for a durable, renewable material that is cheaper than metal (watch, runtime 2:27).

Tags: