*Scottie picks up computer mouse and begins to talk into it*

"Hello computer."

Remember in Star Trek IV (one of the crappier sequels in my mind), when they need material to re-fit a storage bay to contain the humpback whales? It was supposedly 1986, and they needed a material strong enough to hold that many gallons of water but it didn't quite exist yet?

What was the magic material?

TRANSPARENT ALUMINUM!!!

Well it's been a pipedream for a long time now. We've kind of known how to create it for a little while but it was near impossible to sustain. From Wiki:

To create transparent aluminium, more power than is used by an entire city had to be focused into a dot with a diameter of less than one-twentieth the thickness of a human hair, and then could only maintain the transparent state for 40 femtoseconds.

Well by god, we've created it! Pretty effing sweet. The applications for this could be very groundbreaking.

"Stronger than glass, various military and commercial applications for this remarkable material are already being tested. What was once used in the science-fiction Star Trek movies, see-through aluminum is now something that - through test mixing with rubies, sapphires and more - is now being tried out in all kinds of ways to create transparency where strength is also required.

For now, it is used in static-free transparent aluminum wrapping for computer parts and other electronics. It is also being tested in otherwise-conventional see-through soda cans and military shielding for vehicles where windows once were. At over ten dollars per square inch, however, it is still not cheap enough for mainstream everyday use - but may be someday soon."

That is pretty awesome. Too bad it's still super expensive. What do you figure that soda can costs? lol

They also found a way to use bio compounds in plastics..... something they've been trying to do for a long time..... they just couldn't withstand the heat. I think they used the proteins from soybeans :/

I only have two words to say.

TRANSPARENT ALUMINUM!!!!!!!!!!!!

My mind is blown.

Great. Now I can't spike drinks/

that is AWESOME!

I would so like to see a transparent mountain dew can in the future. lol

ill be able to see how much soda is left is my can

and/or

find winning contest cans