Silly putty gets a bad rap as a virtually useless and impractical mound of goo that’s really only good for lifting comic strips and print off of newspapers.

But you’d be surprised at how often it’s been put to good use. In 1968, astronauts on the Apollo took it into to space to keep their tools from drifting off in zero gravity, physical therapists use it to rehabilitate hand injuries and crime scene investigators have used it to lift fingerprints.

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It’s most revolutionary use could be just around the corner, though. An Air Force cadet recently used it to develop a bulletproof goo that could someday dramatically alter body armor and how well it can stop bullets. YouTube channel TAOFLEDERMAUS put the rubbery substance, that’s made by combining boric acid with silicone oil, through its own rigorous testing to find out just how strong it really is.

They loaded up a shotgun with the substance, shot it at a target and were shocked to discover that it remained completely intact, despite all the stress. Looks like somebody stands to make boatloads of cash if and when they figure out how to market the stuff.

Published by rsarlat

Rick is a freelance writer based in Reading, Pa, one hour west of Philadelphia. He's covered hard news and sports for a variety of websites and print publications over the years, first cutting his teeth as a newshound for the Temple University student newspaper.