# Transparent Aluminum, baby! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 20, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134 "2005-10-20T20:17:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/1 "2005-10-20T20:17:25Z")
[It’s here! (Almost. Still being tested.)](http://www.livescience.com/technology/051018_new_glass.html) Once again, did science inspire Star Trek, or did Star Trek inspire science? Hee hee hee…I’m waiting for transporters so I don’t have to drive to work anymore. Oh, and replicators. ---
**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/2 "2005-10-20T20:30:43Z")
Yes, but won’t anyone think about the baby whales??? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/3 "2005-10-20T20:32:15Z")
HOLY CRAP!!! ST “Science” aside - I want those flying cars they promised us 40 years ago ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/4 "2005-10-20T20:32:34Z")
Well at least I’ll jump in to say: 🆒 BTW, more often than not it is now Star Trek inspiring Science. So many Scientist and Engineers are Trekkies that they think, I wonder if I could make this work? The Early replicators (3-D plastic molding machines that create plastic full-size renderings of CAD drawings) were just such an invention. We even have one at work. We call it the easy-bake oven though. ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/5 "2005-10-20T20:36:25Z")
More info, and pictures of the product, [here](http://www.afrlhorizons.com/Briefs/Sept03/ML0303.html). ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/6 "2005-10-20T20:39:33Z")
Virtually scratch resistant? Virtually scratch-proof maybe, but virtually scratch resistant is not something to brag about. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/7 "2005-10-20T21:12:56Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Virtually scratch resistant? Virtually scratch-proof maybe, but virtually scratch resistant is not something to brag about. The article in the OP stated that they successfully resisted a .50BMG armor-pirecing round. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if it were still vulnerable to scratches from sand and whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/8 "2005-10-20T21:17:53Z")
I love the scene in the movie where the Director says to his secretary “not now, Madeline!” She’s redheaded, too. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/9 "2005-10-20T21:18:14Z")
I just realized that, depending on the weight of ALON panels, wouldn’t these beat the hell out of current ceramic body-armor inserts? ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/10 "2005-10-20T21:20:35Z")
That is so, so, so cool. I am such a geek. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/11 "2005-10-20T21:22:47Z")
What’s the difference between virtually scratch resistant and virtually scratch proof? I thought it was virtually the same? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/12 "2005-10-20T21:49:58Z")
I want warp drive, Og damn it! I wanna be Captain Pike and nail some Orion slave girls! ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/13 "2005-10-20T21:52:13Z")
Can a Wonder-Woman-style invisible airplane be far behind? ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/14 "2005-10-20T21:53:03Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > What’s the difference between virtually scratch resistant and virtually scratch proof? I thought it was virtually the same? i think “scratch resistant” means it’ll withstand scratching up to a point, then all hell breaks loose so-to-speak and “scratch-proof” means probably the only thing that would make a mark is a diamond tip needle ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/15 "2005-10-20T22:18:48Z")
A bulletproof aluminum foil hat! Just in time for the end of the world. See, there is hope! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/16 "2005-10-20T23:45:49Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > What’s the difference between virtually scratch resistant and virtually scratch proof? I thought it was virtually the same? Scratch proof would be impossible to scratch. Scratch resistant would be very hard to scratch. Virtually scratch proof would be the same as scratch resistant. Virtually scratch resistant, therefore, would be something that’s not really all that hard to scratch. ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/17 "2005-10-21T03:19:07Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Scratch proof would be impossible to scratch. Scratch resistant would be very hard to scratch. Virtually scratch proof would be the same as scratch resistant. Virtually scratch resistant, therefore, would be something that’s not really all that hard to scratch. So it’s _almost_ scratch resistant. Like say, my sunglasses. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/18 "2005-10-21T04:05:25Z")
> [@Rhubarb](#): > > So it’s _almost_ scratch resistant. Like say, my sunglasses. 🆒 Yeah, but can your sunglasses take a hit from a .50 cal. and still work? ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/19 "2005-10-21T07:16:33Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Yeah, but can your sunglasses take a hit from a .50 cal. and still work? No, but my skull can. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134/20 "2005-10-21T11:50:07Z")
The article did say it performed better against scratches than glass, so I think we can say “more scratch resistant than glass” and actually tell the reader something. They also had glass being “sandwhiched” between the aluminum and a plastic layer, so I suspect proofreading wasn’t exactly a top priority. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transparent-aluminum-baby/327134.md?page=2)