[Captain Beyond]

Well you gotta start somewhere. I am sure they know that stopping a .22 bullet is not the end all but you got to give them credit for coming up with a really strong construction fabric from raw materials that are plentiful and not many who would have thought of combining those types for that use. It is pretty outside the box thinking here. Plus think about how light weight it is.

That they can't stop a .44 mag right out of the starting gate does not diminish this invention in any way. I think it is really a great find they have here. Think of the possibilities of other composite materials that can be made this way, other things that can be added to it, and other applications besides just bulletproofing. There is all kinds of medical uses for such a tough skin such as burn victims, hemophilia, sensitive skin diseases, extra layering for working in hazardous areas, frostbite prevention, clothing, housing materials, windows, rope, outerspace materials, reinforcing polymers for all types of uses, etc... the list goes on.

Plus it is a different way of manufacturing that can be looked into for other possibilities and applications.

[spetznaz]

I think skin stopping a .22 is a BIG step. I am not sure what the applications for this technology would be (special forces with certain ‘enhancements,’ fabric that is far lighter and more flexible than kevlar, ???), but the fact remains that melding this with more traditional armor technologies would produce a blended result that is far better than what is currently available. For instance, uniforms for soldiers where the entire uniform (all the way to boots and gloves) has a mid-level resistance to bullets and other projectiles, meaning that even at the most basic level (a soldier/Marine wearing only his uniform) there is some innate ballistic protection for soldiers. Meaning that for more enhanced protection the soldier/Marine would still have to wear higher-grade ballistic protection (to cater for the higher powered weapons that may be firing at him), but all the same having an entire uniform capable of stopping most handgun ammunition (as the technology is developed it will cover more than a .22, and with enough layers who knows what it may be capable of while remaining lighter and more flexible than kevlar). I think it is a good development. A seriously good development. In the private arena I am sure it is just a matter of time before I can buy a suit that looks exactly like the ones I have but can stop most bullets a civilian would encounter.