I'm Looking Through You

According to "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," transparent aluminum is an ultra-strong lightweight construction material first made by a San Francisco Plexiglas company who acquired the formula in 1986 from a mysterious engineer known only as "Professor Scott."

In real life, credit DARPA or scientists at Oxford... But fact is it's here, very expensive, but potentially ready for commercialization.

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.

Source: dornob via Geekologie