For Real Strength, Fill It with Holes

by Will Knight New Scientist, 8 Oct 2005 How do you make a structure stronger? The answer, it seems, is to fill it with thousands of holes. It might be seem counterintuitive, but holes can add resilience to a material by absorbing stresses or the energy of an impact. Researchers have come up with a formula for the ideal size and distribution of such cavities. Read more