It's generally not a good idea to engage in behaviors that would lead you to be shot at. However, in the not-so distant future, the ramifications of a speeding bullet might not be so harsh.

Researchers at Rice University have developed a lightweight substance that will not only stop a bullet dead in its tracks but will seal around it, providing a nifty souvenir for whatever misadventure it was that led you to be fired upon.

During the split second process of blocking the bullet the substance itself suffers no noticeable trauma. "There's no macroscopic damage; the material hasn't failed; it hasn't cracked," Ned Thomas, a scientist worked on the project, explained.

All kidding aside, there are some pretty amazing practical uses for this super material, including protection of satellites and aircraft against fast moving objects. More importantly, it could lead to the next generation of body armor for our military.

Thanks to science, combat death rates are already at historic lows, and this latest development could keep the men and women who risk it all to protect us even safer.

More From 100.5 FM The River