Hardest Material Discovered in Universe Isn't Fruitcake

In the comic book universe, adamantium (Adam Ant, get it?) is what Wolverine’s claws are made of and is the strongest metal known to man. That is, until science one-upped the comics, and real life, big time with the discovery of the strength of star crust.

National Geographic reported a new study that suggests the outer crusts of neutron stars are the strongest known material in the universe, proving to be 10 billion times stronger than steel.

Yes, that’s right. 10,000,000,000 times stronger than steel!

A neutron star is a type of remnant resulting from a gravitational collapse of a massive star. To find the breaking point of this material, National Geographic accounted, the team used a computer to model magnetic field stresses and crust deformation for a small region of the star's surface. The results showed that the crust of a neutron star can withstand a breaking strain up to 10 billion times the pressure it would take to snap steel.

Scientists haven’t said if they can use it on earth or not, but I could see many uses for it. Buildings would be impervious to damage; a lighter version could be used in transportation such as cars or planes, so that an accident would be as if you were in a bumper car (and it would save fuel and thus the planet); roads and sidewalks would never have to be paved again. And if nothing else, star crust would certainly build one impenetrable fortress. You wouldn’t even have to build a moat around it to keep enemies out.

Photo: The outer crusts of so-called neutron stars (above, a neutron star in an artist's conception) are ten billion times stronger than steel — making it the strongest known material in the universe, scientists said in May 2009. (Image by Casey Reed, courtesy of Penn State.)