This new bone-like cement could change how we build just about everything

Researchers at Princeton University have developed a new cement that is lighter, resists cracking, and absorbs damage more effectively than traditional cement. According to the researchers, it is a whopping 5.6 times tougher than regular concrete thanks to its unusual design. “It’s standard cement paste,” third-year PhD candidate Shashank Gupta tells me over email. The material is inspired by cortical bone, the tough outer layer of human bone that is made of tubular structures to...