Developed by University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers, the new material—a vertically aligned carbon nanotube foam—can dissipate an enormous amount of rotational kinetic energy from an impact. And as a helmet lining material, it could mitigate, or even prevent, traumatic brain injuries by weakening rotational kinetic energy before it reaches the brain. In fact, the new material is 30 times better at absorbing energy in shear than the foam currently used in U.S. military combat helmet liners.