Magnetic Gun Stops Bullets

It may sound like something out of a movie, but scientists have figured out how to stop a bullet; A very tiny one, in mid-air. Researchers at the University of Texas have built a so-called coilgun that works in reverse, stopping atom and molecule-sized bullets in flight.

Conventional guns use chemical explosives to create hot gas, which propels lead bullets down a barrel. A coilgun accelerates a magnetic projectile, usually iron-based, with a series of coiled wires that create a strong magnetic field. There is no physical contact between the projectile and the coils.

According to Discovery (picture), "The researchers trap particles from the air, store them in a tiny chamber, and release them in the direction of the gun. When a particle reaches the gun and encounters the coils, each coil's magnetic field progressively slows the particle down without touching it."

The gun is not able to stop large bullets, but I am sure at the current progression rate, we will be able to stop missiles in mid air as well. One day...