Tire cord, goats, and bulletproof vests.(STRESS RELIEF)

Before the 1970s, nylon was the material of choice in flak jackets for soldiers, but the material could not stop bullets, only shrapnel. DuPont invented Kevlar to replace steel belts in tires in 1965, and the U.S. Army began to evaluate it for truly bulletproof vests in the late 1960s. Development of the vest was led by Lester Shubin of the National Institute of Justice, and Nicholas Montanarelli, an Army technology specialist. From 1972 until 1977, the NIJ invested $5 million in a project led by the two men to develop effective body armor. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Among their ...