The flexible, conductive material can be used to make Faraday cages—grounded metal enclosures that shield their contents from electrostatic and electromagnetic influences. It can hide a device’s radio emissions to deter intentional electronic eavesdropping or simply to prevent data loss from lightning strikes. The material can line a small case or be used on a larger scale, as wallpaper to make an entire room for secure communications. In addition to keeping secrets on devices, another possible application is protecting drones against electronic attack. The military could even use the material to protect essential systems against a future EMP attack, during which an enemy uses a burst of electromagnetic energy to disable communications, damage electronic equipment, or even disrupt the electrical grid.
