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This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Karen Hopkin, this'll just take a minute.

On February 8th, we told you about scientists who had created a device worn over the knees that could harvest the energy you otherwise waste while walking. But if high-tech¹ kneepads aren’t your style, perhaps you’d be interested in a power-producing sport shirt. Maybe something in a literal electric blue. Because in the February 14 issue of Nature, scientists from Georgia Tech describe a fabric² that converts low-frequency vibrations³ into electricity. The material was made by weaving together zinc⁴ oxide⁵ nanowires with regular textile fibers⁶, although for some reason, the scientists used Kevlar as their regular textile. When the nanowires rub against one another as they would while you were wearing the garment, they generate electricity. And because the wires are so small and thin, the material is quite flexible, so it could be woven into power generating tents for soldiers or into the ultimate power tie for the busy executive. The scientists estimate that their nanoclothing puts out about 80 milliwatts of power per square meter of fabric which should be enough to operate your personal electronics. Best of all, if you buy the nanosuit made with Kevlar, you should be able to talk on your cell phone and survive getting shot.

Thanks for the minute for Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Karen Hopkin.