The Untold Story: Why the World's Strongest Material is Hidden

In 1993, a scientific sensation sent shockwaves across the globe. Peter McCann, host of the popular program 'Tomorrow's World,' showcased a seemingly indestructible egg live to millions of BBC viewers. For five minutes, McCann exposed the egg to a blowtorch with a blazing temperature of 1200 degrees Celsius, hot enough to melt steel effortlessly—yet the egg remained intact, not even a crack. When the egg was opened, it revealed an uncooked interior, a perfectly soft egg!

As McCann explained, the egg was coated with a material named 'Starlite,' discovered by Maurice Ward from Hartlepool in northern England. Ward was not a chemist; he owned a shop dealing with various plastic paints. A small fire at his place revealed that a mixture of materials formed a coating layer that did not burn or even char, unlike everything else that was scorched.

He analyzed the materials and the process they underwent, pondering how this material could benefit humanity. Around that time, a tragic aviation accident occurred. An airplane caught fire, trapping and killing passengers (a British Airways plane on August 22, 1985). Could it be possible to construct passenger cabins with fireproof materials? Perhaps coat a shelter to withstand a nuclear bomb?

Ward refined his invention, proving it could withstand 2500 degrees Celsius without heating up. A laser beam reaching 10,000 degrees Celsius—capable of drilling through concrete bricks—didn't affect the Starlite. Professor Lewis from the British Ministry of Defence wanted to research the material, but Ward allowed it only under strict conditions, fearing his secret would be revealed.

Professor Lewis completed his tests and wished to publish a scientific paper validating the discovery, but Ward refused, worried that such a publication would expose his secret and cost him royalties. Ward was an eccentric character; he didn't even patent his invention for fear of losing his idea.

Ward declined to create consumer products like fences or wall coatings that could have sold by the millions, holding out instead for a multimillion-dollar deal with the U.S. military or a venture of equal magnitude.

In 2010, Ward advanced Starlite's development, producing a bulletproof vest, lighter and more flexible than existing lead versions. Yet, he became more rigid in his dealings with people, businesses, and even national militaries that pursued him.

Ward passed away in 2011, taking his secret to the grave. He always claimed that his wife and daughter knew the secret recipe, but they've not produced a single gram of Starlite since his death.

There are wondrous forces in creation, and science does not always know how to discover and harness them for good. Sometimes the twists and turns of human nature lead to the loss of innovations that could have been a great help to many.