Old is gold

A helmet used by French soldiers in World War I provided better protection from overhead blasts than a modern American model, according to a US university study. Biomedical engineers from North Carolina's Duke University tested the performance of several models of World War I helmet and the US Advanced Combat Helmet by subjecting them to shock waves. "We were surprised to find that the 100-year-old helmets performed just as well as modern ones," said study author Joost Op 't Eynde. "Indeed, some historical helmets performed better in some respects," Op 't Eynde said.