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For a DIY treatment, it appears that spraying a water based sodium silicate onto lumber and timbers then allowing it to dry does provide significant fire and bug protection. It will wash off in outside use if not protected. I have heard of it just being sprayed with a garden sprayer on inside and out of log cabins, wood before construction and even completed 'garden shed' type buildings. Sodium Silicate is also known as 'water glass' for a reason, it melts in water, so it needing to be protected from water only makes sense. As a fun experiment with kids, get some sodium silicate (pint, quart, whatever - it is generally considered non-toxic, but still be careful), cover the bottom of a plastic pan or a cookie sheet well covered by plastic (and edges, so it does not run off) and let it dry. Once dry, pick it up and let the kids see it is quite clear. Then you can brake it, and it shatters similar to glass. Put all the pieces in a jar with a bit of water, and it will all melt back into solution. This cycle can be repeated because just the water evaporates. ... I have filed this under: Fun things my Dad did with me as a kid. Sodium silicate is also used to make for a harder concrete surfaces like floors when applied after initial cure of the concrete (7 days, full cure is normally 28 days). I don't know how much but some concrete specialists I am sure can let us know. But it is considered a 'technical' piece of knowledge in that realm, so the local concrete firm might not have that knowledge ... nothing against them! No one can know everything even in their specialty. I doubt it takes a lot. Obligatory warning to normal folk: As always, be safe out there. Take appropriate precautions when using any potentially sharp objects, or chemicals of any kind.

This is just technology marching on. In many sports, financial world (stock markets), space race, electronics, etc., people pay BIG $$$ for a small improvement when they are on the 'bleeding edge'. This is how they stay in front. On rare occasion it makes enough difference to overcome the competition in a big way, mainly because the competition is doing a similar thing. In this case it seems they found what makes a dolphin swim fast with relatively little energy compared to others in the same environment. You could compare this to using a dimpled versus smooth golf ball. The dimpled goes much further, counter to 'apparent common wisdom' on the subject. In the financial markets, faster communications and computers may allow making trades a second or two earlier, and make the difference in many $$. There statistics are kept by comparing the bottom line. I would be interested in knowing this suits 'coefficient of drag' versus a nude body of the same shape and versus a 'standard suit' all in the same 'standardized conditions'. Judging this based on independent races of various individuals is not good science. Or we need to wait till we have a 'statistically significant' amount of date (one or two events do not qualify, try hundreds or thousands).