While it was not the initial impact (rather the fire that ensued afterwards) that brought New York City's Twin Towers to the ground, it does make one wonder what more can done to protect buildings and other structures from impacts, whether man-made or natural. A great deal of research has gone into the fields of civil engineering and shock absorption. David Clements, producer of the "Be Connected Series on Technology" takes a look at some of the latest technologies under development and available in the field today.

In the story, we examine two different methods for shock absorbtion. Taylor Devices, in Tonawanda, New York take a traditional approach. University at Buffalo professor, Dr. Sen, takes a new spin on the old Newton's Cradle. Be sure to take a look at some of the graphics on the left side of the screen as well.