Who knew there was a demand for this, but a team of researchers in Japan has figured out a way to create cement that conducts electricity. Normal cement is a poor conductor because of its asymmetric crystal structure, but some smart cats at the Tokyo Institute of Technology (there's an unfortunate acronym) tried sealing the cement compound inside a glass tube along with some titanium, heated it up to about 1,100° Celsius, and stood well back. The result was a cement compound with a symmetric crystal structure that conducts electricity like metal (for you periodic-table wonks, about the same as manganese).

As a side benefit, if the cement is sliced into thin membranes, it's nearly transparent. Cement that conducts electricity and you can see through… uh, great. It's hard to think of that many practical applications for this new stuff, but apparently it would make a good substitute for some rare metals in flat-panel TVs, since the electro-invisio-cement (this is why I'm not in charge of naming things) would theoretically be cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

Cool enough, though I'd personally use it as a transparent floor over my shark pit. Then, when I flick a switch and my victims try to jump away from the trapdoor they expect to open, they get zapped by a lethal shock instead. Didn't see that coming, did ya, Mr. Bond? — Peter Pachal

Spring-8 press release (translated), via Pink Tentacle