the future is ... about six years ago, actually
The first I heard of EMALS was in February, when a customer requested a list of over one hundred fasteners, all with high quantities, mostly military standards. The buyer gave us a rough explanation, which sounded to me an awful lot like a mass driver for jet fighters. I heard back from them recently and they bought a few more bolts and nuts to accommodate redesigns. Guys, the EM catapult is a staple of SF literature since, what, the 1950s? Every year, it is clearer and clearer to me that we are, right now, in the goddamn future.