Skip to main content

Darkest Material on Earth

Tech

Darkest Material on Earth Gets Even Darker

Mar 7, 2016 12:10 PM ET // by Tracy Staedter
‹ ›
A material called Vantablack is the darkest, most blackest, most void-on-earth material ever invented. It was introduced by Surrey NanoSystems in 2014 and back then, the company said the material was capable of absorbing 99.96 percent of light.
As if that wasn’t dark enough, the company announced this week that they’ve made Vantablack even darker and by how much is unknown — because it’s so black, even spectrometers can’t measure it.
How Nanotech Can Make You Better: Photos
The material is made by growing a forest of carbon nanotubes on aluminum-based surfaces. Until Vantablack came out, other attempts at making super black materials required expensive, extremely high-temperature processes. But Surrey NanoSystems was able to manufacture it using low temps.
By now, you’re wondering why people have been working so hard at making such a dark material — other than to mess with your mind and eyeballs.
But these materials are excellent for applications where stray light can cause problems. For example, inside a telescope designed to see faint stars. A coating of Vantablack will eliminate stray light and make those stars easier to image.
Nanoflowers Grow in Tiny Garden: Photos
Eliminating stray light could also improve laser projection systems and solar energy technology. The company lists a range of other applications here, including architecture, luxury good and artwork.
Speaking of art, it seems that Vantablack has been raising some hackles in the art world since renowned sculptor Anish Kapoor bought the exclusive rights to use the material in art, reports NPR.
Personally, I’m not sure what the all the hub-bub is about. I guess artists have a thing for black. But I can pretty guarantee you that as soon as you tell people they can’t have something, they want it. So kudos to Surrey NanoSystems for creating demand.
World's Darkest Material Looks Like a Black Hole
To get a sense for just how black this material is, take a look at the videos below.
This one shows a scientist passing a laser over Vantablack, and as you can see, the light completely disappears into the void.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shi Cheng, the lion city under water.

China's Atlantis: How the Lion City was purposely-flooded to make way for a power station but remains completely intact 130ft underwater after 50 years Shi Cheng was once centre of politics and economics in eastern province of Zhejiang Covered in water to build hydroelectric power station in 1959 and was forgotten Now divers want to use the metropolis as a tourist site and have gone to plan routes,   A maze of white temples, memorial arches, paved roads, and houses... hidden 130 feet underwater: this is China's real-life Atlantis. The so-called Lion City, tucked in a lake between the Five Lion Mountain, was once Shi Cheng - the centre of politics and economics in the eastern province of Zhejiang. But in 1959, the Chinese government decided a new hydroelectric power station was required - so built a man-made lake. Metropolis: Shi Cheng, dubbed Lion City after the Lion Mountains that surround it, has lain hidden under 131 feet of water since 1959 to generate ...
Post a Comment
Read more

DNA Captured From 2,500-Year-Old Phoenician

History May 28, 2016 03:28 PM ET DNA Captured From 2,500-Year-Old Phoenician Analysis of the ancient man's DNA reveal he had European ancestry. Researchers have sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of a 2,500-year-old Phoenician, showing the ancient man had European ancestry. This is the first ancient DNA to be obtained from Phoenician remains. Known as “Ariche,” the young man came from Byrsa, a walled citadel above the harbor of ancient Carthage. Byrsa was attacked by the Roman general Scipio Aemilianus “Africanus” in the Third Punic War. It was destroyed by Rome in 146 B.C. 2,700-Year-Old Phoenician Shipwreck Discovered Ariche’s remains were discovered in 1994 on the southern flank of Bursa hill when a man planting trees fell into the ancient grave. Analysis of the skeleton revealed the man died between the age of 19 and 24, had a rather robust physique and was 1.7 meters (5’...
Post a Comment
Read more