Wednesday, August 13, 2008

The Blackest Black

Since I don't have any new art to unveil, I thought I'd share an article I read a couple months ago. My Alma Mater is co-creator of the world's blackest material. Made of carbon nanotubes, the material reflects 30 times less light than the previous blackest material; the degree of blackness is determined by how much light is reflected and how much is absorbed. Carbon nanotubes are microscopic tubes built out of carbon atoms. Future research could lead to material that absorbs all light directed at it, or an "invisibility cloak" that bends light around the object behind it. Read the full story here.

2 comments:

Glendon Mellow said...

Can I wear it? Pretty please with gothy on top?

How long before this filters down into a pigment? I find lamp black the blackest oil paint.

Fascinating stuff...

Heather Ward said...

I think a pigment would be hard as the nanotubes have to line up all in the same direction. But you never know!