A beetle whiter than white
From the BBC,
The researchers found the beetle’s shell was covered with ultra-thin scales, measuring just five micrometres (millionths of a metre), with highly random internal 3D structures.
This irregular structure, explained Dr Vukusic, was the cause of the beetle’s whiteness.
While colour, he explained, could be created through highly ordered structures, whiteness is achieved through very random features that scatter all colours simultaneously.
"The degree of whiteness given the scales’ thinness is the really impressive thing," Dr Vukusic added.
"We can create this quality of white synthetically, but the materials need to be much thicker. This could have many applications."
Why is this a big deal? Well beyond the amazing coolness of a new beetle and one with an amazing new structure, there are applications for materials science that could, literally, brighten our lives. Look at the number of white surfaces around you intended to reflect light. The inside of my desk lamp comes right to mind (it is right above me). What if you could increase the light output without having to increase the wattage of the bulb and maybe even making it lighter and smaller? That would be cool. Super-reflective paints for signs. Who knows, but I bet those researchers are already dreaming.
Tags: whiter than white
Comments Off