What's Cooler Than Cool?

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Egyptian blue, apparently! Today's Illumination is taking something old and discovering what new things can be done.

Researchers at Berkeley Lab have discovered that a pigment that was popular in ancient Egyptian art has the ability to cool the outsides of buildings and vehicles, due to its ability to reflect heat. They've also discovered that the pigment can be used in solar energy collectors, so it would be possible to tint windows blue and have that tint help power your home.

If absolutely nothing else, it means that there might be some mighty bright roofs and walls on buildings in the near future. SCIENCE!


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