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1. •  
     CommentAuthorAriana
   • CommentTimeJan 15th 2008

    (520.1)
   In the iconic movie This is Spinal Tap, lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel said of his band's black album cover, "It's like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black."
   
   He was wrong.
   
   A scientist at Rice University has created the darkest material known to man, a carpet of carbon nanotubes that reflects only 0.045 percent of all light shined upon it. That's four times darker than the previously darkest known substance, and more than 100 times darker than the paint on a black Corvette.
   
   I know it was just last year we did the previously darker substance, and although the applications (solar panels, etc) aren't going to take too drastic a leap from the development, the last line of the article made me smile:
   
   "There's a fundamental joy in such a fascinating study," [Ajayan] said.
2. • CommentAuthor3!LL
   • CommentTimeJan 15th 2008

    (520.2)
   I saw the darkest black in a dream once. It's the kind of thing I don't think you could see with eyes.
   
   3!LL
3. •  
     CommentAuthorofftandiscord
   • CommentTimeJan 15th 2008

    (520.3)
   shit, there IS more black.
   
   they're going to need to re-release the album with new covers...
4. •  
     CommentAuthorUnsub
   • CommentTimeJan 15th 2008

    (520.4)
   I'm having a time out until I can learn some manners.
   But when can I get this black in paint for my Vette?
5. •  
     CommentAuthorAndre Navarro
   • CommentTimeJan 15th 2008

    (520.5)
   I want a ninja suit with this material. Yes.
6. • CommentAuthorKosmopolit
   • CommentTimeJan 15th 2008 edited

    (520.6)

   "There's a fundamental joy in such a fascinating study,"

   
   
   Australian National University has possibly the world's most powerful solar collector "The Big Dish" which also has exquisitely accurate thermal measurement capabilities to tell them exactly how much heat they're collecting.
   
   They pointed it at the moon to see if they could measure the heat increase from the solar infrared reflected off the moon. They could - it was something like 1/100th of degree Celsius.
   
   Totally useless in practical terms but once again, "a fascinating study".
7. •  
     CommentAuthorroque
   • CommentTimeJan 15th 2008 edited

    (520.7)
   very cool. still, having seen the subject line from the Main Junction, I find myself a little disappointed that this doesn't refer to extremely macabre music or other entertainment. ;)
8. • CommentAuthorsacredchao
   • CommentTimeJan 16th 2008

    (520.8)

   very cool. still, having seen the subject line from the Main Junction, I find myself a little disappointed that this doesn't refer to extremely macabre music or other entertainment. ;)

   
   I was thinking comic book stories, for some reason.
   
   I'll bet it would be really warm wearing clothes that color in the summer.
9. •  
     CommentAuthorAlan Tyson
   • CommentTimeJan 16th 2008

    (520.9)
   Black is the new black. Finally.
   
   Now they need to make clothes woven from this stuff. You'd be like a walking singularity.