Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Blacker Than Black

Posted by michael on from the chocolate-so-dark-light-cannot-escape dept.

An anonymous reader writes "British scientists at the National Physical Laboratory in London have invented the darkest material on Earth. 'It could revolutionise optical instruments because it reflects 10 to 20 times less light than the black paint currently used to reduce unwanted reflections. The key to the nickel and phosphorous coating's blackness is that its surface is pitted with microscopic craters.' Wonder how effective it would be as a solar heating surface ?"

55 of 432 comments (clear)

  1. What's blacker than black... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    What's blacker than black... ...a new nickel and phosphorous coating with microscopi...

    You know? The joke just isn't as funny this way.

    1. Re:What's blacker than black... by agallagh42 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Is it blacker than Hotblack Desiato's stunt ship?

      "It's so ... black!" said Ford Prefect, "you can hardly make out its shape ... light just seems to fall into it!"
      Zaphod said nothing. He had simply fallen in love.
      The blackness of it was so extreme that it was almost impossible to tell how close you were standing to it.
      "Your eyes just slide off it ..." said Ford in wonder. It was an emotional moment. He bit his lip.

      --
      Carpe Cerevisi - Seize the Beer
  2. Solar heating! by keller · · Score: 5, Funny
    Wonder how effective it would be as a solar heating surface ?

    I would say that the solar surface is hot enough as it is!

    --

    Enig? Det alt for hot det smor!

  3. And with one fell swoop.... by CHUD-Wretch · · Score: 5, Funny

    Goths just got scarier. "Black as night, faster than a shadow" -Judas Priest- "Hell Bent For Leather"

    --
    "Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them."
    1. Re:And with one fell swoop.... by OblvnDrgn · · Score: 3, Funny

      Good point. You've never someone say the line, "I'm only wearing black until something darker comes along?" I didn't think one of them would actually be RIGHT.

      It shouldn't make much of a difference to the poser-goths in their parent's basement though. They're already covered with a cratered surface.

    2. Re:And with one fell swoop.... by Kelt · · Score: 3, Funny

      Now my woman has to re-do her whole wardrobe in a new uber-black color... great...

      -Kelt

      --
      My intelligence insults itself.
  4. 10 to 20 times less? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    If it reflected one times less that'd mean it was reflecting nothing at all, so what happens when it reflects 10 times less?

  5. The name by e8johan · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why don't they name materials better today? What is interesting in the name "Super-black"? Nothing!

    I suggest we call it Darkonium or something...

    1. Re:The name by cHALiTO · · Score: 5, Funny

      Darkenite!

      we could even go around saying it affects superheroes or something.

      --
      "Luck is my middle name," said Rincewind, indistinctly. "Mind you, my first name is Bad." -- Terry Pratchett
    2. Re:The name by sp1nl0ck · · Score: 4, Funny

      The fashion industry will probably announce that "superblack is the new black". Which manages to sound faintly ridiculous and be true at the same time.

      --
      War is God's way of teaching Americans geography
  6. How much more black could it be? by gibber · · Score: 5, Funny

    None.

    None more black.

    1. Re:How much more black could it be? by swordboy · · Score: 4, Funny

      In the Beginning, there was Nothing. And then God said, let there be light.

      And there was still nothing. But - hell - you could SEE it!

      --

      Life is the leading cause of death in America.
    2. Re:How much more black could it be? by Kuad · · Score: 2, Funny

      "It's the weird colour scheme that freaks me. Every time I try to operate one of these weird black controls, labelled in black on a black background, a little black light lights up black to let me know I've done it. What is this, some kind of galactic hyper-hearse?"

  7. Whaaat? No Spinal Tap quotes yet? by coug_ · · Score: 1, Funny

    "It's like, how much more black could this be? and the answer is none. None more black."

  8. Spinal Tap's next album by micromoog · · Score: 5, Funny

    NIGEL: I think he's right, there is something about this, that's that's so black, it's like; "How much more black could this be?" and the answer is: "None, none... more black."

    1. Re:Spinal Tap's next album by CHUD-Wretch · · Score: 4, Funny

      Mod this up to 11!!

      --
      "Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them."
    2. Re:Spinal Tap's next album by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      Why not Mod this up to 5 and make 5 harder to get to?

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    3. Re:Spinal Tap's next album by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      But ... but this comment deserves 11.

    4. Re:Spinal Tap's next album by micromoog · · Score: 2, Funny

      Oh man, that makes it so much funnier. "After lower-than-expected album sales, Nigel spent the next 17 years perfecting the color black . . ."

  9. Sandpapered by Big+Mark · · Score: 4, Funny
    "The key to the nickel and phosphorous coating's blackness is that its surface is pitted with microscopic craters"
    Not much different from going over it with the world's finest-grain sandpaper, then. And...
    From the article:
    "When you look at the black, it is an incredibly beautiful surface. It's like black velvet."
    Ah, so that's why they made it. The physicists are secret cross-dressers, after the finest frocks known to man!

    -Mark
  10. This is good news... by DarkDust · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...for us gothics ! Where can I buy clothes and make-up with this material ?

    1. Re:This is good news... by wheany · · Score: 1, Funny

      I heard this is going to be the new black.

  11. Nifty. I wonder how long... by idontgno · · Score: 4, Funny
    before the substance and its application process trickle down to amateur telescopy?

    Nigel Fox, who heads the optics group at NPL, said: "When you look at the black, it is an incredibly beautiful surface. It's like black velvet."

    Who'll be the first schmuck to paint Jesus or Elvis onto this surface?

    --
    Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
  12. Re:black by Keith_Beef · · Score: 4, Funny

    That must have been the same piece of black, made by the Acme company, that Wile E. Coyote used to put against a rock when he was trying to catch Woody Woodpecker.

  13. Is it Frictionless Though? by ninthwave · · Score: 2, Funny

    Is this a material that Ford and Zaphod will marvel at as they cruise space parks looking for a ship to steal and will Marvin be riding a ship made of one into the sun.

    Rest In Peace Mr. Adams

    --
    I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said: "I drank what?" - Chris Knight (Val Kilmer)- Real Genius
    1. Re:Is it Frictionless Though? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      "Its so black light just falls into it!"

  14. I've got a Mr Desiato on the line... by ratbag · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hotblack wants to upgrade his spaceship with some new buttons.

    Rob.

  15. New? but I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey ... by Radioheadhead · · Score: 3, Funny

    so I know this material has been here on earth since the "Dawn of Man."

    1. Re:New? but I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey ... by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 1, Funny

      That comment made me want to hit you over the head with a bone. Or maybe it's that annoying screeching sound. I think it's coming from my mother board. Damn capacitors.

      --
      "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
      --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
  16. black velvet by Keith_Beef · · Score: 2, Funny

    From the lame Ananova article:

    It's like black velvet

    I thought that black velvet was 60% Guinness and 40% Champagne...

  17. We can finally get the Heart of Gold affect by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 2, Funny
    Think of it Linux geeks. A car that's so black, you can't tell how close you are standing to it. Inside all of the controls will be black on a darker shade of black.

    Might make a cool screen too.

    --
    "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
    --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
  18. Future work by Wrexen · · Score: 4, Funny

    Scientists estimate this will be the blackest material ever manufactured, until they perfect the technique of mass-producing Hillary Rosen's soul.

  19. Mom! Dad! by Degobah · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't Touch It! It's Evil!

  20. Re:black by cdrudge · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wile E. Coyote never tried to catch Woody Woodpecker. He was always trying to catch the Road Runner.

  21. There are going to be some happy goths! by RHIC · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, now all those people wearing t-shirts saying "I'm only wearing black until they invent something darker" will be very happy! Any idea as to when we'll be able to get it in t-shirt form?

  22. Re:Stealth car! by g4dget · · Score: 1, Funny

    Sure bet for the Darwin award.

  23. feel free by DrSkwid · · Score: 0, Funny

    to cover yourself in phosphorous anytime

    --
    There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
  24. crap! by danro · · Score: 1, Funny

    Someone start a line of cybergoth clothing! This could be huge!
    "My black is blacker than your black"

    And just an hour ago I bought a new pair of black military pants.
    Is buying clothes going to be like buying a graphics card from now on, ie two minutes after you buy it the new model comes along to blow it straight out of the water.
    Aw crap!

    --

    "First lesson," Jon said. "Stick them with the pointy end."
  25. Mirror by Andy_R · · Score: 5, Funny

    Pictures are mirrored here: dev/null

    --
    A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
  26. Of course you can. by terrencefw · · Score: 1, Funny

    Here is the worlds first picture of this new substance.

    --
    Like tinyurl, but one letter less! http://qurl.co.uk/
  27. reminds me of that black stunt ship by option8 · · Score: 4, Funny
    i hope douglas will excuse this:


    . . .

    Zaphod's attention however was elsewhere. His attention was riveted on the ship standing next to Hotblack Desiato's limo. His mouths hung open.

    "That," he said, "that ... is really bad for the eyes ..." Ford looked. He too stood astonished.

    It was a ship of classic, simple design, like a flattened salmon, twenty yards long, very clean, very sleek. There was just one remarkable thing about it.

    "It's so ... black!" said Ford Prefect, "you can hardly make out its shape ... light just seems to fall into it!"

    Zaphod said nothing. He had simply fallen in love.

    The blackness of it was so extreme that it was almost impossible to tell how close you were standing to it.

    "Your eyes just slide off it ..." said Ford in wonder. It was an emotional moment. He bit his lip.

    Zaphod moved forward to it, slowly, like a man possessed - or more accurately like a man who wanted to possess. His hand reached out to stroke it. His hand stopped. His hand reached out to stroke it again. His hand stopped again.

    "Come and feel the surface," he said in a hushed voice.

    Ford put his hand out to feel it. His hand stopped.

    "You ... you can't ..." he said.

    "See?" said Zaphod, "it's just totally frictionless. This must be one mother of a mover ..."

    He turned to look at Ford seriously. At least, one of his heads did - the other stayed gazing in awe at the ship.

    "What do you reckon, Ford?" he said.

    "You mean ... er ..." Ford looked over his shoulder. "You mean stroll off with it? You think we should?"

    "No."

    "Nor do I."

    "But we're going to, aren't we?"

    "How can we not?"

    . . .


    offtopic, yes, but somewhat more in the vein of discussion, how does it do on reflecting, say, radar?
    --
    - Entertaining Bits from the Ancient Kernel Tree
  28. Metallica by gregRowe · · Score: 2, Funny

    great, as soon as Lars Ulrich gets word of this they'll re-release their black album for more profits.

    --
    There\'s no place like ~
  29. How Black Is It? by Greyfox · · Score: 5, Funny

    Blacker than the mood of a web master who just found out that his page was posted on slashdot.

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  30. I'm so goth... by Per+Wigren · · Score: 2, Funny
    This reminds me of the classic I'm so goth-list...

    I'm so goth my black is blacker than your black. I call it "black black."

    I'm so goth, I don't say "black," I say "blahhwwwkkk."

    I'm so goth I have actually seriously uttered the phrase, "the darkest dark of the dark darkness."

    My favourite one is a bit off topic but it has to be mentioned.. ;)

    I'm so goth that bats hang little plastic me's from their ceiling.

    --
    My other account has a 3-digit UID.
  31. Re:Beware of the darkness!! by Graspee_Leemoor · · Score: 2, Funny

    "As you would expect a100 year old house and to hear all
    kinds of footsteps upstairs"

    How come in America it only takes a house to be 100 years old to be very likely haunted, and in the UK you don't reach "probably haunted" levels until the house is about 300 or 400 years old?

    Do Stateside ghosts get bored of the Ethereal Plane faster and come looking for trouble?

    graspee

  32. Here's a picture of it by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · · Score: 5, Funny

    Super-black

    --

    Technoli
    1. Re:Here's a picture of it by Kopretinka · · Score: 2, Funny
      No, that's not dark enough, it's like, what, 0,0,0 RGB? You'd need -10,-12,-7 RGB to convey SuperBlack.

      Note that SuperBlack is a bit on the bluish-pinkish side.

      --
      Yesterday was the time to do it right. Are we having a REVOLUTION yet?
  33. Re:black by david+duncan+scott · · Score: 1, Funny

    My favourite was the late one in which the Road Runner runs down a pipe that first narrows and the enlarges. Each animal shrinks to fit, but only the bird returns to his normal size. He pauses outside the pipe, and Wiley finally catches up to him, only to stand on his foot, perhaps two inches tall, and hold up a tiny sign that says something like, "You've always wanted me to catch him... now what do I do?"

    --

    This next song is very sad. Please clap along. -- Robin Zander

  34. Re:Well... by GT_Alias · · Score: 2, Funny
    We did have some problems with it 'popcorning' as we pumped the chamber down, but a staged evacuation with good degassing periods took care of that

    Oh man...the potential. Too bad I don't have a sense of humor.

  35. Re:black by bgarcia · · Score: 1, Funny
    Why is this moderated as "Informative"?

    Are there actually 2 moderators out there who said "Damn, you mean Wile E. Coyote was chasing a Road Runner? Boy that sure was an informative post. I better mark it as such!"

    You two should be ashamed. Give up the rest of your moderator points. You don't deserve them.

    --
    I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar.
  36. The real question is ... by Greedo · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... how long before /. reports that someone has a case mod made of this?

    --
    Tuus crepidae innexilis sunt.
  37. Re:If it's like black velvet... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ... then why didn't they just use black velvet instead?

    You've never had to apply for scientific funding have you?

  38. Smell the Glove by Buck+Naked · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is the same stuff used on the Spinaltap album. "How much more black can it be??? The answer is none. None more black"

    --
    WWJDFAKB - What would Jesus do for a Klondike Bar?
  39. This gives all new meaning... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...to those t-shirts saying "I'm only wearing black until they find something darker"

  40. Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Now I can start making those monoliths I've been planning...