Blacker Than Black

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 ?"

Comments

Solar heating!

[keller]

Wonder how effective it would be as a solar heating surface ?

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

And with one fell swoop....

[CHUD-Wretch]

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

The name

[e8johan]

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...

Re:The name

[cHALiTO]

Darkenite!

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

Re:The name

[sp1nl0ck]

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.

How much more black could it be?

[gibber]

None.

None more black.

Re:How much more black could it be?

[swordboy]

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!

Spinal Tap's next album

[micromoog]

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."

Re:Spinal Tap's next album

[CHUD-Wretch]

Mod this up to 11!!

Re:Spinal Tap's next album

[jellomizer]

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

Sandpapered

[Big Mark]

"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

Nifty. I wonder how long...

[idontgno]

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?

Re:black

[Keith_Beef]

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.

Future work

[Wrexen]

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

Mom! Dad!

[Degobah]

Don't Touch It! It's Evil!

Re:black

[cdrudge]

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

There are going to be some happy goths!

[RHIC]

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?

Mirror

[Andy_R]

Pictures are mirrored here: dev/null

reminds me of that black stunt ship

[option8]

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?

How Black Is It?

[Greyfox]

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

Here's a picture of it

[Conspiracy_Of_Doves]

Super-black