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Photonic Ink Changes Color On Command

Posted by timothy on from the and-red-all-over dept.

An anonymous reader submits "According to Nature's report : "A new ink changes colour at the flick of a switch." It now named Photonic Ink, or P-Ink. "P-Ink's iridescent colours depend upon a process called diffraction." "To make the colour of the ink tunable" the team led by Geoffrey Ozin "packs a polymer gel between its stacked spheres" which can change size "when it is soaked in solvent and shrinks when it dries". In addition, it "conducts electricity", and "altering the voltage tunes the ink's colour smoothly through the spectrum." more detail also can found on Advanced Materials."

34 comments

  1. snowcrash anyone? by darksaber · · Score: 2, Informative

    Anyone else reminded of those jackets in Snowcrash that changed colors? IIRC, the Enforcers had them and a flick of a switch would turn all the lettering on them black to match the rest of the jacket.

  2. Terrified... by breon.halling · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't know about you, but I personally, I'm terrified as to how the porno industry will make use of this. =)

    --
    "Yeah, well, Dracula called and he's coming over tonight for you and I said okay."
    1. Re:Terrified... by tsa · · Score: 1

      Can you make the material transparent at the flick of a switch?

      --

      -- Cheers!

  3. Re:JAMTDC! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    (PS: Mods, this is an incredibly deep joke. Please moderate accordingly.)
    JAMTDC! (Score:1, Flamebait)

    Done and done.

  4. Any color? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Any color, as long as it's P-Ink!

  5. It might be fun... by Simon+Field · · Score: 4, Interesting


    It might be fun to combine this with piezoelectric plastic film and put it in clothing, so it flashes colors as you move.

    --

    Free book: Science Toys You Can Make

  6. Another P-Ink by flux4 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Another "P-Ink" that glows iridescently at the flick of a switch is, of course, cat urine.

  7. Changing colour by Matthias+Wiesmann · · Score: 3, Funny

    This could make funny clothes that change color on demand. Of course, it will also make life very difficult for people who cannot make up their mind: blue, no yell... argh....

    1. Re:Changing colour by potsi · · Score: 1

      Yes, because that wasn't popular 15 years ago.

      Remember "Hyper Color" shirts?

  8. Great Idea... by irn_bru · · Score: 1

    But does it pass the litmus test???

    Actually, imagine the crazy fun you could have with colour changing paper and colour changing ink...

  9. james bond by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This sounds like something james bond could use - as well has fit his car with rotating number plates, paint the car with ink that means the car can change color at the flick of a switch. Making the car invisible is still cooler though.

    1. Re:james bond by pyrote · · Score: 1

      so how long does it take to figure out that you mount a pinhole cam or 12 on the opposite side and reproduce an image of the area behind the car. not only does that make the car invisible, but it would work for his tux, even the license plate.

      Heck with 'skinning' found in most video games, a genaric car could be made to look a little like a porche or in the bad part of town, a toyota.

      I'd like to see nascar use this to update sponsors on-the-fly as they bail from the tail car to back up the lead car.

      --
      THE WORLD IS GOING TO END!!!! eventually.
  10. Couterfeit Detection by aridhol · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Depending on how difficult/expensive it is to make this stuff, it could be used on money as an anti-counterfeit measure.

    --
    I can't say that I don't give a fuck. I've just run out of fuck to give.
  11. Tattoos by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Imagine tattoos,
    your body's natual electrical charges and static

    animatoos

  12. Simpsons animated tattoos premiere by irenetheno · · Score: 1

    "My name is Ot-to. And I've got anima-toos!"

  13. Re:JAMTDC! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't fault you because you're an ass; I fault you because you're a stupid ass.

  14. Oh Great! by Strange+Ranger · · Score: 1


    Coming soon - "How to hook your power supply up to the 'intel inside' sticker.

    --

    Operator, give me the number for 911!
  15. On the spot drug tests, for example? by SolemnDragon · · Score: 2, Interesting
    New meaning to mood rings, for starters. But what i'd like to know is can the colour of the ink be fixed, or linked through an input device (otherwise sealed off from the outside) so that you could have a document that doesn't appear until you enter the right key? could hackable newspapers be next?

    And if it were possible to re-print on the same page, would this mean that newspapers would re-use/recycle themselves? Just plug it into the daily info port, and watch as it reprints itself? It wouldn't be as fun as what i use (The internet for my daily news) but it would be intriguing, and i might go for it just to have a hard copy. On the other hand, it's hard enoguh to keep records as it is- this means there could be documents which cease to exist as soon as you tell them to, no pesky burning involved... hm. I'll have to think about this. When i see colourchange makeup come out, i'm going to scream...

    --
    "I'd say 'Have a good time,' but arson is still illegal.
    1. Re:On the spot drug tests, for example? by Webmonger · · Score: 1

      You could combine this with those transparent transistors they just came out with to put the data decryption circuitry onto the surface of the pager.
      That would be pretty well impossible to bypass, since the decryption hardware would BE the message.

      It would also be neat to have a piece of paper that was also a scanner!

  16. Oh great... by DeComposer · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I can just see it now: animated banner ads...

    • ...in magazines.
    What's next? Flash 'animations' in newspapers?
    --


    Karma
    1. Re:Oh great... by Myco · · Score: 1

      That sounds wonderful. At last we'd be able to physically destroy banner ads.

      --
      My deviantArt site
  17. Name collision by babbage · · Score: 1
    Researchers come up with a chemical that can take on any color, and the best name they can come up for it is "P-INK"?

    I think that name is already taken by another color, actually...

    --
    DO NOT LEAVE IT IS NOT REAL
    1. Re:Name collision by Myco · · Score: 1

      You'd prefer "phink," perhaps?

      --
      My deviantArt site
  18. Perfect for corporate accounting by Wireless+Joe · · Score: 1

    I can imagine these inks used on quarterly statements. Shareholders get the copy with all the black ink; just don't forget to flip the "red ink" switch when you send it to the IRS.

  19. Total Recall by browrp · · Score: 1

    Reminds me of that scene in Total Recall where the secretary was changing the color of her nails with the tap of a stylus... Yet another office productivity tool ;)

  20. yes but unlike the by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    so-called hyper color changing things which barely worked and then quit after 3 washes, this stuff might actually WORK

  21. Rhymes with E-Ink by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and they've got funding....

  22. Re:JAMTDC! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    if i were a donkey (ass) I, would be insulted by your comparing me to that ??? you cain' map a sense of humor T. Prachett

  23. Photonic? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I had a nanny who was a photonic once, but she had to be destroyed.