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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."

8 of 34 comments (clear)

  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."
  3. 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.

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    Free book: Science Toys You Can Make

  4. 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....

  5. 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.
  6. Tattoos by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

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

    animatoos

  7. 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.
  8. 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?
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