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Gold Nanoparticles Turn Trees Into Streetlights
An anonymous reader writes "Street lights are an important part of our urban infrastructure — they light our way home and make the roads safe at night. But what if we could create natural street lights that don't need electricity to power them? A group of scientists in Taiwan recently discovered that placing gold nanoparticles within the leaves of trees causes them to give off a luminous reddish glow. The idea of using trees to replace street lights is an ingenious one — not only would it save on electricity costs and cut CO2 emissions, but it could also greatly reduce light pollution in major cities."
Make it occur naturally.
Or rather - aren't there some kinds of mushrooms and other flora that glow in the dark? Why not just splice that plant with a tree. I know, I use the term splice like its an easy task.
I am speaking strictly out of self-interest here when I say this would be incredibly awesome.
As someone who's family has been in the tree business for a few generations, I would love our products to have a new utility that people actually see as practical. Currently, not many consumers understand that trees are not just for aesthetics, but can provide many practical benefits. Make 'em light up and people (municipalities, really) will be all over 'em.
Someone flopped a steamer in the gene pool.
Gold is a "heavy metal", but it's non-toxic. That's why they can make dental crowns out of it.
There are many reasons why this is a stupid idea, but that isn't one of them.
They are shining an ultraviolet light on the trees, with the gold particles they are glowing red by transforming the ultraviolet to red light.
neat, but kinda useless as ultraviolet is dangerous. (not useless on a small scale; but you can't go and light up a neighbourhood with ultraviolet)
Unless and until we switch over to electric cars en masse, street lights are NOT wasting electricity.
One of the two primary purposes of street lights is to consume the power generated by base-load powerplants that mu$t spin 24/7. Without our vast numbers of street lights, night-time voltages would rise above 130 and start frying your appliances.
Ever wondered why the electric company does not charge money, if you ask them to add a street light to the pole near your house? That's the reason.
FATMOUSE + YOU = FATMOUSE
The article (more of a quick summary) doesn't really say specifically what wavelength of UV is needed for the stuff to glow, but if the wavelength needed is what makes it to the Earth's surface from the Sun, that could explain their excitement.
Also, it seems some of the interest comes from the luminescent leaves absorbing their own light back in for photosynthesis. I wish that article were more in depth, since it seems we're getting half the story.
There's a 68.71% chance you're right.
Well, just because it's non reactive does not mean it's OK in the small sacs (alveoli) of the lung. At about 200 micrometers across, the alveoli make a very good trap for non-dissoluble particulates... and particulates do damage. No data on inhaled gold does not make it OK. Putting anything but air in your lungs will have some consequences.
Plus, people being what they are we would get to a point where someone would want to burn the leaves to recover the gold, messing up the whole CO2 bonus.
You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
If you tell them the leaves are full of gold nanoparticles, I guarantee you that the leaves won't make it to autumn. Heck this is much easier than stealing copper from a utility pole.
But don't worry, the Bacopa caroliniana plant they mention isn't a tree, it's a little herb no taller than 50cm and oh, it usually only grows underwater. Instead of lighting up cities possibly they can light up your aquarium. Long way to go before showing this can actually work in trees...
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
We know that silver does this. I've always wondered what gold would do.
You're over-reacting.
I mean, they're just talking about making trees luminescent. What could possibly go wrong?
I know it's a triviality to most of us, but I wonder what the birds and insects will think of trees that glow all night? I remember when Chicago went from mercury vapor lights, which were sort of silver, to sodium vapor lights, which were much brighter and a harsh yellow. We lost several species of birds and bats from the entire metropolitan area. That coincided with a huge jump in the mosquito population, which we dealt with by having trucks drive down the streets spraying...something.
But that's a small price to pay if we can save some oil so we can drive giant SUVs for a few more years. I mean, not having birds is one thing, but having to drive a downsized sport-utility vehicle is just too much to bear.
It reminds me that the last time I was in Southern Europe (Italy, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro), there didn't seem to be any songbirds at all left. You found tons of pigeons, but no songbirds. So it goes.
You are welcome on my lawn.